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year 5, quarter 3
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Yuna had thought that Caius looked a bit more wan and tired than he had when they had parted ways outside the bandit camp, but she hadn’t expected to immediately learn the reason why as he laid aside the battered notebook that he had been sketching in.
"Celes killed Charon."
“…Oh.” Her head tilted forward slightly until her hair partially obscured her face. “You found another lieutenant?” Sudden guilt settled over her. While she had been off tracking down Ardyn, she had left her friends to fend for themselves against the bandits. Had she really expected the threat to just stop while she was gone? The Dragonblades had already been a target, and that would only have increased after Caius had killed Darlene. She should have come back sooner. Maybe she could have helped.
Caius started to give her the outline of what had happened, and Yuna raised one hand to her mouth at the description of how they had massacred an entire village. She mostly stayed quiet and let him tell his story, but she wasn’t able to keep from commenting when he tiredly implied that Charon was Darlene’s father. “…Then it’s a family business?” The idea was distasteful, particularly when she thought about her own father. She couldn’t imagine someone teaching their child how to do the things that the pair had done together.
Caius finished his story by expressing clear regret that Celes had been the one to kill Charon instead of him, and Yuna shook her head before raising her head to look him in the eye. “It wasn’t your fault.” She hoped that he understood the double meaning in her words. This wasn’t, and Darlene wasn’t either.
“I’ve always wanted to think that everyone can be saved, but however much I want it to, the world doesn’t work like that. If…we didn’t kill them, then they’d never stop what they’re doing. And they’d try to hurt us.” She hesitated before leaning over the table slightly in earnest. “I’m sure that Celes saw that too, Caius. She wants to protect you as much as you want to with her. Don’t blame yourself.” He might anyway, but she hoped that her words helped alleviate at least a little of his guilt. At the very least, she hoped that it was clear that she didn’t blame him for Darlene after she’d had time to think over the situation rationally.
Leaning back against the chair upholstery, Yuna nodded when her friend said that they needed to be ready for a response. “Let me know if you hear anything else. I know I’ve been gone, but I’m here now. I want to help.” Hopefully she could make up for forcing her friends to deal with Charon alone.
Yuna was so focused on the bandit threat now that when the topic abruptly changed, she was left a little speechless as she stared at the blond man across from her.
“How long were you intending to keep your position from us, High Summoner?”
Yuna floundered for a moment at the unexpected question before a sad smile finally crossed her lips. “Oh. You’ve been talking to Declan.” It wasn’t really a question. She had met the boy inside of the Dragonblade headquarters after all, so it would have been odd if Caius hadn’t run across him while he was joining up. “I…wasn’t trying to keep it from you. I don’t even really know if it’s true,” she admitted, clasping her hands in her lap as considered the grain pattern across the tabletop. “I’m still having memory problems. I remember being fairly new in my journey as a summoner, but I also know that can’t be right, or I wouldn’t be able to summon Shiva.” With the path that she was taking, the ice aeon should have been one of the final Fayth that she called upon before travelling to Zanarkand. She thought that she had been barely used to Ifrit before coming to Zephon, but nothing about that added up.
Yuna hesitated, wondering if she should share why she really had doubts about Declan’s story, but Caius had been so honest with her about Charon that she decided to be open as well. “And high summoners…they die.” She twisted her hands in her lap a bit before looking up again. “I know that I told you about Sin. High summoners are those who gave up their lives to defeat it. So for him to say that I defeated Sin and lived…” Yuna shook her head with a faint smile. “I know I’m missing parts of my life. But no one’s done that in a thousand years.”
She kept to herself why she thought Declan might have been lying. She didn’t think that he was being malicious—entirely the opposite actually. A part of her worried that something terrible had happened to Spira, and that he was trying to comfort her by letting her live a fantasy. She did desperately hope that he was telling the truth—she just wasn’t entirely able to believe it yet.
“…Thank you.” Yuna gave Caius a small smile when he said that her enemies were theirs. “Summoners don’t usually have enemies outside of fiends though. With the church and the people on their side…” Still, even as she spoke, Yuna had a spark of doubt. She’d been trying not to think about the image of Maester Seymour dead on the ground that had flashed in her mind during their escape from the bandit’s prison, but it was something that was hard to forget. Why would she have attacked a maester of Yevon? Did the fault lie with her? Or with the church?
