Title: No Response
She woke in the darkness of Guadosalam, and left the room.
The hallways extended beyond her, and Yuna could see nothing.
"Maester?"
No response.
--- ---
She wandered, opening doors randomly to empty rooms, until one opened to a fury of snow and ice and darkness.
I would rather die than be chained like this, Yuna thought recklessly, and closed the door behind her.
But when the building faded into a tableau of white and black she stopped, frozen by her actions and the sharp wind.
You fool, she thought numbly. You would die anyway. Beter to take what you could have salvaged of your life.
"Maester?"
No response, but a door opened before her.
--- ---
"Did you enjoy your stroll, Lady Summoner?"
"Yes," Yuna managed carefully, taking the cup of tea.
"Would you care to ask me a question, now that I have asked you?" he asked, his ever-present half-smile hovering on his face. "I find that it is the substance of real dialogue, a game of question and answer."
"Is that life, then? A game?" She found his smile disconcerting.
"I believe so, but there are many who would disagree. Do you love the yellow-haired boy?"
She drew back.
"An answer for a question, a question for an answer, Lady Yuna."
"I--" She could not speak.
"As I thought. It is now your turn."
"Why am I here?"
"I am saving the world, and you must help."
"How?"
"It is my turn. Lady Yuna, do you love me?"
Yuna, again, could not speak.
"Also, as I thought."
"Would you please refrain from asking such questions?" she asked finally, embarassed.
"No, and you have wasted a question. Do you intend on freely marrying me?"
"I--" she stopped. "I will do what is best for Spira," she said, almost shyly.
"Is it--"
"It is my turn," she said sharply, and for a moment something crossed his face. "How do you intend to save the world."
"By relieving people of their pain. And you?"
"I will sacrifice myself," she said, quietly. "How did you know I was outside?"
"I am good at judging people. How many people do you know who have not experienced pain such as I intend to destroy?
"No one. How are you alive?"
"I have a very strong will. Did anyone tell you why your father really decided to defeat Sin?"
"Will you not answer me?" she asked, angry for the first time in quite a long time.
"Your father was extremely proud. He could not stand to live in disgrace. He would rather die, leaving a parentless child in a town he knew little of, brought there by a Ronso he barely knew, than live as a pariah."
"Do not talk about my father! How are you alive? I--we killed you."
"I told you, I am strong-willed," Seymour answered, looking mildly surprised. "Death is optional. I am not done in this world."
"What is it you must do?"
"It is not your turn, Lady Yuna. Why are you a summoner?"
"To save the world. Why are you still alive?"
"To save the world. Do you believe you will?"
"I don't know." She stopped, considered. "Do you love me?"
He was silent.
"Maester?"
No response.
"Do you?"
"Would anything changed if I answered you?" he asked.
"No."
No response.
---End---
I don't know if I like it or not.
The hallways extended beyond her, and Yuna could see nothing.
"Maester?"
No response.
--- ---
She wandered, opening doors randomly to empty rooms, until one opened to a fury of snow and ice and darkness.
I would rather die than be chained like this, Yuna thought recklessly, and closed the door behind her.
But when the building faded into a tableau of white and black she stopped, frozen by her actions and the sharp wind.
You fool, she thought numbly. You would die anyway. Beter to take what you could have salvaged of your life.
"Maester?"
No response, but a door opened before her.
--- ---
"Did you enjoy your stroll, Lady Summoner?"
"Yes," Yuna managed carefully, taking the cup of tea.
"Would you care to ask me a question, now that I have asked you?" he asked, his ever-present half-smile hovering on his face. "I find that it is the substance of real dialogue, a game of question and answer."
"Is that life, then? A game?" She found his smile disconcerting.
"I believe so, but there are many who would disagree. Do you love the yellow-haired boy?"
She drew back.
"An answer for a question, a question for an answer, Lady Yuna."
"I--" She could not speak.
"As I thought. It is now your turn."
"Why am I here?"
"I am saving the world, and you must help."
"How?"
"It is my turn. Lady Yuna, do you love me?"
Yuna, again, could not speak.
"Also, as I thought."
"Would you please refrain from asking such questions?" she asked finally, embarassed.
"No, and you have wasted a question. Do you intend on freely marrying me?"
"I--" she stopped. "I will do what is best for Spira," she said, almost shyly.
"Is it--"
"It is my turn," she said sharply, and for a moment something crossed his face. "How do you intend to save the world."
"By relieving people of their pain. And you?"
"I will sacrifice myself," she said, quietly. "How did you know I was outside?"
"I am good at judging people. How many people do you know who have not experienced pain such as I intend to destroy?
"No one. How are you alive?"
"I have a very strong will. Did anyone tell you why your father really decided to defeat Sin?"
"Will you not answer me?" she asked, angry for the first time in quite a long time.
"Your father was extremely proud. He could not stand to live in disgrace. He would rather die, leaving a parentless child in a town he knew little of, brought there by a Ronso he barely knew, than live as a pariah."
"Do not talk about my father! How are you alive? I--we killed you."
"I told you, I am strong-willed," Seymour answered, looking mildly surprised. "Death is optional. I am not done in this world."
"What is it you must do?"
"It is not your turn, Lady Yuna. Why are you a summoner?"
"To save the world. Why are you still alive?"
"To save the world. Do you believe you will?"
"I don't know." She stopped, considered. "Do you love me?"
He was silent.
"Maester?"
No response.
"Do you?"
"Would anything changed if I answered you?" he asked.
"No."
No response.
---End---
I don't know if I like it or not.