Pheonixflame308: Thanks. Don't worry. :P I will keep on writing.

Chapter 2: Departure

Danielle stared into the campfire, going over all of what Lulu had explained to her in her mind. This world was known as Spira, and for a thousand years, it had suffered from the wrath of a great monster known as Sin. Summoners would travel to various temples in Spira to receive the aeons so that they could prove themselves worthy of the great Final Aeon to defeat Sin. But what good would it do if Sin kept being reborn? Why hadn't anyone thought of trying to find a way of stopping it permanently instead of just for a few years? She didn't voice her thoughts to Lulu, sure that she wouldn't really appreciate it.

It seemed as if Lulu read Danielle's thoughts, because she quietly added, "As long as people can live in peace, even for a little while, a summoner will fulfill his or her duties. That's how it's always been. That is the summoner's creed."

Danielle lowered her head slightly, then looked back up at the fire. "It sounds like a pretty big job for one person, even if they do have guardians with them," she whispered. "How could a person handle such a great burden like that?"

Lulu looked past her to their right where Yuna sat with the village elder and a few others. "She knows what she has to do, so she just does her best to handle it. Her father, High Summoner Braska, was the one who banished Sin last time. She's following in his footsteps."

Danielle sighed, still staring at the fire and thinking of her own life, of her own parents. She never knew her real mother and father, and her adoptive parents were gone too. All she had left was her sister, who she wasn't even sure she would be able to see again. Her life was far from being normal, just as Yuna's was. But Yuna had so much more resting on her shoulders than Danielle.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't see Yuna as she came to sit down beside her. Lulu rose and walked away, letting them converse without anyone listening in. Danielle blinked a few times, watching Lulu leave before looking at the summoner. "Um, hi," she said a bit nervously.

Yuna giggled slightly. "So, you're Danielle? I heard a bit about you from Lulu, but not much. She told me how you couldn't really remember anything about your past and how you were coming with us to Luca."

Danielle rubbed the back of her neck slightly. "Ah, yeah, I am." She noticed Yuna staring at the sword on her back, and Danielle pulled off the scabbard. "Want to look at it?" she asked, wondering why it had caught Yuna's eye.

When the summoner nodded, she handed it over to her. Yuna examined the hilt, particularly the emerald that was in the middle of it. That was when Danielle frowned. An emerald? She could have sworn that when she had first found it, it was just a plain clear crystal. "That's weird… There's something familiar about this sword, but I know I've never seen it before."

Danielle rubbed her chin, confused. She herself had sensed a power in it when she first located it in the Guardian City. How could Yuna also sense that power? It didn't make any sense! "I found it not too long ago. It's pretty strange. I've never seen the design on the blade before. It looks like a rune or something." Yuna pulled it out, gasping as she stared down at the engraving in the metal. "This… is the emblem of Yevon!" Yuna looked up at her. "But how could you find this?"

Danielle shrugged. "Beats me. I have no idea where it came from. It was broken on the sand when I woke up on the beach earlier."

Yuna put the sword back in its sheath and handed it to Danielle. "Strange… Perhaps someone in Luca can repair it for you. I suggest bringing it with you until you find someone with Yevon who knows what it is." Danielle strapped the scabbard onto her back, and Yuna sighed softly. "It's so strange… Tidus shows up, and then you, both having similar stories of not knowing how you got here… But regardless, I'm happy to have both of you traveling with me, even for a little while."

Danielle smiled gently. "Yeah. I'm actually looking forward to this." She stared up at the stars, surprised at how different the constellations were from what she would always see in the Rhode Island night sky. "An adventure. Heh…"

Yuna also gazed up at the sky, smiling. "You're right." She looked back at Danielle. "It was you who was in the temple, wasn't it?" she whispered, making Danielle's eyes widen in surprise. "I saw someone in there, watching us. I thought I was seeing things at first, but now I know I wasn't. You were in there, too."

Danielle glanced around quickly, hoping that no one overheard, and leaned in to whisper to Yuna. "But… how did you know? How could you tell it was me?"

Yuna shrugged her shoulders. "I'm… not sure. I could tell someone was there watching us, because there was a strange power I felt from that alcove. And then when I saw you outside with the crowd, I felt it again. I wasn't too sure then, but now… Now I'm positive."

