Chapter 10: Signs

It was quiet and all I could hear was the slow breathing of my own chest, moving up and down, forcing in and out the familiar air of my city. The cool breeze swept through my blonde hair as I gazed down upon my city with my ocean-blue eyes.

The city was still awake as usual, even though it was the middle of the night. I however was way up high in my temple, looking down upon everyone and everything. It was a beautiful sight to watch. Everyone was just…living. And now I was stuck with a terrible burden that I must follow through with.

I leaned down onto the railing with my elbows and placed my head into my hands. I stayed in that position for quite a while, just thinking, until one of the sentinels stood at the entrance of the balcony and informed me that Sir Auron had called for me and was waiting in the study.

Lifting my head up I took one last look at the city that I had come to love in the last two years and sighed. I then walked back into the temple, heading towards the study that was dead boring, all the way down to the very last writing implement.

&&&&&&&

A few minutes later I trudged in through the doors of my study where I usually spent most of my time (unfortunately). There sat Sir Auron in the chair, on the other side of my desk, waiting for me to sit down in my chair.

He didn't notice me enter the room, as he seemed lost in thought about something.

I broke his thoughts by stating casually, "Sir Auron, you called."

He looked up at me with a pleased expression upon his face.

"Ah young master. I heard how you dealt with the child." He said grinning evilly.

I looked at him unamused by his comment. I then walked over to my chair behind the enormous desk and declared, "She is hardly a child. More of a young woman."

I then glared into his eyes, which made him look away.

"Yes…of course she is master." He said losing all trace of amusement in his voice and returned to his usual unemotional gruff voice.

I leaned forward onto my desk so that my elbows were propping up my hands, which were in grasp of each other.

"Now…what is it you called me for?" I asked him demandingly.

He looked back up and planted a more formal expression upon his face and began to explain to me his plans for the girl.

He got up from his chair and started to pace the room as he recited his so-called ingenious plan.

"Now…the girl doesn't suspect a thing yet. She thinks she is going to die up at Mt. Demise in a matter of days…but what I propose we do, is use her as an experiment. We will still kill her of course…but I think that if we are able to use her abilities, which she seems to have, a lot of… then we can harvest them and use them for our own use. It's brilliant I tell you. Suck all the life out of her and create something even more powerful than we could imagine." He explained excitedly, which was very rare for him.

I was quiet for a few minutes as I thought about his plan and then finally I spoke.

"It sounds quite intriguing…but…" I trailed off, as I looked down at my desk.

"But?" Sir Auron prompted.

"…But…it's inhumane. I thought that we were only going to give her a quick death… nothing more. You were even more anxious then I to see that she was eradicated as soon as possible." I argued calmly.

"Yes master…but what if we could have more use of her before she dies? She is after all an enemy…who cares if she has to suffer a bit before she dies?" he questioned heartlessly.

"Yes I know but…she is still a human being…no matter how deceitful she may be. She deserves nothing more than a death. Nothing more shall happen before then." I commanded.

"But master she…" he started off.

I raised my right hand as I left my chair to hush him and said, "That is my final word Auron."

He backed away towards the door of the study and nodded, "Yes master. I can assure you that she will remain unharmed until the day."

He then left and I was left alone once again. I slumped back down into my chair and sighed. I swivelled around in my chair to gaze out of the window, which was situated on my left.

The moon was shining so bright tonight.

FLASH BACK

Where am I?

This place…it's somehow so familiar.

The moon is shining so bright tonight.

Wow, look at the trees, they're glittering…as if they're covered in millions of tiny crystals.

Look…a spring, it's so beautiful.

Pyreflies are flying everywhere…glowing so brightly.

Hang on…why am I even here? Am I even in Zanarkand? No this seems like someplace different. I better find a way outta here.

All right now…who is that?

Is that someone in the centre of the spring?

What in Zenit are they doing out here? All alone and at night?

Hmm…maybe I'll just see if they're okay.

I started to step into the spring…

END FLASH BACK

I woke up from the strange dream and found myself standing on the edge of my window ledge in my study. The night air was blowing through my hair.

"Zenit." I breathed softly. Afraid that if I moved an inch I would be doomed.

Down below, the city was still lit with lights and people were still having fun.

I grabbed onto the frame of the window above me and balanced myself so that I wouldn't fall. I then turned around slowly so that I could jump back into my study.

Finally I was facing the room and with one giant leap, I soared back into the room and landed so forcefully, that I somersaulted the rest of the way.

I landed at the foot of my desk on the floor and lay there slumped up against it, breathing heavily trying to catch my breath. I felt the blood drain from my face. I was so terrified of the thought that I actually could have died right then.

Now I know how that poor girl must be feeling.

I pushed away the thought. I was innocent. I wasn't expecting to die. She was guilty. She must have known that she would be caught sooner or later, which would have ultimately prepared her for death.

I stood up from my uncomfortable position on the floor and straightened out my black, gold-trimmed cloak, which had been swept up, over my head.

I ruffled my hair back into its usual windswept look and stared back out of the window.

