Chapter 12: Focus

As I began to make my way down the asphalt road, I started to see a mass of trees come into view. Over the top I could see the city brightly lit up. I was standing on the hilltop on the grounds of the Zanatorium still and until now I thought that maybe this road would have led straight to the city. But no, now I was forced to make my way through a dark forest, which was most likely swarming with sentinels by now. However as I began to hear the sounds of men's voices start to come from every direction, I looked down at my body, I realised that the invisibility shield that had saved me once before was now gone and I could see myself perfectly now, under the watchful rays of the moon above.

I can't stay here. I must head towards the city. I have to see Tidus before I die. Even if it's just for a millisecond. His face and deep blue eyes are all I need right now.

So as I began to make my way towards the forest I pictured myself with him, thinking that somehow, just the thought itself would get me to him in one piece.

"Yeah she's around here somewhere. Pretty thing doesn't know what she's dealing with." Scoffed a close voice from a nearby tree.

As I stared in the direction from which it came, I saw two large men in uniform holding weapons, emerge on my left and without a second thought I ran behind the nearest shrub in sight.

Slow quiet breaths Yuna…you don't want them to find you.

I kept my fearful eyes on the two men as I peered daringly over the top of the shrub.

They moved on quickly thankfully.

What kind of sentinel just walked past a shrub without checking what's behind it anyway? I mean I was hiding behind it and yet they seemed to assume that I was simply a pathetic idiot who didn't know the first thing about finding a good hiding spot.

By now they had entered the door of the Zanatorium from which I had just escaped.

So deciding that my luck would soon disappear, I skipped quietly towards the unwelcoming entrance of the forest up ahead, casting cautious glances over every object in sight, afraid that a sentinel would pop up out of nowhere unexpectedly. Perhaps those other two men were just a diversion and they had already found me. Maybe they had a group of more men hiding in various places around me read to pounce.

I shook the thoughts away thinking that if I thought negatively then I would never get anywhere at this rate.

Finally my feet met a dirt, pebble encrusted path, which linked off from the asphalt road into the forest. I hesitated at the mere sight of the towering trees above. The dark green leaves shone magnificently in the moonlight, showing colours of light pinks and purples.

Maybe this place wasn't too bad…it couldn't be much worse then the place I had just come from anyway…I hoped.

So I brought my right dirty foot up hesitantly, ready to place it back down into what seemed to be the entry to a different world. Nothing happened…nothing moved…it was okay…no scary sentinels were going to start attacking me.

So I brought my entire body into the forest more confidently, just standing there for a moment, thinking that my journey would be a little rough at times but I knew it would be worth it in the end. Tidus was worth anything that life threw at me…even if he was being a complete idiot at the moment. Not that it was his fault.

I heard voices from behind…oh no, don't tell me they're coming into the forest now. I should head into the city and surround myself with other people so as to be less noticeable.

So with that thought in mind I ran straight ahead brushing past numerous branches that appeared in front of me, ultimately ripping my rather short gown into pieces. Oh this was horrible. I couldn't go into the city to have Tidus find me completely naked.

Better hope that those straps around the back don't get caught on anything. That's what's holding everything together.

Luckily as I got deeper into the forest there were less obstacles in my way, but I knew that by now my appearance was not exactly appealing. I had dirt covered feet from the ground below, my gown was ripped in places that I was now forced to cover with my hands, my hair was stuck to my face from the sweat that dripped in both exhaustion and fear. The branches that I had brushed past had also left numerous tiny scratches over my bare arms, which began to sting as the sweat from my arms seeped into the tiny crevices.

I was so thirsty. I needed water. Suddenly my eyes rested on a spring in the distance.

Surely I was imagining it. It was just a hallucination.

However that didn't stop my feet from clumsily making their way towards it. I didn't blame myself for doing so. I was so dizzy that my eyes began to lose focus every few seconds causing me to trip over rocks or stumble into a shrub on the way.

Finally I fell down onto my knees into the water and cupped my hands to bring water to my mouth violently. I washed the water over my face, letting my fingers trail clumsily down over my cheeks and then ran them through my hair. I let my whole body collapse down into the cool wetness, which surrounded my body, face down with closed eyes. At least this wasn't a cruel joke played by my mind.

I rose up and flung my head back over my arching back so that my wet hair swept back over my head. I reached my hands up to my face brushing back the loose strands that stuck to my face. My arms were tingling with pain as the night air met the water in my cuts. I winced a bit, but didn't cry over the matter.

There were bigger things to worry about tonight. Much bigger things.

A/N: This chapter is a little short, but hey I have already typed the next chapter and it's much longer so don't worry.

Yunie Tidus