Danielle hung her head a bit, rubbing the back of it. "Well, you're right. It was me in there…"

"What were you doing, though?" Yuna asked curiously.

Danielle stared into her different colored eyes, torn between telling her the truth or just lying. She chose the second option. "Well, I was just curious as to what was inside. I snuck in to take a look around. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let my curiosity get the best of me."

Yuna was silent for a second or to before answering. "It's okay. The same happened to Tidus. Except that he was worried about me and went in to see if I was okay." She smiled a bit. "Well, we should get some rest now. We have to leave first thing in the morning. I'm sure there's an empty bed in the inn for you."

Danielle got to her feet, stretching out a bit and nodding as Yuna rose also. "Okay. Well, nice getting to know you. See you in the morning."

Yuna bowed slightly. "Good night, Danielle."

Danielle watched Yuna walk away before turning towards the inn, once more sinking into her own thoughts and memories.

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Blades flashed in the darkness. Sparks flew as metal clashed with metal. Two warriors fought, their skills equal to each others'. A young girl and a man dressed in strange clothes fought in the heart of a dark city that no one had lived in for millennia. The man suddenly made a vicious assault, but the girl blocked each one until her blade shattered from the power of the man's attacks. She fell to the ground as the man stood over her and raised his sword. "Now, you 'Guardian of Light', return from the darkness from whence you came!"

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Danielle bolted upright in bed, glancing around quickly. The inn was empty. Danielle sighed and tried to shake off the lingering memories of the dream, wiping the trickles of cold sweat that were on her forehead. She rolled out of bed, wondering what time it was. If nobody was inside, it must mean they were ready to leave. Sighing, she grabbed her scabbard and heading out of the inn. The others were gathered at the entrance of the village. As she ran up, Tidus grinned at her. "And they said I slept in late."

"Whatever…" she muttered, putting her hands behind her head. "So, we're leaving now?"

Yuna nodded. "Yes. We have to head to the pier. It's dangerous with all the fiends though."

"We can take them! Just lemme at them!" Tidus shouted, raising his fist in the air.

Wakka shook his head. "You sure are confident, ya?"

Danielle chuckled under her breath and followed after them, staying back and watching as they fought against the monsters on the island. She learned a lot about the creatures, actually. Ones called Flans were resistant to physical attacks, while some could only be hit with projectiles or magic. They were passing through some old ruins when the blue-furred creature Danielle had seen yesterday jumped down and attacked Tidus. It wasn't until Yuna stopped them did Danielle learn he was a Ronso named Kimahri. He had been with Yuna since she was a child, Lulu had explained. The Ronso were a powerful race that lived on Mt. Gagazet and served as its guardians. Danielle listened intently, surprised. This world was so amazing compared to what she always knew…

"We're here," Lulu said softly, snapping Danielle out of her thoughts. Villagers were gathered at the pier to see them off. As Yuna spoke with them one last time, Danielle boarded the ship with the others, crossing over to the starboard railing and leaning against it. She was excited, no doubt about it, but something didn't seem right and she couldn't get it out of her mind. What was it about the sea that made fear stir within her? What was lying in wait out there? As Yuna boarded and the ship set out, Danielle did her best to ignore the feeling deep inside. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? With a sigh, she closed her eyes. After a while, she noticed that the waves were growing intense. She opened her eyes once more and leaned over the railing, looking down.

The waves grew in intensity, and Danielle had to grip the rail tight so she wouldn't fall. She couldn't really see anything, her eyes blurry from the stinging water that was in them, but she heard the shout that soon followed. It was filled with fear, chilling her to the bone. "Sin!" She was driven to her knees, suddenly feeling weak. Looking up, she stared at the massive fin that rose from the sea. There was something about it, something dark, that drained every last bit of strength and will from her body. Small objects were launched from it, and one headed straight for her. Strong arms grabbed her, pulling her backwards. She realized numbly that it was Kimahri.

Danielle couldn't really tell what was going on. She just knew that she was pulled over near the bridge. Yuna looked back at her as she stepped towards the fin and the creatures that had come aboard the ship. "Danielle, we must fight Sin. Please, take cover!"

Danielle looked at her friend, feeling helpless. She couldn't help them fight Sin in her state. "I… Okay. Be careful, Yuna…" As the summoner turned away, Danielle knew that they were in for a rough time. She had to do something…