AURA
DEALINGS IN LIFE & DEATH
Life and death are hopelessly tangled, in the story that unfolds before us. Yuna, determined to save lives and end suffering, must nevertheless dabble in both sides of the spectrum. She seeks to heal, but to do so she must plunge into death often; death’s chill clings to her, even as the warmth of life and the prospect of renewal can be found in her touch. She must dance on bloodied battlefields, sending the dead to their final rest. She must call forth the aeons and wield their power to defeat the obstacles in her path, thus bearing both the responsibility to protect lives and also the ability to take lives. Even the Code of the Guardian states that guardians must sacrifice themselves for the good of their summoner. Death surrounds Yuna. It is woven into the fabric of her life and the profession she has chosen. Although she is a healer and a nurturer by nature, the fact remains that Yuna is an emissary between life and death.

On that note, did you ever scowl at the white mage in your party, seeing only a fragile exterior and a source of well-timed, game-rescuing Curaga spells? Well, honey. Wipe the scowl off your face. There is no fragility beneath that exterior. In order to have the power to heal, you must also accept the fact that sometimes, you will fail—that in addition to healing others, you may have to watch them die. That takes extraordinary inner strength. And that inner strength, Yuna has in abundance. She knows from the very beginning that the realization of her dream—a Spira free of sorrow—will exact a demanding toll. She knows from the start that she will pay the price of her own life, in order for countless others to continue living. Along that road, she will have to reach into death many times. But does she waver? Never.