“…It’s possible,” she admitted sheepishly, contradicting what she had just told him. “I’ll keep you updated. I promise.”
“I see no one beside you, perhaps they have failed you too, witch. Or are they no longer with you because you failed them?"
Yuna sucked in a breath, bringing one hand up to touch her chest as she tried not to show how much those comments hit home. Based on Declan’s words, she didn’t think that she had failed Spira, but if that was the case, where were the rest of her guardians? Why was she the only one here?
“I’m not sure,” she admitted quietly. “But I’ll find them again. I’m sure of it.” It might have been their job to guard her, but Yuna would make them proud by showing them that she could stand on her own feet when she had to. She had no intention of just waiting around for them to come to her rescue. She could make her journey alone this time.
Ultimecia snapped her animalistic fingers together, and Yuna tensed in place as pillars of fire appeared to the sides of her. They made no move to close in on her yet, but Yuna could still feel the heat of the flames on her face and bare shoulders as she raised her staff in a defensive stance. Ultimecia made clear her intentions to attack her before she once again flickered out of sight. Yuna cast her eyes around warily for the white-haired woman, whirling around when the doors slammed shut behind her. Yuna had no doubt that they would refuse to open now even if she tried the knobs. She was locked in.
Fear made her legs feel heavy as she took a step back from the flames, but she didn’t have a chance to move far before Ultimecia launched a volley of dark orbs towards her before once again vanishing from view. “Reflect!” She cried out, waving her staff in front of her on instinct just before the magic smashed into her. The force of the spell rocked her backwards, but the blue translucent shield held as the magic was thrown back towards Ultimecia. Yuna didn’t have time to see whether the reversal would hit the woman or not--Summoning Shiva was likely her only chance against a mage this powerful, but years of training screamed at her to give herself space before calling on the aeon. Summoning indoors was only asking to have the house collapse in on both of them. Yuna needed to find a way outside.
Throwing herself to the side, Yuna launched a water spell at the fire before diving right after it. The resulting steam hissed past her and briefly obscured her vision, and while parts of her skin felt singed after a split second of unbearable heat, she thought that she had managed to avoid any serious burns. Hopefully Ultmecia wouldn’t have expected her to go in a direction that she had considered blocked.
Without stopping, Yuna continued her sprint to a nearby window, bracing herself for the impact. “Protect,” she cast on herself just before leaping through. The last-minute spell softened the blow of her body against the glass before it shattered and she fell into a pile of snow. The cold and the harsh landing knocked the breath out of her, and she could feel some loose pieces of glass cutting into her skin as she shakily rolled to her feet.
Still, she was alive and outside, and she began to swirl her staff around her in the beginning of a summoning while she waited for Ultimecia’s next move.
“Oh, what was I thinking? This isn’t me.” She hadn’t so much as laid eyes on the boy that she’d been partnered with for the evening, but her cheeks already felt hot as she kept one hand pressed to her mouth while she paced between the sinks and the stalls. Several women had already given her odd looks as they came out to wash their hands, but Yuna didn’t pay them any mind as her eyes kept darting to the paper clutched in her hand.
Table 8. Faris.
The name sounded somewhat familiar—Yuna was positive that they hadn’t met before, but it was possible that someone had mentioned Faris to her while she’d been on Zephon. Far from reassuring her, that only increased the pressure of the date. If this went poorly, would someone that she knew hear about it?
The bathroom door clicked shut behind her as the last woman trailed out, and Yuna let out a noise somewhere between a groan and a scream before she steeled herself. She was being rude. She had signed up for this willingly, and she couldn’t back out now. That wouldn’t be fair to the boy. Yuna was trying to be more outgoing ever since Declan had broken the news about Spira to her, and this was a chance to do something that she normally never would. Maybe she’d even make a friend out of it. It didn’t have to be as big of a deal as she was making it.
