This story has gone through a revamp! The first chapters were put together, but not much has changed. So previous readers just need to go to the last few chapters to catch up.
Well, I was in the middle of a Chronicles of Narnia fanfic when I lost interest, actually just lost my direction. Besides, this is the story I've been daydreaming of for the past 2 weeks and I'm very excited to finally write it.
Yuna and Tidus are readlly the cutest couple. And their story is soooo romantic that no one can resist writing their own version of FFX-3 after finishing the games.
Just FYI, this is my story, and I might be changing some facts from the game to make it believable. So I'm sorry to all the Final Fantasy fanatics who will burn me for the mistakes. But it's only a few details about the history and geography.
I've already wrote the "His Return" scene in another fanfic (which you should totally check out since a few references might be made to it), and, seriously, I never really liked that scene in Zanarkand where Yuna pushes him in the water. I know it's an important explanation of what happened, but they should have at least made the last shot of the game with them embracing, not her looking down at him.
And I'm not going to take the time to go around introducing Tidus to all the new characters. I just want to get to the main story.
Speaking of which, I'll shut up now and let you read it.
Final Fantasy belongs to Square, who I am eternally grateful to for releasing the games.
Yuna was lying on her beach towel spread out on the sand. One arm was flung over her eyes. Nearby, she could hear splashes, and she peaked out from under her arm toward the large expanse of Besaid's crystal water. The sunlight reflecting off the water stung her eyes, but she squinted through to the source of the approaching splashes.
It really was a sight to behold. A boy was walking out of the surf towards the beach, the sunlight glinting in his golden locks and water dripping off his skin. He had stripped out of the typical uniform he usually wore and was bare except for a pair of black shorts. Yuna couldn't help but be grateful to whatever coach must have put him through hours of intense exercise. Those abs alone were enough to give her goose bumps.
He had reached the beach and was walking toward her, so she quickly set her arm back and closed her eyes, keeping completely still.
His footsteps were muffled by the sand, but she could faintly hear him getting closer. Finally she felt a shadow fall over her and block out the warmth of the sunshine. He was standing right over her, and she tried hard not to smile as she feinted sleep, but it was hard to be serious when she wanted to laugh.
Suddenly large droplets fell onto her face, startling her into a sitting position and making her yelp out loud. He laughed at her as he finished ringing the water out of his hair and onto her.
"Oh, real mature," She scoffed and he laughed harder. Angrily she grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at him. It struck dead center and stuck to his damp chest.
He looked from his sandy chest to her and lunged for her. "I'll show you mature."
Squealing, Yuna scrambled out of the way just in time and he managed to capture only her towel. As he struggled to untangle himself from the towel, Yuna jumped to her feet and ran down the beach. She didn't get far for he caught her within moments, sweeping her up off her feet and into his arms.
"Tidus!" she cried, trying to sound stern, but she was just laughing too hard. She kicked her feet playfully and wrapped her arms around his neck. His smile was radiant as he looked at her, but then it turned mischievous. He spun with her in his arms and began to walk toward the water.
"Oh, no you don't! I just dried off!" She began to kick harder. She was pleasantly warm from her sun bath and if she went in the water now, it would be bitterly cold until she got used to it again.
"You need to learn some manners. You don't go around throwing sand at people." He was in the water by now, and walking out until it reached his mid-thigh. Yuna clutched him tighter, the water only a few inches away from her bikini.
"Now what will you give me not to drop you into the treacherous and frigid water?" he asked in mock seriousness. His blue eyes were gleaming with mischief and delight. "A kiss from your lovely lips might suffice."
Yuna immediately leaned upward and pressed her lips to his. 'Oh I love how soft his lips are. Even if they are salty at the moment.'
She pulled away and looked at him expectantly. He licked his lips then shrugged. "Hmm, very good, but not good enough." And he dropped her into the waves.
Yuna came up sputtering sea water. Her eyes blazed fire as she splashed water at him. "That's it! I'm never speaking to you again."
She dropped down underwater and took off for deeper waters. Of course he followed her. He caught her around the middle and pulled her back to the surface. His arms gentled around her as he stood her up in the shallows.
