Solid ground fell away from under Yuna's feet. Unable even to scream, the young woman felt herself being dragged roughly over the edge of the cliff, still grappling with the assassin. Wind whistled upwards all around her, and the deafening crash of water drowned out every other sound. Time seemed to slow down almost to the point of standing still. She felt paralysed. Lifeless. Numb. The assassin was clinging to her, his black cloak flapping wildly independent from his body. Yuna could dimly see the shape of his mouth open in a wide, voiceless cry. His hood concealed every other part of his face.
She hit the water with a violent splash, landing painfully on her side, knocking the wind from her lungs. The water was ice cold, sending shockwaves all over her. Instantly she was sucked down further, shoved mercilessly against rocks and sunken logs. Struggling vainly to kick her way back up to the surface, Yuna was helpless against such a mighty force. She did not know or care where the assassin had fallen, or if he was even alive at all. All she wanted was oxygen. She needed to breathe. Which way was up? Over and over again she smashed into the stone pillars in the churning water, and every hit she took she became more and more light-headed. Everything was going dark . . .
As her vision clouded, the last thing she thought about was the look on Tidus' face as he stood watching her fall.
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"Ec cra ymeja?" (Is she alive?)
"E vaam y bimca, pid ed ec vytehk vycd. Cra haatc y tuldun." (I feel a pulse, but it's fading. She needs a doctor.)
"Buun kenm. Cra muugc mega cra duug y naym paydehk . . ." (Poor girl. She looks like she took such a beating . . .)
"Ec ed zicd sa, un tuac cra muug cusafryd vysemeyn?" (Is it just me, or does she look somewhat familiar?)
"Knayd cyhtc . . . E drehg dryd'c Myto Yuna!" (Great sands . . . I think that's Lady Yuna!)
"Po dra paynt! Hajan druikrd E't kad du yldiymmo caa ran ykyeh..." (By the beard! Never thought I'd get to actually see her again . . .)
"'Ykyeh', bub? Fryd tu oui sayh po dryd?" ('Again', pop? What do you mean by that?)
"Ir, hajan seht. Ramb sa mevd ran. Kahdmo huf . . ." (Uh, never mind. Help me lift her. Gently now . . .)
"Fryd ec cra tuehk ymm dra fyo uid rana? Fych'd cra lrucah vun cusa lanasuho, un cusadrehk?" (What is she doing all the way out here? Wasn't she chosen for some ceremony, or something?)
"Fyed, drana'c cusauha amca ujan rana!" (Wait, there's someone else over here!)
"Ymm nekrd, fa femm dyga dras pudr. Syopa drao yna namydat un cusadrehk. Neggi, Pnudran, oui dyga dryd kio. E lyh lynno drec myto socamv." (All right, we will take them both. Maybe they are related or something. Rikku, Brother, you take that guy. I can carry this lady myself.)
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Warmth. Soft, comfortable warmth. Yuna sighed softly and attempted to roll on her side, when a sudden sharp pain pierced her all over. She groaned, opening her eyes slowly. Her head felt light and fuddled, and her eyes wouldn't focus properly.
"Fruy, fruy! Ku ayco uh ouincamv, oui ryt y pyt ylletahd (Whoa, whoa! Go easy on yourself, you had a bad accident)," said a sweet, soothing voice somewhere nearby. The words were foreign and distant, though spoken in a young girlish voice . . . Yuna could make no sense of them.
'Why can't I understand? What's wrong with me?' she wondered, suddenly overcome by fear. She made an attempt to sit up and look around for the source of the voice, but a gentle hand pushed her back down to the soft mattress. Yuna squinted her eyes and realized that she was lying on a narrow white bed, with white sheets pulled up to her chin. The small round room was lit dimly by a single lantern on the bedside table, and three shadowy figures were standing at her side. She stared up at them, somewhat warily. She wished she could see their faces, but at the moment she did not feel an immediate threat. Still, it was unnerving that she could not see their faces clearly.
"What happened?" she mumbled out loud. It felt as though her blood was made out of molasses. "Where am I?"