Meeting her own eyes in the mirror, Yuna slapped both hands to her cheeks to steady herself before she turned and determinedly left the bathroom. The noise of the bar hit her like a shoopuf, and she hesitantly stepped around the other patrons while her eyes scoured the tables in the corner that were labelled in flowery, cursive writing. 6, 7…8…
Slowing down, Yuna looked up into a pair of eyes that were as green as the foliage that grew on Besaid. Her determination wavered slightly as a blush formed on her cheeks. Faris was very pretty for a man. He looked to be around Yuna’s age with windswept purple hair that fell down his back, and a face and posture that suggested confidence, if not brashness. He looked the exact opposite of Tidus, which secretly relieved her. She didn’t want to be reminded of him tonight.
“I know I’m a little late. I’m so sorry.” Clasping her hands in front of her, she gave him a low bow of apology before she realized what she was doing. “Oh!” She quickly straightened up in embarrassment. “You probably don’t…do that on dates…” Not that Yuna would know either way, which was probably quickly becoming apparent to the boy sitting down. Yuna longed for the floor to swallow her whole, but she forced herself to take a steadying breath before she smiled a little sheepishly at Faris.
“I’m sorry. Can we start over?” She slid into the booth across from him, fixing her skirt as she sat. “I’m Yuna.”
Truthfully, while Yuna was looking forward to seeing Caius again, she was also a little ashamed by how she’d handled everything since their last meeting. Their departure had been a little awkward to say the least—she had been fairly reproachful about him killing Darlene—but time had softened her stance on what had happened at the bandits’ underground base. Darlene hadn’t been the type of person who could be reasoned with. They likely would have had to have killed her just to escape, let alone to free the people being held hostage. It needed to be done. With that in mind, Yuna didn't think she could hold anything against Caius just because of his expression while he’d done it. Caius had protected her and Vordun, and she was grateful for that.
Anyway, Caius had far more reason to be mad at her if he knew how careless she’d been since they’d split off in Torensten. She wasn’t looking forward to telling him that she’d lost Aera, shared an odd moment of understanding with Ardyn, and confronted the witch who had attacked Torensten while alone in the mountains.
On second thought, maybe she would keep a few of those to herself unless asked. Yuna wasn’t sure that she could deny any accusations of having a death wish when confronted with all of that evidence.
Slipping into the tavern, Yuna shared a brief smile with the bartender as the bell over the door signaled her arrival before she scanned the clean, wooden interior. In the furthest corner, she spotted a head of long blond hair, and she moved over to join her friend, shooting him a warm smile as she slid into the booth across from him.
“It’s been a long time. I was starting to worry that something had happened before I got your letter,” she confided, doing her best to avoid peeking at what he had been sketching in his notebook. It didn’t feel polite to stare, after all. Still, she couldn’t help but notice that the circles under his eyes had become more pronounced since the last time that she’d seen him, and a slight frown crossed her face. “How are you? Really?” Yuna asked softly as she leaned forward over the top of the table. “I haven’t been back to Torensten in a while. Are things getting worse?”
As Yuna crept inside after her, the white-haired mage swept all the portraits on the yellowed walls to the floor. Yuna tensed slightly at the clatter as some of the canvases broke from their frames, and she met the eyes of one man whose painted eyes seemed to stare right through her accusingly. How could you have brought the eternal calm? You can’t save anyone.
The woman continued to taunt her about her views on the past, and Yuna’s fingers clenched tighter on her staff as the self-proclaimed witch set fire to the portraits littered across the floor. The flames greedily consumed the canvas surfaces as they danced across them, and Yuna kept a careful eye on the fire to see if it would spread to the walls as she gave the woman a reproachful look.
“You can call it sentimental, but I find strength in many places outside of myself. In many people outside of myself.” She glanced a little hesitantly at the smoldering, painted faces before continuing. “You’re right. Everyone is forgotten eventually. But the actions they took still cause ripples into the future. These people had lives once. They mattered. And what you’re doing is disrespectful.”
The woman began to ascend the stairs ahead of them as she finally introduced herself, and Yuna held her staff in front of her warily as she looked up at the woman and tried to process everything that she was saying. Every time was hers to control? Yuna didn’t quite understand, but she couldn’t ignore all the warning signs screaming that the woman was dangerous. What was she to do if she was alone with a madwoman at the base of a mountain?
“...Ultimecia,” Yuna echoed the word now that she finally had a name for her, letting out a slightly shaky breath before raising her chin to meet her gaze directly. “No, I hold no power over men,” she said in response to the question. “I’m certain that you’re stronger than I am. But my power is a gift from everyone who’s helped me along in my journey. I won’t waste that or give anyone a reason to belittle it.”
