Love, it's Wonderful

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'Why? Why did it have to go this way? I trusted them! What could they possibly gain? Why would they not send the undead? Maester Mica he's…dead? Seymour, uh! I want to throw up every time I think of his disgusting lips on mine.' My stomach churned as I felt the sensation on my lips over and over again, struggling not to gag.

Tidus looked at me as we jogged tiredly trough the woods of Macalania. I realized how bad I must look; my face was twisted with sorrow. '…so much for smiling when I'm sad. Forget that for now…I don't have the strength.' I looked down in shame.

We continued on for several miles of dense forest, until I just couldn't go on any more. When we arrived at a well sheltered clearing, I stopped. "We should rest here." Suddenly, the desire to be alone, to have some time to clear my thoughts and sort through the questions hit me. "I-I need some time to think…I'll be back in a while.

I stumbled blindly into the darkness, almost not knowing in which direction I was going, I just had to be alone. I heard Kimahri's feet padding after me, and I knew he wouldn't bother me; he was just ever faithful in guarding me.

I gazed at the sky, and then at the beautiful surroundings. The trees glowed in the sparkle of the bright blue stones that surrounded the path. I just wanted to melt. Here I was, a traitor, heading to my death, either by the very people I am trying to save, or in order to save them.

I came upon a spring, and I stepped into it, letting the soothing water calm my aching heart. Thoughts swirled around in my mind until I felt I might drown in them. 'Spira needs you, they're depending on you! Forget Yevon's sins, and save Spira. That's all that matters. Then, Spira will have peace. But…what about…Tidus? And the others? What will Tidus do? Ah! He doesn't need me…I'm not that important. Why is this so hard? I was supposed to do this with the support of all of Spira, but now, the only ones helping me are my guardians. What if they turn on me?' I thought of Kimahri standing behind me, by the shore of the spring. Suddenly I was shocked at myself. How could I ever suspect them? Just because Yevon broke my trust doesn't mean my friends will too! They would never! You said it yourself, Yuna: "I trust them all with my life!"'

I heard footsteps behind me, and I could tell by the sound of them that it was Tidus. Suddenly, I was very glad he had come. I wanted to be with him. "I always thought this would be easier…" I fought to keep my voice steady. "I…thought that people would help me, I knew it would be hard, but I knew I could do it with my friends beside me…but…it's so hard…I'm trying so hard, but…I just feel like…I…I just don't know what to do..." He was silent for a second or two. "Maybe...you're trying too hard."

I heard him step into the water, tiny ripples flow past me as he walked closer. "They told me…everything." 'Everything? So, he knows I'm going to…die?' "Everything?" I asked as I turned to look at him, and there was so much pain in his eyes, I couldn't bear to look at him for more than a few seconds. He nodded.

I gazed off into the distance and whispered, "Well, so then…you know…" "Yeah." Came his gentle voice. "I'm sorry." I was startled by this. No one had ever told me they were sorry for me about my pilgrimage. I turned to look at him again. "I…I knew what would happen. I made the choice…" He didn't answer this for a few seconds.

"I…well, it's just, all those things that I said…Like, Let's go get Sin, or about Zanarkand, or about the Moonflow, I didn't know what would happen to you Yuna…I guess, well, I hope…I hope I didn't make you sad…Will you…forgive me?" 'Forgive you? You don't need to be forgiven. All those things you said…just made me happy.' I turned again and gazed at the lovely stars in the sky. "I wasn't sad. I was happy, just to know you cared…"

I heard a splash as he dropped underneath the water and then swam around for a few seconds, and then came up a little ways deeper in than I was. He turned to look at me across the water, and after a moment of silence, he spoke up. "Yuna," He said, his voice full of fondness. "Just don't do it…I mean, just forget the past, forget about Sin, about Yevon, about being a summoner…you know…live a normal life...?"

I let myself sink into the water and floated on my back with my eyes closed. 'Give up my pilgrimage?' "Maybe I will…but…what would I do if I gave up my pilgrimage?" 'I could never really live at peace now, not as a traitor, and not with Sin always killing.' He was silent for another moment, before saying something that surprised me. "I could…take you to Zanarkand..." I stood up, thinking, 'I am already going to go to Zanarkand, and I will die there.'

He must've seen the confusion on my face because he explained. "I mean…not the one here. The one I'm from, my Zanarkand. We could all go; we could fly there on the airship!" 'Your Zanarkand! Oh, how I want to go! I just want to go and live at peace...with you by my side, every day.' For a moment, I had something happy to think about.

I looked at him, excitement growing in my heart. "We could watch you play Blitzball!" I splashed him with a little water, I don't know why, it was fun though. "I would cheer for you until I had no voice left!" He grinned at me, but didn't splash back. "Okay, but keep your voice, I lo-erm, like to hear your voice." I smiled back at him. 'Did he almost say…love?' Suddenly I wondered. 'What exactly does he think about me? How does he feel about me?' I pondered this for a second, but quickly dismissed the thoughts.

"But…what would we do after the game?" I asked. "We'd go out and have fun!" He said enthusiastically. What? In the middle of the night? What kind of place IS Zanarkand? "In the middle of the night?" He laughed a bit at me, and said, "No problem! Zanarkand never sleeps!" His voice softened a bit. "Let's go to the sea, before the sunrise. The city lights go out one by one. The stars fade... Then the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire. The sea turns red, and then it spreads to the sky, until the whole city glows. It's really…pretty. I know you'd like it."

