Disclaimer: All characters are property of Squaresoft.

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Taken By Moonlight

Yuna opened her eyes as she heard Lulu and Rikku coming to bed, listening as they chatted softly and began to undress. There was the familiar tinkle of belts, and she knew Lulu was doing her one-belt-undoes-all trick. It had always fascinated her, how Lulu knew the exact belt to undo, and how she always fixed it in the morning so that she had to undo a different belt the next time; Lulu was ingenious that way.

Finally, Rikku chirped her goodnights before nestling down under the thin duvet; Guadosalam was unbelievably warm at night. Yuna lay still for a while more, before slipping from her bed and dressing herself. Seymour’s marriage proposal was still fresh in mind, but she was yet to make up her mind. She loved him, but she didn’t feel brave enough to say it to him yet. Someone had once told her that if you weren’t ready to tell someone how you felt, you weren’t ready to show it either. Of course, it referred to more than just marriage, but for the past few hours, it had been Yuna’s personal mantra. Of course, regardless of whether she married him or not, she would continue with her pilgrimage.

Neither guardian stirred as she crept past, staff in hand. Rikku had left her bedside light on, and it granted a dim illumination of the room. At the door, she glanced back and a soft smile formed on her lips as she watched her friends sleep on. Rikku was curled up like a cat, one hand cushioning her head on the pillow, while the other was draped across her stomach. Lulu, on the other hand, was lying on her back, her arm thrown over her face so that the crook covered her eyes. She’d let her hair down as well, and dark, wavy tumbles of raven spilled across the pillow and bed sheets.

She opened the door only as much as she needed to, before squeezing through the gap and shutting it quietly behind her. Out in the narrow corridor, the change in light intensity blinded her, and she stood for a moment, blinking rapidly. Eventually, her eyes adjusted and she listened to the sound of her male guardians snoring from their room. Once or twice, a moan of complaint was heard, as one of them snored too loud and woke the others up. Laughing quietly to herself, she walked down the stairs and nodded to the innkeeper, before leaving.

Once outside, she took a deep breath and made for the path that led up to the over-world. She needed space to think seriously about Seymour’s proposal, and the forests around Guadosalam were calm and lush, with a comforting, warm wind that kept the chilled air at bay.

As she broke out into the open, she gasped in amazement at the beauty of serenity. Far above, night had blanketed the sky with darkness, an awning of stars scattered across her. Beams of soft moonlight filtered down through the swaying leaves, creating a dancing, dappled effect on the ground.

Walking on, Yuna listened to the sharp yips of coyote-fiends deep in the forests. Drawing a deep, determined breath, she gripped her staff tightly in her hand; she was prepared for any fiends that came her way. Lulu had taught her some black magic, and she’d become quite adept at drawing the elements up through her body and loosing them forth upon her foe. It was rather like summoning, she’d mused, except less strenuous and each element felt different.

Thunder was a quick jolt of energy that surged through her, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Water flowed like the blood in her veins, rising like a swelling tide inside her before dissipating. Fire swirled up, warming her skin with the invisible heat that she felt both inside and out. Ice however, chilled her and made her skin tingle as it spread within her.

She’d had fun, calling upon the elements and switching between freezing, zapping, burning and dousing almost anything she could get her hands on. Tidus had even given her a power sphere to try and burn, but it had just grown immensely hot; after Rikku had scalded herself on it, Auron had kicked it into the Moonflow, and they’d all watched it hiss and churn up the water as it sank. After that, Yuna had decided to save her newly acquired black mage skills for battle.

A fiend pounced on her now, and she narrowly evaded its sharp teeth. Snarling, it sprang round to attack her again, but she met it with a swift blow in between its eyes with her staff, and it yelped in pain. Before it could recover, she drew up a lightning bolt and struck it, killing it in one blow. Thunder was her favourite element; it was like her own personal, miniature storm that she alone could control.

Lulu preferred Water, saying she liked how she could control its form, manipulating it to her will. She could even make shapes with it, and had once made a statue of Yuna for the young apprentice summoner’s enjoyment. It hadn’t lasted long, but Yuna had marvelled at how lifelike it was, begging Lulu to make a statue of herself, Wakka and Kimahri as well.

Smiling at the memory, Yuna gathered the spoils and continued on her way until she came to the bank where they had found Rikku earlier that day. Sitting down on a nearby stump, Yuna placed her staff down and gazed into the Moonflow, amazed by its spectacular beauty. Its pearly depths glowed in the pale rays of the moon, and every so often, a cluster of pyreflies would settle on a moonlily. It was exactly as Lulu had described it; a sea of stars.

The long grass around her rippled constantly in the gentle breeze, dancing to its own beat. The fragrant aroma of spice and flowers filled the air, and she began to take off her boots, gazing at the shimmering surface of the river intently. It looked so cool and inviting, and her feet were sore from all the walking they’d done over the days. Closing her eyes, she lowered her feet into the water and sighed in exaltation. It was pure bliss. The water was pleasantly cool, and she lazily trawled her feet through it. Lifting her feet out slightly, she allowed her toes to skim the surface delicately, beads of glistening water running down her ankle and dripping back into the river.

The water broke and curved back on itself in her toes’ wakes, creating tiny spirals. She paused and watched, fascinated at how the water seemed to cleave in two, before swirling back in on itself and twisting off in miniscule eddies. She wished she had someone else to share the beauty with, and laughed softly to herself as she imagined how her friends would act.

Rikku and Tidus would probably dance about, knee-deep, spraying each other and everyone else with water and laughing for all to hear. Wakka would jokingly complain about getting wet before joining in himself, while Lulu laughed quietly and watched on, staying out of range. Auron and Kimahri would watch in a contemplative silence, ever alert for the presence of danger. Sighing wistfully, she kicked up a little plume of water and watched the glittering quicksilver fall back, splashing in soft chords. It was almost like music.