Ultimecia’s eyes glimmered down at her from her place at the top of the foyer, and Yuna felt a little like she had trapped herself in this house with a bird of prey, complete with the talons pointed in her direction. Still, she couldn’t resist one last comment as she waited for the woman’s next move.
“If you can’t see the value in any lives at all, then...many must have failed you, Ultimecia. And I’m sorry for you.”
The man’s lips twitched slightly, and Yuna wondered if something that she’d said was funny to him. Before she could ask, he dropped into a slight bow as he introduced himself, and Yuna felt herself brighten a bit at the motion. No one had really reciprocated that type of greeting since she’d come to Zephon yet, so between this man’s clothing and his mannerisms, she was instantly reminded of home. “Nice to meet you, Kuja. Circumstances aside,” she added with a faint smile. Yuna always tried to be genuine when saying that, but she found that she didn’t have to try very hard this time. She was genuinely interested in this mysterious expert of a black mage.
Kuja asked about the spell that she’d used to drive away the spirits that had been plaguing him, and Yuna felt her cheeks flush slightly as she lowered her staff down to her side. There were no threats here anymore, after all. “You’re right. It’s called a sending.” Kuja must have been sharp to pick up what the ritual did without having seen it before. Yuna had to be impressed, even if part of her disliked having it described as taking away the will of the dead. She preferred to think of it as helping them to find peace.
“Where I’m from…the souls of the dead can’t move on without help. But if they stay among the living long enough, then they’ll turn into fiends. One of the jobs of a summoner is to make sure that doesn’t happen by performing the sending.” The less important of their two jobs honestly, but Yuna didn’t need to burden a stranger with her troubles about Sin, so she cut herself off after answering his question.
”Did you come alone? The forest has a way of leading the innocent astray.”
Yuna couldn’t help a slight smile at the double standard that he seemed to have missed. “You’re alone. Are you not?” She meant the question more teasingly than anything—with spells like Flare, he was probably more than capable of handling some fiends—so she continued on after a moment. “I appreciate your concern, truly. I did mean to stay on the path, but…well…” Yuna cast a slightly uncertain glance over her shoulder. She wasn’t entirely sure of how far into the trees she’d run after she’d heard Kuja’s magic, but it might not matter anyway. With everything that she’d heard about the forest, Yuna suspected that she might be more likely to find the path again by walking in the complete opposite direction.
“I’m…sure I’ll manage.” It would have been selfish to ask him for help, after all. She didn’t even know what Kuja was doing here, though maybe he was lost too if he was this far out. It couldn’t hurt to check at least. It somehow felt less pathetic relying on a stranger if she wasn't the only one who wanted to stick together.
“What about you? You’re pretty deep in the forest yourself.” She hoped it at least alluded to what she was too polite to actually ask.
She's trying so hard to hold a normal conversation with her.
I will live with my sorrow
As Yuna rose from the polite bow that she’d done as an introduction, she was taken aback to see the dark orb of magic at the woman’s fingertips, though she almost immediately banished it. Perhaps she’d just startled the stranger by appearing so suddenly? Yuna wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, particularly since she had let go of the magic before attacking her, so she gave the woman a tentative smile. That smile faltered as the woman’s yellow-eyed stare seemed to bore into her before she began to slowly circle Yuna.
Yuna’s fingers clenched a little tighter on her staff as she carefully turned her head to watch the woman’s progress, frowning when she admonished her for giving out her name so easily. “I see…” If names had power where the inhuman woman was from, then Yuna supposed that she should appreciate the advice. She tried to read the situation that way at least, rather than taking offense at the clear insult. “Consider it a gift then. To commemorate our meeting.” The yellow-eyed woman did not give her own name, and Yuna supposed that it would be rude to ask for it after what she had just said, but she couldn’t resist a compromise. She liked to know how to refer to people. “What should I call you then?”
The woman phased out of view, and Yuna took a step back as she started to reappear at different intervals around her, speaking in a mocking tone about how she couldn’t keep up. The word ‘witch’ wasn’t something that Yuna particularly wanted to be called, but the meaning behind it was clear at least. Still, the woman’s disappearing act was far more concerning than her word choice. Biting at her bottom lip, Yuna held a clenched fist near her chest as she wondered if this meant that the woman was an unsent. Did she look so strange because time had turned her into a fiend? Or was she still alive and just using a form of magic that Yuna hadn’t seen before?