'It sounds so beautiful!' Suddenly, my sorrow returned, filling me to the brim. I couldn't go to Zanarkand with him. 'No matter how much I want to…I can't.' My eyes stung, but I fought back the tears and tried to keep my voice calm. "I'd like to see it, someday." I whispered, as I almost choked. "You can, Yuna. We can both go!" He said, but he didn't sound like he actually believed it himself.

'No! We can't! I can't be with you…' I wrung my hands and stared into the water, trying desperately not to cry. "I…I…" I took a very deep breath, trying to calm myself. "I can't give up my pilgrimage…I can't forsake Spira…" My voice caught as tears formed in my eyes. "I can't go with you. I will finish my pilgrimage, and," I choked, fearing the future, knowing I would never be with my friends again, never be with him again. "I'll die…" A tear rolled down my cheek and I felt like a weak child. "to…to save them…It's all I've…" My voice caught in my throat again. "ever…lived for." The first tear made way for many others. I couldn't control them any longer. They streamed down my cheeks and dripped into the water. Waves of sorrow and despair were crashing over me, drowning me.

I shivered despite the warm water, and struggled to breathe as my breath caught in my chest over and over again. I could see nothing through my tears; darkness came over me and with it, hopelessness. 'Why? I knew the time would come! I knew that I would eventually die!' It had been all of my plans, even what I had hope in. All I had ever desired was to save Spira…until I met Tidus.

He was like no one I had ever met before. He was kind and funny, but serious too. He understood me, he listened to me, he saw me for who I was, not just a perfect, unemotional savior of the world…He wasn't perfect, but no one is. I wept more, knowing that I would soon die, and never see him again, never laugh with him again, never smile with him, or talk to him ever again. I felt so weak, standing there weeping my eyes out, when I was the one who was supposed to be the strength of all Spira.

'What must he think of me?' He stepped forward, and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I continued to stare at the water, feeling ashamed of my tears. He did the same with his other hand, and stepped even closer. Just feeling his touch, knowing that I would never feel it again made me cry all the more. "Yuna…" He whispered my name. I gazed up at him, blinking tears out of my eyes, and choking over and over again, my shoulders shaking uncontrollably as I fought to stop crying.

He stood there, looking down at me, an indescribable expression on his face. I just stared at him, and then he leaned down towards me until our faces where only inches apart. I didn't expect that. I almost pulled back, but the soft, gentle look in his eyes was so comforting, that I just stood there, shoulders shaking, face wet from tears, gazing into his eyes as he spoke tenderly to me.

"Yuna, I will support you, whatever your choice is, I will stand by you always. I am your guardian, and I will fight by your side until my last breath." Something about the way he said it made my heart's pain slowly ebb away. He leaned even closer, and looked deep into my eyes with his sea blue ones, that kind, gentle gaze could speak a thousand words. "I will fight everyone and everything that comes against you; I will never give up until I find a way to save you. I will fight even the Final Aeon, and I will lay down my life, and anything else to save you. I am your guardian, and I will always protect you."

As he spoke, our lips were almost brushing against each other, his words intense with emotion. "You are the most wonderful, amazing, selfless girl in the world, in mine or yours, I will stay with you, always, and Yuna, I will do anything for you, because," His voice softened and quieted. "I love you." As he said the last word, "you", his lips finally brushed softly against mine, and joy flooded through me. 'He loves me…'

I relaxed, my tense body finally resting in his arms as he wrapped them around me; held me to himself. My shoulders stopped shaking; my sorrow was replaced with comfort. I never wanted him to let me go. I wrapped my own arms around him, and leaned up closer to him. The world seemed to stop spinning round as he held me. Nothing else mattered. No one else existed. Not Sin, not death, not the Final Aeon. He held me even tighter before finally pulling away and looking gently down at me again, with so much love in his eyes.

I smiled at him, as happiness flooded every part of my soul. 'He'll protect me …maybe I'll live…' He slid his hands down my arms, and our fingers intertwined as we stood there, looking at each other. He reached up, wiping my tears from my face with his gloved hand. I wanted to tell him, tell him that I loved him too, but my throat clamped shut, so I reached my arms up around his neck and pulled him close, kissing him to replace the words. I knew he would understand.

This kiss lingered much longer than the first, we held each other for what felt like it could have been hours, but in reality, was only a few, brief, precious seconds. I finally leaned away, and smiled at him as he looked back at me with adoration. Suddenly, the realization of what we had just done hit me, and I looked down at the water again. "Um, maybe…you should go back first." I said, feeling rather shy. He nodded at me, and said in a slightly joking fashion, "Roger."

Then he placed his hand once again on my shoulder and gently kissed my forehead. He smiled one more time, and started to walk back to camp. As I watched him go, I sighed. 'He loves me! What am I doing standing here?' I ran after him, whistled, and he turned around and looked at me questioningly. "I-I'll go with you." I said, as a giggle escaped my mouth. He smiled, and began to walk again. I reached up and took his hand in mine, and we walked hand in hand, fingers entwined back to camp, both with renewed hope for the future ahead, the future that had never looked so bright.

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TidusxYuna Always