Someone leaned down towards her. The first thing she could make out was a pair of bright green eyes that crinkled slightly at the corners. Their owner had a feminine heart-shaped face and a youthful smile. Blonde hair fell over one side of her features, catching the light from the lantern nearby.
"Hi there, Lady Yuna!" the girl said in a friendly tone, careful to speak slowly so that Yuna could understand her. "You're with the Al Bhed, and this is the infirmary of Rin's Travel Agency in the Calm Lands. We found you floating down a river just last night. Are you feeling better today?"
Yuna struggled to follow the flow of words, but her mind was working slowly. It took a moment for all that she heard to fully sink in. The Al Bhed girl nodded understandingly.
"You're on a lot of medication, it might take a while for the effects to wear off. I told Rin that he shouldn't give you so much, but he never listens to me. I'm Rikku, and this is my father Cid. The other guy over here is Brother," she said, gesturing first to the stocky middle-aged man and then the tall young man covered in tattoos.
"We'll get you fixed up good as new, I promise!" she said cheerfully.
The immobile girl stared up at her rescuer, and realized fully for the first time what was going on. The assassin, falling, the river . . . Al Bhed? She'd never met Al Bhed before. They weren't vicious and crude like the priests always told her they were, but she had never fully believed those descriptions anyway. Behind Rikku, the middle-aged man Cid was peering down at her with beady green eyes, thinking deeply. The other man, Brother, was staring pointedly at her, his blue eyes slightly wide. They were large blue eyes, but not as lovely as another pair she could vaguely remember.
"Tidus! Where is he?" Yuna demanded suddenly, trying to sit up again. The pain hit her like a tidal wave, and for a moment she was weakened. Rikku stared at her worriedly for a moment and then said something to Brother. He nodded and hurried out of the room. The stocky man came forward and spoke for the first time.
"Relax, girl. Don't injure yourself further, ya hear? As for your friend Tidus, I'm guessing you mean that guy in the cloak. He's still unconscious, but he's alive. He'll make it as long as we keep an eye on him," he said in a reassuring tone. His voice was gruff, but patient. Yuna blinked slowly at him and then she felt a nauseating pang in her stomach.
"He is not my friend," she explained, her speech laboured. It was so hard to talk . . . "Not a friend . . . don't help him . . ."
Cid and Rikku exchanged quick glances, but they clearly looked uncertain. Brother came back with a glass of pale liquid. He made his way forward and leaned down over Yuna with the potion in hand. He gently placed his hand behind her head and tilted the glass against her lips. Yuna absently allowed it to flow into her mouth, dimly surprised at its cold mint flavour. She had been expecting it to be bitter.
When Brother made sure Yuna drank the entire brew, Cid finally spoke "We can't go against the law, Miss Yuna. The Al Bhed must help those in need whenever they can, it's our custom. We can't just let him die. But when he wakes up, I'll make sure to keep him away from you."
"Y-You don't understand," Yuna gasped, becoming dizzy in her agitation. Already she could feel the potion working its way through her, dulling her senses. "Lord S-Seymour . . . Yevonites . . . have to stop them . . ."
"Hush now," Rikku said quickly, interrupting Yuna's delirium. "Go back to sleep, okay? We can talk later. Tomorrow night we're going back to the Rammvena, so you'll have to come with us, but we can settle everything when you're feeling better. Pops, maybe we should send for Rin-"
But Yuna did not hear the rest of that sentence before she lost consciousness again.
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Yuna awoke slowly, feeling even more disoriented than ever. She was in a different room this time . . . in fact, as she became more and more alert, Yuna realized she was not even in an actual room. She was in a tent. How long had she been asleep this time? The tent was lit dimly by one candle on a stool next to the cot she was lying on, and it was trembling as if being shook by some unseen hand. Outside, the winds were howling ravenously. It seemed dark outside, but it was difficult to tell. Had the Al Bhed really taken her with them into the desert?