Before she could parcel out the answer, the woman came to a stop, facing away from Yuna as she looked up at the ruined mansion, as if she were no longer interesting enough to hold her attention. Letting out a breath, Yuna relaxed her stance, reasoning that the woman hadn’t attacked her like she had expected. Maybe she really was just trying to give Yuna advice, at least in her own way. It reminded her a little of Belgemine—the unsent summoner who had always tried to teach her by pitting their aeons against each other. She had been fairly curt as well whenever Yuna had lost.
“You’re right.” Yuna raised her chin in an attempt to meet the white-haired woman’s gaze. She wouldn’t fail whatever test this was. “I do still have a lot to learn. But to answer your question, that’s why I look to all three. I run to the future to try to make it brighter, but I don’t want to miss a single moment in the present either. It can be gone so quickly.” She paused to cast a slightly sad glance at the ruined village around them. “…And the people and places from the past. I want to remember them if I can. I wouldn’t be what I am without them. All three times have something to teach us.”
“Do you wonder what lies at its end?”
Yuna hesitated—her mind racing again towards the idea of an eternal calm that Declan had fed her—but before she could answer, the woman thrust open the doors to the mansion with one sweep of a talon. In a moment, she was inside the abandoned building, and Yuna was left to wonder if she should follow or not. The woman hadn’t exactly invited her, but she hadn’t told her not to come either. After only a moment of hesitation, she lifted her skirt a bit so it wouldn’t drag on the snow before she stepped after the stranger into the cold shelter.
“…I can imagine it was very pretty here once,” Yuna murmured, turning in a slow circle to take in the dim entrance hall. The grand staircase and the vaulted ceiling were still a sight to behold, even as dusty as they were. Turning her head, she glanced a bit uncertainly at her questionable companion. “Are you just passing through, or did something bring you here?”
After what Yuna had learned from Declan about the fate of Spira, she had every intention of leaving Torensten for a while. After working for so long to defeat Sin, she didn’t know how to handle the news that not only had Sin been defeated, but that she had been the one to do it and bring about the eternal calm. The news was so overwhelming that she hadn’t even been able to bring herself to share it with Caius or Celes yet. Some time by herself to mull over the information would be best. Maybe then her memories of the latter half of her pilgrimage would start to return.
Still, she would need supplies. Yuna wasn’t sure how long that she would be gone, so she visited the marketplace the day before her intended departure. The crowded stalls were overwhelming, but it was the type of anonymity that she preferred, so she gratefully picked out her rations and camping supplies as she traveled down the bustling streets.
After an hour or so of shopping, Yuna was getting ready to head home when a regally dressed man across the street caught her eye. His armor marked him as a warrior, and his brunette waves nearly hid the tips of his pointed ears that made Yuna tilt her head slightly. She assumed that meant that he was part of another race that she hadn’t seen before, but that wasn’t what made her cross the street towards him a bit hesitantly. She recognized the lost expression on his face as he glanced a bit despairingly at all the market stalls.
“Excuse me,” Yuna murmured, lightly tapping his shoulder to gain the man’s attention. “I’m so sorry to bother you. I’m Yuna.” She circled her hands in front of her in the traditional Yevon prayer before giving him a slight bow in greeting. “I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but might you be new here? I...recognize the look from when I was.” She gave the man a slight smile before continuing. “Is there anything I can help you with? I know it can be overwhelming to adjust to a new world.”
Yuna had been prepared for the perils of the Headstone Forest on her solitary quest to return to the Crystallus Divider. However, as she skidded her way down yet another mountain path, she desperately wished that she had known what would come after the forest. She would have been sure to pack warmer clothing. As it was, she was forced to walk with a blanket wrapped around her and her bag slung over one shoulder, her staff held in front of her as if it could shield her from the wind.
“Shell,” she murmured, letting out a breath of relief as the magical barrier offered her some protection from the elements. It wasn’t ideal, but she no longer felt as if she were freezing solid above the waist. Her skirt was at least long enough to protect her legs, so as long as she kept up a steady stream of magic to protect herself, she felt as if she could make it long enough to clear the mountain.
