"If I Only Had a Father"

Nedia spent the rest of the summer happily with Vidina. They grew even closer as friends, and also in more ways. All of this joy blocked Nedia's thoughts about her father and the mystery in the temple. All that mattered was Vidina to her, and she liked it that way. She liked being carefree, not having to worry over trivial matters. Nedia was finally beginning to live with her heart, not with her mind.

Unfortunately, all good things seem to end too soon, and Nedia's wonderful visit was coming to a close. As sad as the occasion was, Nedia seemed happier than usual through it all. No longer was she just the seclusive, quiet person— now she had a spark of light, a glimpse of true happiness and life— in her. And it would steadily grow stronger every day until it would one day overtake the darkness and insecurity of her heart. But that day was far off, and Nedia still was overwhelmed by the pressures of her life.

Nedia was alone on the deck of the small ferry. It was the middle of the night, and though she was tired, Nedia couldn't fall asleep. The salty sea refreshed her, and she marveled at how beautiful the calm waves looked. Yet, even as that faint spark shone inside her and vast beauty surrounded her, a tear began to form in Nedia's eye. She sniffled, trying to stop it, but she failed. The tear trickled down her cheek, leaving a tingling trail. Her wet eye looked up into the sky and she uttered one word in her sorrow: "Dad…"

Nedia arrived safely, and uneventfully, back to Guadosalam. She told her parents about her vacation, excluding her romance with Vidina, the two spheres, and her encounter with the fayth.

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"Mom," Nedia looked almost afraid asking, "can I ask you something?"

Yuna looked up at her scared daughter. A million things flew through her mind, each something Nedia might be asking. As they continued racing, the possibilities grew more and more disturbing and odd. But Yuna was able to mask this concern; she had had many years of practice. The High Summoner Yuna looked into her daughter's violet eyes and smiled, trying to allay her fears. "Of course."

Nedia sat down next to her mother on the little bench in their garden. She looked over to her orange roses, looking for something to calm her down. Her flowers seemed to do that always, since they were hers and hers alone. The mother and daughter sat there for a few moments; the flowers danced in the slight breeze, the sun glimmered in the garden, and everything was at peace.

"Mom," Nedia said, breaking the silence, "who is this man?" Nedia held a sphere delicately in her hands. Her eyes betrayed her unfaltering voice. Yuna could sense her concern and her uncertainty. She took the sphere out of her daughter's hands and looked at it, trying to see if she had seen it before. Before she could even ask, Nedia answered her mother's question. "We— Vidina and me— found it. Actually," Nedia turned around and produced another sphere, "we found two."

Yuna was surprised and put slightly off guard. She wondered what the spheres could contain. Looking at her anxious daughter, she picked up the first sphere and watched it.

Yuna put the sphere down. She did not bother looking at the second sphere; she knew what her daughter was wondering. Tiny tears began forming in her eyes, and Nedia began to regret what she had done. "Mom, I'm sorry." Nedia did not even know what to be sorry for, but she knew that something from the sphere had upset her mother.

"Honey, Nedia…" Yuna said as she began fiddling with her daughter's hair. "It's not your fault, it's just…" Yuna's voice began trailing off, and she turned away from her daughter. Yuna was the High Summoner, she was supposed to be strong, to be the will of Spira; she did not want her daughter to see crying. "…I didn't think I would ever see him again."

Nedia was confused, but out of courtesy to her mother, she did not ask. She just placed her hand on her mother's shoulder and whispered, "It's okay. Everything will be fine." Nedia was not sure of what else she could do, so she just repeated the phrases over and over. Eventually, Yuna looked back to her sympathetic daughter; the tears still were wet on her face. She took Nedia's hand into hers and gently caressed it. She looked over to the garden for a second and then looker her daughter in the eyes. "That man, he was with me on my pilgrimage. He was… one of my guardians."

Before Nedia could inquire more, her stepfather came in. He tried to act courteous and asked politely for Yuna; someone wanted to see her. Yuna looked back to her daughter as she was leaving and mouthed, 'I'm sorry.' The couple left, and Nedia was by herself again. She stayed in the garden only a little longer, and then she went to her room.

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It was still very early morning when Nedia woke up. It was so early and so dark (since the sun had yet to rise) that Nedia almost went back to sleep, thinking she had awoken in the middle of the night. But before she could, Nedia remembered why she wanted to wake up so early and she quietly slipped out of her room.By the next half hour, Nedia had gathered supplies she had deemed necessary and was leaving the grounds of manor. As she stepped outside the final door and was closing it, she looked back with a sense of regret. But Nedia was set, and she had fled Guadosalam before the sun had risen.

Nedia had gotten to the Northern Bank of the Moonflow by the time dawn had engulfed the sky. She was currently on the shoopuff, and few other travellers were joining her for the ride, although they were keeping to themselves. The full realization of what she was doing was beginning to sink in, but it was too late now to turn back. She had started, and she was not going to stop until it was finished.

Sitting slightly away from the other travellers, Nedia couldn't understand what they were talking about; although she could hear some words here and there, and the words were startling.

"…a little off an island…"

"…they saw Sin!"

"…complete disaster; nothing's left…"

Nedia was growing pale from these disturbing words. She wasn't facing the little group, so they could not know the effect they were causing. She wanted to ask where Sin was seen, hoping with her whole body that it was not Besaid. She was so worried about Besaid, that Nedia did not seem worried about the reappearance of Sin. After her mother, Yuna, had defeated Sin seventeen years ago, Sin had been absent from Spira. The calm followed, as it always does for a short time. But Sin always comes back, to be defeated by another summoner, and continue the horrid cycle.

Finally, Nedia was able to summon up enough courage to ask the group of travellers. "Excuse me, where did you say that Sin attacked?"

The travellers all stopped talking and looked at Nedia, for she had not only interrupted their conversation, but had been eavesdropping. One of the travellers, whom was a little older than Nedia, wore only shorts and sandals, and whom had a sword by his side, answered her. "I heard Sin was spotted really south of here. By one of those tropical islands." After waiting a few seconds to see if Nedia had anything else to say, the travellers began talking again.

Nedia did not say anything; she just went back to her seat and sat there silently for the rest of the ride. The shoopuff reached the Southern Bank and the other travellers disembarked. They continued chatting happily away, not knowing how they had affected Nedia. She got off too, though she was much more quiet and somber. She walked along the shoreline trail until she reached the edge of the forest.

"This is where it all started," she muttered to herself. Nedia looked across the Moonflow one last time, but all she could faintly see were trees on the other bank. Her journey— her pilgrimage— was starting. And it was going to be a long one.

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Sorry about taking FOREVER to update. I just couldn't think of anything for the longest time! But, I finally began to during boring classes, and I started writing them down. Sorry about the shortness of the chapter, but I wanted to post this so there was something new to read, since I have finals next week, and I need to cram, study, cram, study, and maybe eat too.