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Part II. I have to do this in parts or it'll be WAY too word heavy. xD

Lenne slept late the next morning; she could feel the sun beating down against the open window that sat across from the foot of her bed, and she found that she’d kicked most of her covers off. Cythna was gone already, probably down at the dock, helping to install the new engine for the ship that was bound for Kilika and, eventually, Luca. Her parents’ laughter permeated the air from downstairs. She sat up, stretching, her loose nightgown’s sleeves falling down around her shoulders; she ran her fingers through her long blonde hair a few times, and rolled out of bed.

Nyshla came in, the same sleepy look in her eyes; as though she, too, had just awakened. She wore one of her many black knee-length dresses, along with a pair of shiny black boots. Lenne went over to her wash basin, and filled it with cool water.

“So, what are we doing today?” Nyshla asked, sitting gracefully onto Lenne’s bed. Lenne shrugged, splashing water over her face, shivering as the delightfully chill, wet feeling ran down her face. She groped for her towel, and patted her face dry, and inspected her visage in the mirror. Her shoulder-length blonde hair hung quite disarrayed about her shoulders, curling out a bit at the ends, some fringe falling into her eyes—her mother’s eyes. With Yuna’s eyes, it was easy to tell the difference between her green eye (right) and her blue eye (left). Not quite so with Lenne; both were rimmed with a blue deeper than the sea at midnight, and filled with a blue clearer than the sky at noon. Her right eye had splashes of green that looked like thin little ripples on a lake. Only on a clear, bright day could one discern that her eyes weren’t uniform. It was the only part of her that betrayed her Al Bhed lineage.

Lenne glanced behind her in the mirror, at Nyshla, whose long black braids hung neatly down to her waist. She’s always thought that Nyshla was prettier of the two of them, with her long, dark hair and deep blue eyes rimmed with pretty lashes. Nyshla’s pretty lips could form a perfect pout, and her chin reached a delicate point; the older girl had inherited her father’s height, and her long legs were crossed at the ankles, making them look incredibly slim and marvelously long.

“What?” the older girl asked, getting up and coming over to the mirror. “Do I have a zit or something?” Lenne shook her head, doubting if Nyshla had ever had a zit in her entire life.

“No, you don’t.” She smiled, heading over to the small chest in the corner. “Let me get dressed and then we can go down to the lagoon,” she said, pulling out a light blue halter shirt and a short dark blue skirt. After donning the clothes, she tied her hair into a hasty bun and slid into a pair of sandals. She paused to admire the way the light blue brought out the color in her eyes, and the way the light blue almost faded into the dark blue, like the water the further out to sea that she went. Two silver arm guards and her black belt with her dagger’s sheath were the last things that she slid on. Nyshla grinned, adjusting the hem of her black dress.

“Let’s go,” the older girl said, and they trouped downstairs to grab a bit to eat. Breakfast was sitting at the kitchen table, and consisted of muffins and some sort of bacon. They were about to leave, when they heard Rikku talking in the next room.

“. . . Paine said she saw it with her own eyes. I didn’t believe her at first, but then I went with her and Baralai on their next trip out, and oh, Yunie! I haven’t seen the woods as big since your journey—and that was more than twenty years ago!” The girls walked into the conversation as Rikku reached over to grab Yuna’s hand. Yuna looked positively faint.

“What’s back?” Lenne asked, wondering why this was affecting her mother so much. Everyone turned around to look at the two young women who were munching on their breakfast. Tidus opened his mouth to speak, but Yuna shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it, girls; just run along.” Yuna said, her voice just a bit sad and worried. Lenne cast a glance to her father, who had his arm around her mother. He simply shrugged.

“But why do you look so worried—“ Lenne began, but Yuna cut her off.

“I said, run along,” Yuna barked, in a voice that Lenne had rarely ever heard her mother use. Lenne stared at her mother for a moment, unsure of what to do. Usually, Yuna was a soft speaker; but whenever she used that tone, she meant what she said, or someone was going to earn a punishment. Lenne almost gave in to her teenage stubbornness and demanded to know what was going on, but thought better of it when she caught the look in her mother’s eyes. It was sharp as daggers, and terribly red-hot. Lenne nodded and headed outside with Nyshla. On their way around the house, they heard Yuna say, “But I sent all the Aeons . . .” and then the door closed behind them.