The snowy trails gave her a strong sense of déjà vu, and as much as she wanted to deny it, she could guess the reason why. Mount Gagazet was said to stretch even higher than these peaks, and while Yuna still couldn’t consciously remember passing through the holy site, Declan’s words refused to leave her.
“You’re the reason that we have the eternal calm, Lady Yuna.”
Yuna pulled the blanket tighter around herself, but for once, she didn’t think it had anything to do with the cold.
The terrain that she was walking on slowly leveled out over the next few hours, and eventually, Yuna found herself at the base of a silent, deserted city. While she had previously been in a hurry to get off the mountain as soon as possible, the sight of the crumbled buildings stunned her enough that she took it slow as she continued forward. The snow blanketed everything so thoroughly that the ruins felt quieter than they actually were, and it made her a little sad to think about how long it must have been since someone had tread here. Zephon must have forgotten about the people who had lived here long ago. It was a depressing piece of ancient history.
After a moment, Yuna paused, considering the fresh footprints in the snow in front of her with some amount of bewilderment. It looked as if she wasn’t alone on this mountain after all, but what she saw made no sense. The shape imprinted into the snow was mostly human, and yet the front was curved and indented as if it had actually been left by something with sharp talons. Yuna hesitated, knowing that she should continue on without investigating something that could be dangerous, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she ended up following the mysterious footprints to where they curved up to the manor house that stood over all the other ruins.
As Yuna rounded the corner, she was met with the sight of a tall woman who was facing away from her as she gazed up at the rusted gate that surrounded the house. Her white hair was unbelievably long, and something seemed wrong with how little she was wearing in the freezing air, but Yuna was too pleased to see another human to care. As she started to approach, a dark shadow fell over the woman, and Yuna froze when she finally noticed the fiend that was diving down towards her.
Dropping both her bag and her blanket where she stood, Yuna ran forward in an attempt to help the woman, throwing out her staff as she went “Hol-!“
Yuna didn’t know what had happened. She felt like she had blinked, but the monstrous bird was suddenly nowhere to be seen in the sky. It was too late to stop her spell though, so she finished with “-ly!” before pearls of holy magic exploded harmlessly in the air where the monster had been a moment before.
Yuna skidded to a stop directly in front of the woman, wincing as she realized that the creature had somehow already collapsed to the ground, twitching in agony. Even if it had nearly attacked a human, she didn’t like to see anything suffer, but it died before she could do anything to put the poor thing out of its misery. Letting out a slightly shaky breath, Yuna turned away before looking up at the person who clearly hadn’t needed her help. This close, she could see that even more was off about the woman. Her eyes were yellow, and her hands and feet were curved into claws like a fiend’s would be, but Yuna forced herself to push down her unease. This stranger didn’t deserve her unkindness based on how she looked. Yuna intended to treat her like anyone else.
After a moment, she had collected herself enough to give the woman a polite smile before dipping into a bow. “I’m Yuna. I’m so sorry to barge in. I saw you being attacked, but…clearly you didn’t need help.” Straightening up, she looked into the stranger’s yellow eyes curiously. “You must be a very talented mage. I didn’t even see your attack.”
The forest was calmer than Yuna had expected with all the rumors that had been swirling around it. It was almost pretty with the sunlight filtering through the leaves around her, and she admired the plants on either side of her as she carefully moved along the path with her staff clutched in both hands and a bag thrown over her shoulder. The earthen smell reminded her of home and the neighboring island of Kilika, and the quiet solitude was honestly exactly what she needed right now. She had wanted to get away from Torensten. From the Dragonblades. From all people, really. After what she’d learned from Declan, she had thought that the long trip back to the Crystallus Divider would do her some good. The towering wall might have been covered in tourists, but it seemed like the best place to do a lot of praying and thinking.
Yuna wasn’t sure how well she could pray anymore unless it was at a holy site.
The forest path was long and winding, but Yuna didn’t mind so much until the fog started rolling in after a few hours. She was deep in the trees at this point, and she eyed the change in scenery carefully as she kept moving forward. This forest was said to prey on your deepest fears to lead you astray, but she had been fairly confident that she’d be alright alone as long as she stayed on the path. Still, the figure blocking the road as she rounded the corner was far from what she had expected.
