Chapter 13: For the moment

I began to make my way deeper into the forest. The spring had now replenished my body by quenching my thirst. I was able to keep walking now at least. I felt fresher and clean and the cool breeze that drifted through the trees' swaying branches, met the water on my skin, making me feel even cooler.

I was walking along the path through the forest feeling so carefree for some reason. That was a big mistake. If I had of been more cautious and watchful of my surroundings, I would have heard the sentinel creep up behind me.

His right hand enclosed roughly around my small neck and he pushed his face down to my left ear and growled, "I caught you."

His body was pushing up against my back, too close for comfort.

The way he said it was rather disturbing. It was almost as if he felt this whole situation was some sort of sick game. And now it was over because 'he caught me.' He was the winner.

Suddenly I felt a feeling of determination wash over me. I wasn't going to let this person get the better of me.

So I answered seductively, "Yes…you caught me. Now you can do what you will with me before the others come."

His grip on me loosened and he moved back a little.

Sure I sounded a little promiscuous but what other choice did I have. I had to make him crumble into the lowly little baby that I knew was in him somewhere. What man could control themselves when presented with an offer like that?

He began to release his grip on me and turned me around to face him. My gown was completely soaked from the spring and I knew what he was looking at. The man himself was not that bad looking.

Don't think like that Yuna. You love Tidus. Don't check this pathetic jerk out.

He smiled evilly and said, "Alright…I will." He said almost drooling with delight as he began to pull his shirt up over his head revealing his torso. I took this as an opportunity. I grabbed the guns, which sat firmly in his holsters on each hip and said, "Back off you sick twisted jerk." I said aiming the guns at him shakily.

I had used guns before, but never like this. Not when I was the one who was being the hunted. I was the one who did the hunting, not the other way around.

He let go of his shirt and let it fall back over his chest holding up his hands, cursing himself with foul words, realising what an idiot he was.

"Looks like I caught you." I said sweetly. "Do I win anything?" I asked as I walked closer to him, causing him to back up against a tree, never taking his eyes off the guns.

He began to reach into his back pocket but my eyes caught him. I shook my head and spoke to him like a mother would to her naughty child.

"Don't try anything impish precious." I said as I aimed my gun at his back pocket where his hand rested.

He pulled his hand away and raised them again.

I decided that I should leave but I thought I'd make him feel even more ridiculous, before I made him go back to his men.

"Okay take off your shirt." I instructed.

"Huh?" he asked confused.

I raised the gun just centimetres from his forehead, keeping a safe distance away from him.

"I said, take off your shirt." I growled in a rather sinister tone.

"Okay okay…just give me a sec." He demanded glaring at me.

"Um…who's holding the guns here?" I asked annoyed that he thought he could act so uncouth, thinking that I wouldn't do the deed if I had to.

"You are." He answered as he removed his shirt, which fluffed his short brown hair up on the way.

"Throw it to me." I instructed, as I held out my left hand with the gun, ready to catch it.

He began to step forward to hand it to me, probably thinking that he could snatch the gun from my hands as he gave the shirt to me.

"I said throw it. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking." I said frustratingly, but didn't show it, thinking it would somehow give him satisfaction, for him to see that he was getting to me mentally.

He rolled his eyes which I let slip and he threw the shirt to me which I caught on the end of the gun, letting it dangle over the grass below.

He stood looking at me with his hands on his hips as if waiting for me to let him go. But I wasn't finished with him yet.

"Now your pants." I said casually as I slung the shirt over my shoulder.

"WHAT?!" he yelled in disbelief, looking at me as if I was insane.

"Do we have to go through the same thing again?" I said glaring into his eyes dangerously.

He shook his head and began to unbuckle his pants. Finally after what felt like an eternity he threw me the bottom part of his uniform.

I giggled as I saw that he was now only left in his underwear. I eyed him mischievously and said, "Wow...I bet the last thought on your mind tonight was having a girl strip you down under the eyes of your own weapons."

I tilted my head to the right and waited for him to answer. He looked up at me and said, "Why don't you just take my boots while you're at it?"

"What a good idea." I said smiling as he pulled them of hastily and threw them at my feet, along with his gun holsters.

"Now…go back to your fellow men and tell them I'm dead or something…use your imagination. But the next time we meet I won't be so gracious." I warned threateningly.