I had only slumbered for a short while. I have never slept walked before in my life. At least…not that I can remember anyway. Strange…the place I had just stepped into was so familiar and serene, and yet…it could have led me to my death.

"Hmm…" I mumbled to myself, as I pondered upon this weird and wonderful experience.

"It was probably nothing. I should go see how everything is going downstairs in the atrium." I said to myself out loud.

&&&&&&&

Ten minutes later I had finally made my way downstairs into the atrium where everyone (as in sentinels and recruits) was bustling about.

Finally…a place where I can relax. A place where I can occupy myself with things other then my own worries.

"Ah…young master…haven't seen you down here for a while." Said a voice from behind.

I turned around to face my best friend Seraph. He was one of my sentinels. (He was at first a sentinel whom I had befriended.)

"Ah…hey Seraph…haven't seen much of you lately." I smiled embracing him in a friendly hug.

"So what have you been up to lately? Anything interesting?" he questioned looking at me with his left eyebrow raised.

I looked away, as he asked this question. All I had been doing lately was concentrating on this enemy business. I had come down here to be rid of the thought for the time being. Not to be reminded of it.

"Ah…you know…the usual." I replied rubbing the back of my neck with my right hand, not looking at him.

"Oh yeah…" he trailed off, not pursuing the subject any further.

"So what do ya say we go have a drink?" he said changing the subject.

I smiled, "That sounds great." I replied and we strolled off towards the hostelry, which was situated just minutes away, outside my temple.

Meanwhile, back in the isolated chamber

"I've got to get out of here." I said as I paced back and forth up and down the room.

The voices in my head were getting louder and more daring. They were telling me to hurt myself (as in kill myself), or to escape or do anything that would prevent the people of this place killing me.

I was running my hands through my honey-brown hair continuously, becoming more frustrated by the second. I was so hot in this place. I didn't know whether it was just me…or something…or…someone…had stopped the airflow into the room.

I was so perspiring, that I felt that I would faint from the lack of fluid, in a matter of minutes.

"Oh think Yuna think. There has to be something that you can do." I said rubbing my forehead with my left hand, while I rested my right hand on my hip.

Suddenly a voice in my head instructed me to do something that I wouldn't have thought of in a million years.

One: Because it was extremely dangerous.

Two: I would've had to be lucky to even leave the place without being caught. There was only one corridor and if I was caught, I would have been brought back here anyway, and who knows what they'd do to me.

The voice suddenly repeated itself and I felt that I couldn't say no. It was my one chance at the moment and I had to try.

So I turned to face the glass door and pondered on the idea for a moment. Then I finally gave in and walked slowly up to the door. Once there I examined it with my hands. Feeling every bump and crevice that came my way. I needed to find the weakest point. Finally my hands rested in a large enough crevice, which could easily be broken through with just the right amount of force.

So I summoned all of my strength and focused on the target. Finally after minutes of concentration, I pulled my right palm all the way back, past my body and in slow motion I brought my palm back into contact with the glass door and smashed right through it.

I stood there for a few moments as I watched the entire glass door crumble to the floor below. I breathed heavily in both shock and exhaustion.

I couldn't believe what I had just done. I had just smashed through a glass door, which was at least five inches thick.

Where had all this strength come from? First with Auron…now this door.

I brought my right arm up to my face to examine it. Not a single scratch. Nothing. No blood…no pain. This was all too bizarre.

Then the voice in my head commanded me to run. I shot my head up to see a light flashing in the ceiling above. It hadn't ever done that before. It must be…an alarm.

"Oh…Yevon." I gulped.

I then felt myself react to the alarm and began to run. I turned right and ran around the corner that I had watched so many people disappear behind, the whole time I had been in the chamber.

Ahead of me there was a long corridor that had no other corridors leading off from it. So it was obvious that I should just keep running straight ahead. I didn't even know what I was going to do once I got out of here.

I felt so much stronger then before. All this energy was flowing through my veins. It felt like another life force was living inside of me…helping me get out of here.

I finally came to the end of the hall and was greeted by the steep, dark staircase that I had been carried down, on the way to my room.

Auron must have taken another passageway when he took me to that chamber, because if we had of just kept following the corridor behind me and turned left, we would have been there in no time.

I started to make my way up the staircase, wasting as little time as possible.

I skipped every three stairs, I felt like I was simply landing on one stair and leaping into the air and landing gently on every fifth stair upwards, leaving three in between.

Once I had reached the top of the stairs, I peered around the corner to check if the two corridors on my right and left were free of any sentinels.

Once again no one was there. But pretty soon these corridors would be swarming with sentinels. They would have heard the alarm, so it was only a matter of time before they showed up.

Okay, which way do I go? I think I came right last time; there was obviously no way out when I first went that way. I'm going to have to hope, that going left is a way out of here.

So I decided to turn left and hoped that it would lead me out of this place. I was running so fast and yet I didn't run out of breath.

Finally I heard a sound that I suspected that I would be hearing in only a matter of time. The sound of feet pounding on the ground as they ran towards me. They were not in view yet. They were coming from the two corridors that linked off the one I was running along.