Yuna took a step back, one hand raising to her mouth as she stared at the doppelganger in front of her. The woman looked like her, but this Yuna stood a little taller, and she was clothed in a revealing pink and white outfit that would have made Yuna blush to be seen in public in. She had a small machina weapon clutched in one hand, and she stood with one hip cocked to the side, a confident smile lighting up her face. Her hair was down to her calves—Yuna noted with a numb sort of detachment—but it wasn’t immediately apparent because most of the hair was covered in a tight, red wrap except for the portion that was cut to her shoulders. How much older was this Yuna than her?
“Why are you so worried?” The woman asked with a laugh, and Yuna was met with the uncomfortable sensation that she was hearing her own voice. “Who cares if you made the wrong choice! Spira’s future isn’t your problem anymore. You should just do whatever you want to. It’s way more fun!”
Yuna’s fingers clenched tighter around her staff, and she couldn’t decide if she felt pity or jealousy towards the carefree thing in front of her. “…I’m worried…I’m worried because what I want to do is to ensure Spira’s future,” she said tightly while raising her chin. “You should know that better than anyone.”
“Silly.” The other Yuna blew some imaginary smoke off the tip of her gun before striking a pose with the weapon out to the side. “You can make whatever choices you want. But you’ll always end up as me.”
Yuna let out a slow breath before forcing her legs to move. Walking forward, she swept through the fog, dispersing the image of herself as she went. Behind her, she heard the swirl of magic as the illusion reformed, so she was expecting to hear words called after her. She wasn’t expecting the sudden male voice, however.
“Aw, why the long face?” The voice practically dripped in mockery, and Yuna felt her blood run cold even if consciously, she knew it had to be another fake. Whirling around, she met the yellow eyes of the man who had haunted most of her nightmares since coming to Zephon. He shot her a wink even as black liquid leaked from his eyes, and Yuna did her best to catch her breath. “Ardyn…”
“You don’t know how happy I was to hear that you ravaged your world nearly as much as I did mine. How many do you think you displaced after you killed your priests and your aeons? Such disregard for anything but yourself.” He pressed a dramatic hand to his chest as she stared at him in quiet horror. “Why, you’re just like me.”
Something hot pricked at Yuna, and she was shouting at the apparition before she knew it. “I am nothing like you! Nothing!” The words echoed around them for a moment before a sudden crash from deeper in the forest made Yuna whip her head around to stare into the trees. It almost sounded like a magical blast, and after a second one joined the first, Yuna turned her back on the fake Ardyn and plunged off the path without a second thought. Someone was in trouble, and that came before the safety of the path.
Yuna raced through the trees, heedless of the mud that flicked onto her shoes and the lower part of her skirt. No more sounds came, and for a moment, Yuna was afraid that she’d lost the source, but then a voice echoed to her right. “Flare!”
The spell was so close this time that she felt the heat as she changed her course to burst through a circle of trees into a low marsh. She quickly swept her eyes around to take in the scene—a woman with lilac-tinted hair stood with her back to Yuna, facing down the same sort of mist that had plagued her along the path. The woman called out to it jeeringly in a surprisingly low voice, and while she didn’t sound very nice, Yuna could hardly blame her for that. She didn’t know what illusions the forest had shown her after all.
Faced with a spirit that was plaguing someone else, Yuna saw the obvious answer that she had failed to see when it was her own visions. Dropping her bag at her feet, she spun to the side, letting her staff and skirts twirl around her until she lowered her staff in front of her, letting out a breath as the fog trembled before dispersing into the air.
“Go in peace,” she murmured, before turning her attention to the person she was now alone in the marsh with. From this close up, Yuna saw that she had been mistaken. The shape of his jaw marked the person as male, and she was pleased to see that his attire wouldn’t have been out of place in Spira. It made her feel a little homesick, but she quickly pushed that away by clasping her staff down at her waist and giving the stranger a deep bow.
“I’m so sorry to barge in. I heard your magic, but you must have had it under control. You’re…a very talented black mage. Flare isn’t easy to learn.” Even Lulu hadn’t fully mastered it yet, so Yuna gave the man a small smile as she straightened up. “I’m Yuna. I’ve been…dealing with the fiends here as well.”