With that being said he ran off back the way he had come, like a little boy running away from an imaginary monster in the night. I knew that when he arrived back at his post he'd tell his men everything that had happened. But I was in control for a moment then. If I was to shoot him, they'd hunt me down like an animal. But because I had spared his life, it showed that I was in fact the stronger one, when they would have gladly killed me right on the spot.

I was just imagining what the other men's reactions would be, when they saw him run back to them completely stripped down to his underwear.

Anyway I had better get moving. I now had a disguise to make my way through the city. I knew that the clothes would most likely fall loosely around me, but by the sound of the blaring music coming from over the trees, everyone was partying anyway and I wouldn't be noticed.

So I slipped the shirt over my head, smelling the scent of the man as it brushed over my nose. I pulled on the pants, which were in fact too big. So I had to tie the belt in a knot around my waist, then tightening the holsters around my hips for extra support. I shoved the guns into the holsters roughly and pulled on the tall, black boots.

The boots were just too big to make my way around in them, so I pulled them off hastily and fell onto my rear in the process. Thankfully the long thick grass below softened the fall. I pulled the other boot off and threw them into a nearby bush and began to run towards the sound of the music.

A few moments later I was standing on the other side of the forest gazing out over the city below in awe.

Amazing! It's so beautiful. Now I know why Tidus always wanted to come back here.

I snapped out of my thoughts and began to make my way down the rather steep hill below, only to loose my balance and roll the rest of the way.

I rolled over numerous sharp rocks, which managed to pierce the uniform and cut through my flesh. It hurt a lot but I kept quiet, too afraid that someone would hear me, if they hadn't yet noticed that I was falling rapidly down the hill to Yevon knows where.

When I finally stopped, I lay there for a minute listening for a voice or a gasp of shock from anyone. There was nothing but the wild music up ahead, so I doubt I would have been able to hear them, even if they were there.

When I rose to my feet, there was no one there at all thank Yevon. So proceeding on with my journey I ran towards the bright lights of the city, which beckoned me to see Tidus there.

As I entered the city a few minutes later I pulled the hood attached to the shirt over my face. I saw a few people standing in the street having a good time. Most of them looked about the same age as me, and yet they were so carefree. It seemed strange to me. I had never known this way of life as a growing teenager. I had always been doing something for Spira or for the people I loved most. First with being a summoner and then trying to find Tidus.

I began to head deeper into the city, finding that I was slowly heading into a crowd of some sort. I could hear loud music blaring all around and the moist bodies were dancing rapidly, in tune with the beat. They were all dancing together mixing their sweat with the other people around them, as they rubbed up against each other. This was the kind of thing Rikku had tried to get me into after Tidus left. Trying to get my mind off him. But I never went with her.

As I made my way through the wide mass of crowded people I felt their bodies rub up against mine. And because I was dressed the way I was, most of the girls decided to rub up against me very forcefully, and I felt a feeling of queasiness swim through my stomach. I kept my hood over my face protectively, feeling embarrassed for both me and the girls themselves.

There was absolutely no fresh air in this crowd. Only the hot breath of everyone breathing heavily, and the warm air that surrounded their bodies.

The streets had not been a familiar place to me. I was usually on some mission, too busy to even think about having fun like this. After a while I started to notice a few other people in the crowd point to me and start whispering before they went back to carousing. Most likely because I was in a uniform, or maybe they saw my face and wondered why a girl was dressed in a sentinel uniform.

Suddenly I saw a blonde head up ahead.

Was it Tidus?

I pushed my way through the crowd to the person I presumed was Tidus and tried to get a closer look of the man, keeping my hood over my face the whole time. If it was Tidus it still meant danger. He was under the influence of something that had caused him to believe I was the enemy.

As I got closer to him I saw that it was in fact Tidus struggling to make his way through the crowd.

It looked like he was about to look my way so I turned around accidentally knocking over a young boy on the way. I apologised and made my way back through the crowd. I turned around to see Tidus helping up the boy and felt glad that one of us had a heart.

I was really shaken by the fact that he had almost seen me. I didn't know why I had even come out here in the first place. But then I remembered.

All I needed was to see his face and deep blue eyes right now. And I had done that. I had fulfilled my need for the moment. His face had replenished me in a way that a spring never could. But how much longer could I hold on without him?

A/N: Okay the next chapter explains Yuna's confusion a bit better. Put up with me. I needed to get this chapter out of my system before I went crazy. Read and Review pretty please.

Yunie Tidus