Nyshla cast a curious glance at Lenne, and Lenne shook her head. “Why do I get the feeling that they’re hiding something from us?” Nyshla asked as they finished their muffins. Lenne shrugged, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“I don’t know. Mom never really told us much about how she defeated Sin, or why she and Dad were separated. It’s almost like she wants to forget that chapter of her life completely.” Lenne flicked her hair out of her eyes as they walked up the path to get to the lagoon. As they passed the boys playing blitzball, Kivem smiled at them and waved. Lenne waved back absently.

“Hi Jecht!” Nyshla called, as he passed the ball to Vidina. Jecht smiled and waved at them. Lenne giggled as they walked around the corner. Nyshla looked at her, a silly grin on her face. “What?”

“Jeeze, could you be more obvious?” Lenne laughed, leaning on Nyshla for support. Nyshla blushed, pushing Lenne aside. “’Hi Jecht!’” Lenne squeaked in a falsetto voice. “Wow, my brother will never know that you like him now!”

“Well, what about you and Kivem? Did you see the look he gave you?” Nyshla clasped her hands under her chin and tilted her head to the side, batting her dark eyelashes. “Oh, Lenne, I love you; I must have you!” she exclaimed, grabbing Lenne’s face and attempting to kiss her on the nose.

“Yeeagh!” Lenne yanked away from Nyshla, laughing. “Yeah, right, he’s just my best friend. Besides, we’re related! He’s like a brother to me,” Lenne protested, as a small flan jumped out of the bushes in front of them. Nyshla conjured a fireball that rolled over the tiny thing which never stood a chance. Lenne giggled, watching as the rainbow-hued pyreflies rose into the afternoon air, much like ripples on the surface of a calm lake.

“Those are some of the oldest excuses in the book!” Nyshla said, as they continued on their way. Lenne shook her head, wisps of her blonde hair falling out from the bun to brush across her bare shoulders. She and Kivem had been born within a week of each other, and had practically been raised together. He was the male version of Nyshla to her; they were so close that they knew everything about each other. He would have admitted if he’d had a crush on her. Besides, she didn’t feel that way about him. Nyshla was probably just mistaking the signals, as usual; she didn’t know how to read them very well.

“How about I go and tell my brother about your crush on him?” Lenne teased, dancing backwards in front of Nyshla. The older girl’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.

“You wouldn’t!” Nyshla cried, chasing Lenne the rest of the way down the hill. Lenne shrieked and ran as fast as she could, down through the trees and into the waiting blue water of the lagoon. She splashed through the crisp blue water, kept cool from the afternoon heat by all the tall, leafy trees. Nyshla followed, barely a moment later, and ran into Lenne, knocking her down and immersing her in the water. Lenne came up, shivering, her arms clenched tight about her.

“You did that on purpose!” she cried, indignant. Nyshla was laughing too hard to postpone her imminent demise, when Lenne yanked her over into the water as well. The older girl stumbled over Lenne and fell face first into the water with a tremendous splash. She came up, still laughing, and flicked a fistful of water at Lenne.

“I did not!” Nyshla cried, standing up. Her short dress was drenched and clung to her every curve. She tugged off her knee-high black boots and tossed them to shore. As Lenne watched them fly through the air, her gaze was caught by something on the shore opposite them. It looked like a person, and she sloshed through the knee-deep water towards it. Nyshla grabbed her arm.

“What is it?” she asked, her bright eyes wide. Lenne shrugged her off, and continued toward the body, hoping it wasn’t an un-Sent person. She’d only ever heard of them once before, but the way that her mother had described them had sounded positively chilling.

She fell to her knees beside the person and rolled him over, barely using any effort. His russet curls strayed over his face, and his eyes were closed, but Lenne could see the smattering of freckles that touched his cheeks and swept across the bridge of his nose. Nyshla gasped, and came over as well, but she maintained her distance. Lenne brushed the hair out of his face and leaned down close to him to feel for his breath. It came, but only faintly, and his skin felt clammy and cold.

“Is he dead?” Nyshla asked, standing with her fists pressed against her mouth. Lenne looked at her, and had to marvel at how young Nyshla sometimes acted. She shook her head.

“No; he’s alive. Quick, run and get my father—and Mom too. She’ll be able to help heal him. I’ll stay here and make sure nothing harms him.” She turned back to the young man and pulled out a dagger from the back of her belt.

