Yuna

The boat we're on, the SS Liki, is heading to Kilika first. There we'll pick up more people heading to Luca. The blitzball championship is so close that that's practically what everyone on board is talking about.

I begin to feel sea sick and tell Kimahri. He growls and walks towards the cabins. I guess it would be a good idea to get some rest, especially after last night. I'm still so tired!

After a few hours I get up and head to the bow. I want some fresh air, and to talk with some of the people on board. I want to tell them a message of hope and happiness. Something to raise their spirits. I speak of the joy of families, and how soon enough they will have peace. No more to fear. They all enjoy what I have to say, then they go. Well, I think they enjoyed it, I hope it brought some peace to them. But, nobody spoke to me afterwards. Maybe I didn't do as good as I thought.

I'm standing by myself at the bow, feeling the wind and thinking when someone comes up behind me. I hear them and look behind me. It's Tidus, so I move to the side. I'm still sad at my failed attempt to cheer these people up. However, I put those feelings on hold. I want to be happy, and giving just didn't help that time. I feel happy that he is near me. Scrambling my brain for what to say I blurt out,

"The wind... it's nice."

"Hmmmm."

He looks like an old mage, with his face locked in contortion of what to say to that. I think it's funny that he's trying so hard, and how his face looks. I try to stifle a giggle, but it escapes. He looks at me, still confused, but with a smile on his face. Now I really start to laugh, and he starts laughing with me. I feel peaceful and happy to be near him. After our laughing dies down I ask,

"You're a blitzball player, aren't you? From Zanarkand, right?" I'm trying as hard as I can to sound friendly.

"You hear that from Wakka?"

"Mmhmm."

"Ugh, Wakka. Wakka doesn't believe me at all."

"But I believe you."

"Huh?"

"I've heard in Zanarkand there is a great stadium, all lit up, even at night! Great blitzball tournaments are held there and the stands are always full."

"How do you know that?" He starts towards me with questions burning in his eyes.

"A man named Jecht told me. He was my father's guardian."

His face goes blank, and then turns to an expression of disgust or contempt.

"Jecht, jecht."

He spits that name with venom.

"My father, his name is Jecht."

I'm overcome with excitement. My father's guardian's son is right here!

"Amazing!" I stop and say a quick prayer of thanks before continuing.

"You know, our meeting like this must be the blessing of Yevon!"

"Sounds like him, but it can't be him."

His face is back to it's normal pretty self. I'd be lying to myself if I didn't say that his face was attractive. It is so full of joy and happiness. And I feel joy ooze into me when I smile with him. But when he said that my heart dropped a beat.

"Why not?"

"My old man, he died, ten years ago, off the coast of Zanarkand."

I turn around, and say,

"I'm sorry."

"He went out to sea one day for training... and never came back. And no one's seen him since then."

It still could be him!

"Why that's the day Jecht came to Spira!"

Tidus looks at me with astonishment, and disbelief.

"It's true! I first met Jecht ten years and three months ago! I remember, that's the day when my father left."

Wow it hurts so say that. I'm still in shock that he'll never come back. I don't think it'll ever stop hurting when I think of him. I can't think that, I need to be present in this conversation, not in my world of pain. So I ask,

"The date fits, doesn't it?"

Tidus is still disbelieving.

"Yeah, but how would he get here?"

"You're here, are you not?"

He looks at me. Dumbstruck is the best way to describe it. His face! I tilt my head to the side and start laughing, I feel happy to be with him. He smiles back.

The sea beneath us violently surges before I can say anything else. I fall to the deck and begin to slip. He braces himself and grabs my arm with athletic skill. But when the next surge hits we both lose some grip. Barely hanging on by my fingertips I start to panic inside. I don't know how to swim! I'll drown if I go over the edge!

Our grip fails and I fall screaming with fear.

I fall and hit one of the forward harpoon guns with my stomach. I grab onto it with life or death desperation. It prevents me from going over. Then I see Kimahri fly to my side. I've never seen him do that before. But because of the adrenaline I can't get things straight. I feel safer now that Kimahri is here. I know that he'll protect me from any danger.

Well, any danger he knows about.

Just then, Sin rises out of the water. It's huge! Easily as big and hundreds of ships like the SS Liki. Two of the crewmen rush to the harpoon guns and take aim. Wakka shouts at them,

"What do you think you are doing? Stick a harpoon in him and we'll all get dragged under!"

"Sin is going for Kilika, we've gotta distract it!"

"Our families are in Kilika, forgive us Lady Summoner."

They look to me, asking for permission. I don't have to think twice. I nod, letting them know I approve. They fire the guns and one of the cables sticks in Sin's hide. Coming out of Sin I see a cloud of black arrows fly towards the SS Liki.