Gingerly she sat up and touched her side, which was wrapped up in bandages. Instantly she could tell she had cracked a few ribs. She grimaced. That explained the sharp pain. At least now it wasn't so unbearable. She could move around without groaning in protest. The rest of her body was covered in bruises, but thanks to the powerful Al Bhed medicine, they were already fading. Now they were nothing more then faint blue-purple blotches, hardly detectable in the dim light. As soon as her magical energy returned, she would get rid of them herself.
Someone had undressed her while she was asleep, and she was now wearing a light white long-sleeved nightgown. There was a mug of tea on the stool next to her bed beside the candle, still steaming. Yuna drank a few sips and then carefully emerged from the cot, sliding her feet into a pair of soft slippers. Even now, as she was recovering from the hefty dose of medication and a severe accident, her mind was already racing with worry for Tidus.
Just thinking about him made her heart leap into her throat. She felt scared without him. Yuna rubbed her arms uncomfortably, shuddering at the memory of Tidus watching horror-struck as she fell off the cliff. His eyes had been wide with shock, his bronze skin drained of colour. Would she ever see him again? Would he give her up for dead and abandon her?
No . . . no, Tidus would never do that to her. Never. He was her friend, wasn't he? There was no way he would ever leave her, not without making sure he knew what really happened to her first.
Yuna smiled to herself, reassured by her own conviction. After bracing herself, she slowly rose to her feet and went to take a look outside. She was certain that the Al Bhed had taken her to the Rammvena as promised, and that only made her more anxious. How far away was she from Tidus?
She raised the tent flap and stepped outside, instantly attacked by hot desert wind. It was night, but there were no stars or moon to be seen, for the sky was overcast with a desert storm. There was only a small ring of torches set up at a loose perimeter around the small encampment of tents and machina equipment. Here and here and transportation machina devices were fixed to the ground, bound by thick chains. The camp was set up in a wide grassy oasis, positioned near a rocky pool, and off to one side there was even a large green flower garden with tall hedges. It was a peaceful setting, and the stars were brighter than she had ever seen them. The tranquility almost reminded her of Lulu's village . . .
A sudden commotion on the other side of her tent caught her attention, a clamouring of shouts and foreign curses. One voice stood out distinctively from the most.
"Where is she? What have you done with her? I demand you take me to her, you bastards! Yuna! Yuna, are you there?"
"Tidus . . ." Yuna gasped, hurrying towards his voice.
There was a group of men struggling to hold someone down, and Yuna had the sinking suspicion she knew who it was. More and more people had to rush forward to help restrain him. Women were shepherding their children back into their tents, and with a stab of fear Yuna realized that some men were even pulling out machina guns. A very familiar black silver-maned horse was causing trouble nearby, bucking and rearing wildly as many pairs of hands reached up to grab her halter.
"Wait!" Yuna cried, dashing through the throng of people. The wind tore at her hair and dress like frantic hands, and she had to hold an arm over her face to shield her eyes from the raging wind. "Please, wait! Stop!"
Her side was aching terribly, but she grit her teeth and ignored it as she shoved her way through the crowd. Recognizing her, the men holding the 'stranger' still released him and began backing away to allow room for her to move forward. Thankfully the guns were lowered, somewhat hesitantly.
Yuna moved her hand away from her eyes to look upon her guardian, her friend. Tidus, momentarily stunned to see her alive, could only stand rooted to the spot as she drew closer to him. His skin was still blanched slightly, and there were faint shadows under his bright blue eyes, but he was still a sight more beautiful than any Yuna had ever beheld. The violent wind toyed and flirted with his already messy blonde hair.
Remembering himself, he hurried forward. When he was no more than an arm's length from her, his arms shot out and pulled her to his chest, crushing her too him in a sweetly excruciating embrace, desperate out of worry and affection.
"You idiot," he whispered into her hair, his voice quavering. "You stupid, crazy, brave idiot . . ."
Yuna closed her eyes and fought back the wave of pain that pierced her ribs. She wrapped her arms around his neck, no longer frightened.