Drifting from her trance, her thoughts lapsed back to Maester Seymour. The proposal… She couldn’t help but be disappointed that he had only proposed to her as a maester of Yevon; he felt no real emotion for her, proposing only because it would bring happiness to Spira… Still, if she accepted, Spira would rejoice and everyone would have something cheerful to talk about. If she declined, her pilgrimage would go on as before, but Spira would be forced to suffer that little while extra, with only the Calm to look forward to.

Will he ask me to give up my pilgrimage if I marry him? Yuna pondered over this for a while, a small, tight knot of fear rising in her throat. But considering that he too, is a summoner, surely he’d appreciate how much the pilgrimage means to me? Yes, of course he’ll understand… He’s a Maester… And if he doesn’t, well then, I suppose… I won’t marry him. It wasn’t the greatest solution to the problem, but it had bought her peace of mind, something she could seldom afford these days.

Strained relief swept through her as she came to this conclusion, and she lifted her feet from the water, preparing to head back to Guadosalam. Droplets of water rolled off her toes, and the warm breeze caressed her skin, drying her feet in no time. As she slipped on her boots and stood to leave, her breath caught in her throat, frozen by the shock of seeing Maester Seymour strolling leisurely towards her. Moments later, he caught her gaze and he too froze in apparent disbelief.

“Lady Yuna?” he closed the distance between them, his expression a mixture of pleasance and concern. “I thought you were staying at the inn?”

“I am…” she found her voice and swallowed nervously. “I just felt… I, I needed some air.”

He nodded and smiled in understanding. “I see.” Had she been considering his proposal? “Guadosalam can be rather claustrophobic sometimes.” He brushed past her gently and stood on the embankment, lost in thought as he looked out over the Moonflow.

“I have… never seen it like this before.” She told him, folding her hands behind her back and gazing at the ground in embarrassment. “It’s so beautiful.”

“As are you.” he spoke softly, turning to face her again.

His gaze held her transfixed, and she could feel a modest blush invade her face, as she made a small ‘hmm’ of disbelief. Her heart began to race, and she barely dared to believe her ears. Did he really think she was beautiful?

“Uh, th-thank you.” she stammered, wondering what he meant. His words could simply be a ploy to convince her to marry him.

Suddenly he was at her side, smiling benevolently down at her. Her eyes were filled with wonder and hope, and he longed to lean down and kiss her, his lips tingling with the desire.

She truly was enchanting - the embodiment of perfection, no less. He had known that since he had first laid eyes on her only a few short days ago in Luca. Even so, he found himself breathless at her modest beauty; she almost shone, even against the bright moonlit backdrop of the forest. He gazed intently at her, his eyes drinking in her radiance.

He was drawn to her mouth, with its luscious, coral pink lips and full pout. He imagined them to be so divinely soft, and yearned to touch them, to run his tongue over them before delving into her mouth and exploring her taste, while lacing it with his own.

Her cheeks were pinked slightly, no doubt the effect of his compliment, and her skin looked smooth and fresh, free from imperfection. She was so beautiful; it hurt to look at her. His heart ached with a deep, paining desperation to be with her, and he knew she felt the same. It was written in her coy smile.

The same smile invited him closer and closer, until his lips were just skimming hers. And that’s when she pounced.

The kiss instantly dispelled any doubting thoughts, and he found himself suddenly darting his tongue against hers and taking in her sweet, ardent tang. Of their own accord, his arms snaked themselves round her slender waist and back, suddenly pulling her closer to him, while his hands explored the small of her back and the exposed area of skin between her shoulders.

He could tell she was inexperienced, as she clumsily sought to copy him. Gently, he guided her mouth with his own, teasing her lips with his tongue and slowly deepening the kiss to his satisfaction.

Yuna, breathless with excitement and anticipation, clutched at Seymour’s arm, as a desperate yearning awakened inside her. The warm, tingling feeling inside her spread to her stomach, and she felt alive as it engulfed her. It was the first time in her life she’d ever felt such an intense sensation of wanting, and she savoured every second of it.

Her hands swept up his chest, following the taut pattern of his muscular torso, as she traced the coiled, draconian designs that were tattooed on his skin. Her other hand crept over his shoulder, fluffing out his tussles of long, blue hair and running her fingers through the thick, silky strands. It flowed through her fingers, as soft and sleek as she had imagined.

As she ran her hands through the feathers of cerulean, he gave a small, pleased groan and she smiled against his mouth. Sharing one gaze, they engaged in another sweet, passionate kiss.

This time, Yuna teased his tongue with her own, nipping the tip of it gently with her teeth, and licking his lower lip, as he had done to her earlier. His forelock brushed against her cheek, creating a pleasant tickling sensation.

Eventually, they broke apart, basking in a state of peace. Yuna’s heart was fluttering and her head whirled as she tried to come to terms with everything she had felt, her senses buzzing.

For Seymour, the sensation was a familiar one, although he was surprised at how intense the kiss had been, and the amount of electricity there was between them. None of his various other lovers had ever elicited such a heightened pleasure in him.

Quietly, Yuna pressed herself against his chest, breathing in his spicy musk and listening to his heartbeat. He stroked her hair lovingly, pressing a light kiss onto the top of her head.

Suddenly, Yuna felt the shadow of fatigue creeping up on her. Her eyes fluttered shut of their own accord, and a thick blanket of fuzziness swelled up, enveloping her. She only just registered the brief rush of air swirling around legs, as Seymour swept her up into his arms. To Yuna’s sleep-ridden self, it felt like flying.

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A/N: -Sighs- Ah, fluff, where would we be without it?

R&R you lovely, lovely people! Please?