"Sinspawn!" shouts Tidus as he readies his sword. I have no idea what these things are but they land all over the ship. I summon Valefor and my guardians and Tidus fight off these 'sinspawn'. While we're fighting Sin lurches forward and rips the harpoon gun from the deck. It can swim with uncanny speed and strength. Like a massive blitzball player. Sin raises its tail out of the water, then slams it down, blasting the ship in a spray of water. When that settles Wakka stares back and forth at the harpoon gun that is missing and the one that is still there. Then he jumps into the water. Involuntarily I take a step forward. Kimahri stops me, but I still think, why did he do that? We don't need the harpoon gun, you'll never catch up to Sin, and then it hit me. Tidus isn't on the ship. He must have fallen off, and now Wakka is going to save him.

After what seems like a short eternity Wakka surfaces, with an alive but bloodied Tidus. A crew member throws a rope ladder down to them and they start climbing up.

"Wakka are you alright?" I ask as he climbs over the railing and onto the ship.

"Ya, but Tidus here, he didn't fare so well. Them sinspawn really roughed him up down there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he fell over and some of those swimming sinspawn nearly killed him. I found him unconscious and sinking."

My heart goes out to him as I see him dragged onto the ship. He is covered in lacerations and pale from bloodloss. He gives me a weak smile. Then he lays down on the deck.

"Tidus!" I cry out. I'm filled with sadness looking at him.

Just a few minutes ago life was all good. We were talking and having fun, then Sin attacked. Now I know firsthand what it is like to enjoy life, and have Sin rip it from you.

I immediately start looking over his wounds, nothing I can't handle. Before this I felt confident in my abilities as a healer. I've healed plenty of small accident wounds. But here, now, with Tidus in front of me, I realize how my skills pale when compared to battle wounds. I start gathering the energy necessary for me to heal him. The magic feels like warm tears all over my body, inside and out. I urge the energy to bind up his wounds and hasten his body's natural recovery system. I don't want people to die. No more. I'm glad that no one on board was injured besides Tidus. My body weakens, but my resolve grows stronger. Like a tree absorbing nutrients in the soil to grow stronger.

"I will defeat Sin. I must defeat Sin..."

I start drifting off with his head in my lap. Tidus stirs as he hears that and gives a smile. It looks like he'll make it just fine. I feel the soreness in my ribs as I remember that I hit a harpoon gun pretty hard.

Tidus

I hear her voice and smile. I really like the sound of her voice. It's so simple, so honest, so beautiful, and well, I'm just happy to hear it. I really wish we could've continued that conversation, but Sin attacked. That all seems so long ago. The pain is distant. My body doesn't hurt nearly as much as it used to. I try to force my eyes open. How long have I been out?

As my eyes finally open I realize my head is propped up on Yuna's lap. We're still on the deck of the ship. So I haven't been out long, but I feel fine now. I look into Yuna's eyes. They are faintly sparkling and she weakly smiles down at me. She looks exhausted. I sit up and her eyes slowly follow me before she lowers her head again. Wakka walks towards Yuna and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"She just saved your life ya."

"Really? I don't remember much after I got swept off." I say as I stand up.

"Well after that I jumped in to rescue you. You were cut up pretty bad by some sinspawn, and you were drowning. I fought off the sinspawn and brought you to the surface. Once you were on board Yuna started healing you."

"I had no idea, all I felt was pain and then it went black."

I realize that I do remember something, it's just fuzzy. I know I'll forget in a few minutes.

"Ya, you're lucky to be alive. Be sure to thank Yuna when she wakes up."

"I'll be sure to. Speaking of which," I say looking around, "where is she?"

"Kimahri took her down to the cabins to rest. Using magic really drains the body ya."

I hadn't even noticed that Kimahri took Yuna away.

"I see."

Looking around I notice that all the sailors and even the Aurochs are in a somber mood. The rest of the ride to Kilika is made in near silence. Once we arrive Yuna is one of the first to get off the boat. She introduces herself and offers to 'send the dead'. I have no idea what this means. She is lead off and accompanied by her guardians, except Wakka, who says to me,

"We'll go see what we can do to help in town." Wakka runs off with the rest of the Aurochs.

I trail after Yuna and some of the villagers. Everyone here looks so sad. Death is such a horrible thing. But they seem relieved that someone can perform the sending. Lulu doesn't look busy so I ask,

"Uh, what's a sending? Are we going somewhere?"

Lulu looks at me with mild exasperation.

"You truly are clueless. Are you sure it's your just your memory that's the problem? The dead need guidance. Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate. They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive."

"Huh?" Did I hear her right? The dead need guidance?

"You see they envy the living. And in time that envy turns to anger, even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira they become fiends that prey on the living. Sad isn't it?"

"Yeah, so what's the sending do?"

"The sending takes them to the Farplane, where they may rest in peace."

"Summoners do this?"

She nods and tilts her head towards Yuna.

AN: Well, that's chapter 3, I hope you like it. More to come, so please R&R!