"Oh think Yuna. What do I do?" I whispered softly to myself, thinking that I was going to be found in less then a minute.

Finally I was faced with about five sentinels who came running around the corner towards me. This was it. I winced as they approached me and looked towards the ground with my face buried in my hands.

Finally the sound of the sentinels' running ceased, and I was too afraid to look up from my hands. I thought that I would be surrounded by them. But as I looked up I saw that I was alone. I slowly turned around to check that they weren't behind me. I even checked the ceiling. But there was not one sentinel in sight.

Okay this is too weird.

I could hear the sentinels disappear down the staircase.

I then noticed something rather frightening. I couldn't see my hands or any other body part for that matter.

Am I invisible? It seems like it's the only possible explanation, as to why I was not seen. But how…?

I smiled slightly. This may be my one hope to escape out of here without getting caught. So I ran around the corner that I saw the group of sentinels emerge from. There was surely a way out, if I went this way.

As I turned the corner I saw a wonderful sight.

"Finally." I breathed with a sigh of relief. "The stars are greeting me…lighting the way." I said happily as I bolted towards the entrance.

As I reached the entrance I felt the moonlight touch my skin. I hadn't felt anything quite like it for years it seemed. I closed my eyes and twirled around slowly, soaking in the beauty of it.

I opened my eyes and looked down. Below me was a hard asphalt road and all around me there was nothing in sight, except for a large city in the distance.

"It must be nearly midnight and everyone is still awake." I said as I pondered on the thought for a moment.

"Well…I guess that's what he meant when he said, that it's the city that never sleeps." I whispered softly referring to Tidus.

I decided that I should leave and maybe make my way towards the city. No one there knew that I was the supposed enemy. They didn't know what I looked like. They would think that the sentinels had everything under control back at the Zanatorium.

Well I hoped so anyway. But I had to do something. I had to find some sort of transportation…hang on…this is Zanarkand one thousand years ago…I'm going to need a time portal or something, if I'm to ever see the Bevelle of my time again.

I dropped down to the ground onto my knees and stared into the night sky.

"Please…help me…show me the way…what do I do?" I pleaded, as I stared into the black, star lit sky.

I knew that no one was listening. I just felt so helpless. Suddenly in the distance I saw a cluster of fireworks, rise up into the air and explode into colours of pink and blue. As the star-like dust fell, the particles resembled the face of the man I loved.

That was my sign. It was showing me the way. The way to Tidus.

Someone was listening.

Meanwhile, back at the hostelry

"Master…master…" a sentinel cried, as he came barging through the doors of the hostelry.

I turned around to face the breathless sentinel, with a laughing face, after just talking with Seraph.

But I turned serious as I saw the expression upon this other sentinels face.

"What is it?" I demanded.

In between breaths he told me, "It's…the girl…she's escaped."

I widened my eyes and stood up from my stool at the bench. Thank Zenit I only had one and a half drinks, or Auron would have had to take over from here.

"How did she escape?" I said calmly.

"We…don't know…when we arrived at the chamber…the glass was smashed and she was gone." He forced out spluttering and coughing.

I stared into thin air for a moment, just registering in my mind what he had just told me.

I then glared at him.

"How is it, that my fully trained men cannot recapture a single girl?" I said growing angry as I stepped towards him.

"Master…we arrived at the scene as soon as the alarm went off…we…" he started before I cut in.

"You should have been on the scene before it went off…I expect you and the other men to be guarding the perimeters of the Zanitorium at all times…what were you doing?" I yelled, grabbing him by the collar of his uniform.

"We were…um…" he started.

"Well…come on spit it out." I said becoming irritated.

"We were…playing Blitz ball in the arena…after the players had left." He choked out from under my firm grip on his collar.

I suddenly felt strange at the mention of this subject.

Why?

I let go of the man and said calmly, "Very well then…search the perimeters surrounding the Zanitorium and then search the city. If she is nowhere to be found I will be halving you and the others your pay." I threatened.

Seraph stared at me, frightened by my threat. He after all was a sentinel. However I couldn't favour him over the others.

So I frowned at him and said, "That goes for you to. Now get to work." I commanded as I pointed towards the door of the hostelry.

He slowly left his stool (clearly unintimidated by me) and walked towards the entrance with the other sentinel obediently, giving me a disappointed look on the way. If that had been any other sentinel, I would have had them taken away on the spot. But Seraph was my best friend. I couldn't do any more harm to him then I already had.

So after he and the other man left, I ran out towards my temple and decided that I needed to talk with Sir Auron.

A/N: Hello once again. This chapter is a bit longer. It's also the last one I'm doing before tomorrow. Tears. I have to wait two whole weeks until I come into contact with the Internet again. Nooooooo! Usually I wouldn't have put both Tidus' and Yuna's thoughts in the same chapter, but I wanted to get most of the story on fan fiction. Anyway read and review fast if you're going to review at all please. I really wanna read some reviews before I go away.

P.S. Atrium is another word for entrance hall.

Tidus' girl Candy