“But what if he’s a . . .” Nyshla started, and Lenne turned around, a fire in her eyes.

“I can handle myself, alright? Go,” she ordered, and Nyshla obeyed, running full tilt up the hill, back towards the village, her boots lying forgotten on the shore of the lagoon. Lenne turned back to the young man, fingering the dagger that she held. She wished that she knew more healing spells, but her mother and Rikku were the ones who’d had the most knowledge on the topic. She sighed, settling down on the sand to await her parents.

The young man’s dark russet hair was a color that Lenne had never seen before; it was redder and darker than either Wakka’s or Vidina’s, and it curled softly, even though it was damp. The clothes that he wore had a strange look to them, and Lenne couldn’t place where she’d seen them before—maybe they were some form of Al Bhed. His features were fine, perhaps a bit feminine, with his high cheekbones and pretty lips, but his nose jutted out of his profile like a hawk’s beak, giving him an almost rugged appearance. Lenne guessed that he was maybe three years older than her, tops. She brushed a few more curls out of his eyes, and noticed the puckered skin of a scar that ran from the corner of his shoulder across his broad chest. How did he get that, I wonder? she thought.

Her father, who came tearing around the bend, interrupted her pondering; her mother and Rikku hot on his heels. Lenne stood, sheathing her dagger and helping her father to pull him out of the water. Lulu and Gippal came next, followed by Wakka, who was rather out of breath. Yuna bent over the young man and gave him a potion, which made him groan.

“Can’t you heal him?” Lenne asked, as her father and Gippal hefted the young man up and slung their arms together in an attempt to carry him. Yuna shook her head, feeling his forehead and opening his eyes to check them.

“No, healing only works if he’s been poisoned or had darkness inflicted on him; basically battle magic. Old-fashioned cures work best for hypothermia.” Yuna checked him over for other injuries, but all he seemed to have was a lump on the back of his head. “He should be all right. Come on,” she said, taking the role of leader, “let’s get him back to our house. Rikku, Lulu, can you boost him up with some air?” Lulu and Rikku nodded, and managed to conjure up a small cushion of air that made Tidus sigh with relief.

“He’ll warm up once he’s out of those wet clothes,” Gippal said. Yuna turned to him as they made their way slowly up the hill. She nodded and turned to Wakka.

“Right. Wakka, go and see if you can find any of the boys’ clothes. I think Vidina’s would fit him best.” Wakka nodded and raced back up the hill towards the village. Lenne stuck with her parents, not knowing what else to do. The going back up the hill was painstakingly slow, and Lenne could see that her father and Gippal, despite Rikku and Lulu’s efforts, were starting to gleam with sweat. She concentrated, wanting to help, but Yuna put a hand out. “Don’t. You don’t have enough control yet. Go up to the house and gather all the blankets that you can find. We’re going to put him on the extra bed in your room just for now.”

“Okay.” Lenne dashed back up the hill toward her house, and saw her brothers and Kivem laughing about something they’d just said.

“Hey Lenne, what’s all the commotion?” Auron asked, bouncing the blitzball off of his forehead. Lenne grinned, turning around and running backwards.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she shot back, and Jecht laughed. “Ask Mom when they get up here; can’t talk now!” and she whirled around and dashed up the path toward her house. Nyshla was lying on the couch, a glass of water in her hand, looking spent.

“Did you grab my boots?” she asked, taking a sip of water. Lenne shook her head as she grabbed as many blankets out of the cupboards as possible. “Crap,” Nyshla said, sitting up a bit more. “Well? Is he going to be all right?”

“I sure hope so,” Lenne replied, heading upstairs to remake the bed. Her parents were only a few moments behind her, and she heard Wakka come in only moments after that with some of Vidina’s clothes. Lenne tossed a few more pillows on the bed and pulled back the sheets for her parents. She could hear them struggling on the stairs, and went out to try to assist them. They somehow managed to get him on the bed, and Yuna ordered her down to the kitchen to make sandwiches for everyone. Lenne obediently left, and managed to create a good-looking lunch in record time. Nyshla grinned at her.

“I’ll guard the door and make sure that the boys don’t eat it all,” she volunteered, as Lenne headed back upstairs to see how her parents were doing.