"Sorry to have worried you," she said, her words muffled against his shoulder. He tightened his hold on her, as if frightened of letting her go. Many people in the crowd openly stared, some delighted, and some uncomfortable with the display.
At last he seemed to have the courage to pull away from her, but his hands remained firmly placed on her hips. He was inspecting her closely. Yuna watched patiently as his eyes took in the sight of her dying bruises, and it was not long before he noticed the bandage on her side.
"You're all right? The Al Bhed are treating you decently?" he questioned. Yuna smiled and nodded, letting her hands linger on his arms. Then curiosity overwhelmed her.
"How on Spira did you find me? How long has it been since . . . since I fell?" she asked, gazing up at him wondrously. He did look so exhausted.
"So, Yuna, you do know this man," came an amused girlish voice from behind. Yuna glanced over her shoulder, where Tidus was now looking, and recognized Rikku. The Al Bhed girl stood with her arms folded over her small chest, a knowing smile gracing her lips. Cid and Brother stood on either side of her. She nodded courteously at Tidus and then winked at Yuna.
"Yes, he is my friend," Yuna informed them, reluctantly letting go of Tidus' arms. His hands dropped from her as well. "And also my guardian."
Tidus moved away from Yuna and walked over to stand at a respectful distance from Rikku. He seemed to hesitate for a second. Then, he dropped down on one knee and bowed his head.
"I . . . I want to thank you for looking after her for me," he said sincerely. Rikku gestured for him to stand up and smiled perkily.
"No problem. Tidus, is it?" she asked him. He nodded. "Well, you and Yuna should come with me and Pops- er . . . I mean, Cid. You two obviously have some catching up to do, plus Cid and I need to go over some things with you. I'll send for some food and wine."
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Not long after, Yuna sat on the floor across from Tidus next to the hearth, a tin mug in hand. Rikku and Cid sat around the fire as well, listening eagerly as Tidus began his story.
"When I saw you fall," he said slowly, his gaze fixed on Yuna, "I couldn't react. I just couldn't make myself move. All I did was stand there for a moment, not really understanding what was going on. Then I snapped back to reality and ran to the horse. I rode along the cliff edge as fast as I could, trying to catch sight of you. I think by that time you were either too far downriver or you were under the surface where I couldn't see you. Either way, I felt like I was chasing a . . . a ghost.
"But then, when I was starting to give up hope, I looked across the bank and saw strange marks in the ground. From a distance they almost looked like you had scrambled ashore on your hands and knees. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part. I managed to find an area that looked safe enough for crossing (and believe me, it was not an easy thing to find), and I realized that those markings I saw were tracks in the dirt that looked like travelling machina."
For a moment Yuna was confused, and then she remembered that the Al Bhed rode machina that glide easily over any terrain. That must have been how they managed to transport her while she was unconscious.
"I remembered you telling me that we would have to pass through the Rammvena desert eventually, where the Al Bhed live," Tidus continued, taking another sip of wine. "I don't know . . . I guess by that time I was desperate enough to do anything to find you. So I followed the tracks through the Calm Lands, past the travel agency. I was starting to believe maybe they had kidnapped you or something. So, like an idiot I marched straight over here as soon as the sun went down, thinking to 'rescue' you or something. As it turns out, they've been taking care of you this whole time."
Tidus shrugged and looked away, slightly embarrassed. Yuna just grinned at him and reached over to clasp his hand.
"I'm honoured that you would work so tirelessly to find me. You like you've suffered through enough."
"I didn't sleep or eat the whole time. I'm just glad to see you're safe," he mumbled, his eyes still downcast. He finally managed to look back at her, but this time his expression was worried.
"Yuna . . . do you have any idea where the . . . our friend went?" he asked in a slightly hushed tone. "I never found him."
Yuna's stomach lurched, knowing instantly who he was talking about. She had completely forgotten about that unpleasant little detail . . .
"The cloaked guy?" Cid grunted, scratching his paunchy stomach. "Oh, he ran off a few hours ago. He woke up shortly after you passed out again, Yuna."