Even though the upstairs was hot, Yuna piled blankets on top of him, hoping that it would help to melt away his hypothermia. She commissioned Lenne to watch over him, and the young woman did as she was told, marveling at the steel beneath her mother’s delicate nature. The way she could take charge of any situation put no doubt in her mind that this, indeed, was the woman who had defeated Sin so early in life. Lenne sat in her room, reading up on her black magic, hoping to get another lesson from Lulu soon.

Twilight was stretching his darkened fingers by the time Yuna came back up. Lenne had given up on reading, and was practicing some of the maneuvers that she’d been taught with her dagger. Yuna set a tray of food and water on the nightstand, and watched her daughter for a few moments. It felt odd to be scrutinized by her mother, and Lenne faltered before deciding that she was done practicing for now.

“Has he moved yet?” Yuna asked, sitting on the bed. Lenne shook her head, flopping down next to her mother.

“He started to get a bit restless, and I figured that he was hot, so I took some blankets off. He’s been sleeping like a baby for the past hour or so.” She looked thoughtfully at him, admiring his profile. Her mother made a small movement, and Lenne looked back at her, wondering how all the worry lines had appeared on her face as though overnight. Usually, Yuna was calm and unmoving, as stoic as her Summoner training allowed her to be. She didn’t fret over things, but merely accepted them as they were. What could be weighing on her heart so? Lenne wondered, trying to scrutinize her mother. Yuna burst out laughing, and Lenne pulled back a bit, confused. “What?” she asked, as her mother tried to control her giggling. Yuna smiled broadly—one of the first true smiles that Lenne had seen in a long time—and waved her hand, trying to find the words to explain.

“Your father used to give me that look a lot when we first met. It was like he couldn’t figure me out. Those were some of the happiest and saddest days of my life.” Yuna leaned her head back against the wall and smiled nostalgically. Lenne kept quiet and waited for her mother to continue, but after a moment, Yuna sighed and opened her eyes, turning her gaze to the young man. “I wonder who he is?”

Lenne sighed silently to herself, leaning resignedly up against the wall. She might never learn of her mother’s legacy; why was it so important for Yuna to keep quiet about it all? It wasn’t like it would fade away after she talked about it. Yuna had adamantly refused to tell her children a morsel more than she needed to, and Tidus didn’t talk about it because she didn’t talk about it. While Jecht and Auron didn’t seem to care one way or the other, it irked Lenne to no end; she crossed her arms sulkily.

“Hey,” her father said, poking his head through the doorway. Lenne noticed the young man was beginning to stir, and she jumped up to take away some more blankets. “How’s he doing?” Tidus asked, coming into the room. Yuna held up her hand.

“He’s coming around,” Yuna said, standing. Lenne tucked the sheets and blankets down by the foot of the bed, and moved to get a few more. The young man stirred and his eyes fluttered open; his hand moved to catch hers. It was hot and sweaty, and his face was just a bit flushed. Her eyes traveled up his hard muscled chest, past his strong chin to his eyes, which were a color like none she'd ever seen before. They glowed like the sun, and seemed to move like liquid gold fringed by his fire-red eyelashes. Bright yellow surrounded the pupil, and melted into gold more brilliant than any color she’d ever seen; each eye was rimmed with a copper as bright as the metal itself. She felt her breath catch in her throat, and had to wrench her gaze away from his eyes to stop staring.

“What happened?” he asked thickly, his grip still firm on her hand, and his voice was low and raspy from sleep. “Who are you?”

“My name is Lenne. You’re on Besaid Island, though how you got here is quite a mystery,” Lenne replied, sitting down beside him on the bed. “Who are you?”

“Anaïs,” he replied, trying to sit up. Lenne helped him, fluffing the pillows that sat between his strong back at the wall. “The last thing I remember, I was riding my hoverbike, but it malfunctioned, and I started to fall . . .” he paused, holding a hand up to his head. He flinched visibly when his hand touched the bruise on the back of his head. Lenne found herself getting lost once more in the golden pool of his eyes, and pulled away.

“You must be starving,” she said, taking the tray that her mother had brought up and placing it on his lap. He nodded and began to eat rapidly, as though he hadn’t in days. As he ate, his eyes traveled about the room, taking in his surroundings. His gaze moved easily over Yuna and Lenne, but once they reached Tidus, the glass he was holding fell to the floor and shattered.

“I know you!”