"That was barely a kiss. Try again, Yuna. This is a real kiss." And his lips descended to hers again. Soft and sweet, his lips were a erotic caress against her own. His arms reached further around her and wrapped her up in tenderness. She settled into them. 'Mmm, he was right, this is a real kiss.'
Without warning, she jumped up against him, trying to get more of his kiss. Startled, he stumbled back and fell into the surf, pulling her with him. The water closed over their heads, but they didn't mind as long as their lips never lost contact.
Beneath the surface of the water, they twirled and spun, forgetting everything else as they kept kissing. The water currents pushed them along and they let themselves be moved whichever way, as long as the swirling waters kept them together.
Both were reminded of their favorite memory, the spring outside the Macalania forest, and their very first kiss. The water had trustingly carried them along then, too, as they reveled in their newfound love. It made them happy to know they were together again to experience new moments such as these.
There had been such a period of uncertainty, then. When they were absolutely sure she wasn't going to be around anymore, having given her life to defeat Sin, then just when they had decided they were not going to sacrifice her life, it was him that went away in the end.
His memories of being in the Farplane were incomplete and vague, but he had known it was miserable because he didn't have her. There hadn't been a day that had gone by this pass month where he didn't thank the Fayth for giving him his life back, for bringing him back to her.
Her memories of the last two years were not much better; desperately searching for him, for some clue that he was still alive, while everyone tried to tell her there could be no hope. Then there was the deception of false hope and mistaken identity when she believed Shuyin was him returned to her, and suffering the disappointment that it wasn't was like losing him all over again.
Her hand moved behind his neck and into his hair, waving in the current of the water. His hand came up and cupped her cheek, holding her mouth to his as they deepened the kiss. The bubbles swirled around them as they turned over again.
All those unhappy memories were behind them. He was back, and they were together again. How they had arrived at this moment wasn't important, the only thing that mattered was that they were here now, and they were making more memories like the one from Macalania.
Though Yuna could hold her breath longer now than she could when they were in Macalania, they both eventually ran out of air and had to surface.
"So that's your idea of teaching someone a lesson," she said from his embrace. He softly kissed her cheek and trailed his lips to her ear.
"You're the only one who would ever be taught that lesson," he whispered, and Yuna shivered, turning her head to recapture his lips.
As much as Tidus enjoyed their underwater kisses, he was concerned about disturbing any fiends this far from shore, especially if he was going to let himself be distracted from his awareness of the surroundings. So he took Yuna's hand and led her back to the beach.
He found her towel in a heap on the sand. He picked it up and shook it out before he spread it out again and laid down himself.
"What are you doing?" she asked as he folded both arms behind his head and closed his eyes.
"Taking your spot from you. You rested long enough while I was swimming; now it's my turn for a break."
She huffed in exasperation, but before she could stoop down and throw another handful of sand at him, he sat up and reached for her arm, pulling her down with him. Their lips found each other immediately, and it was like they had never parted.
Lazily they kissed and talked and caressed each other as the afternoon went on. Neither of them was in a hurry to leave. After their busy week in Bevelle, meeting with members of the Youth League and New Yevon, they were ready to enjoy some alone time.
Yuna peppered kisses along his chin. "What do you think everybody thought this morning when we weren't there to make our grand exit?"
They were supposed to leave this morning at nine on a ship and sail for Besaid. That had been their original plan, but somehow it had leaked out to the press. It had unofficially been decided there would be a send-off party for them, compliments of people of Bevelle.
Tidus had known how exhausted Yuna was after her week as mediator between Youth League and New Yevon division leaders, and he knew the last thing she needed was another big public appearance. He had already met Shelinda and decided the girl was a little shark when it came to getting a story involving the former High Summoner.
Instead, he had used to the commsphere, a handy little device Yuna had shown him how to work, and called the Gullwings. Then last night, as soon as the last meeting was over around dinnertime, he led Yuna out of the conference room and through a maze of back hallways in the building and down the narrow alleys of dark streets. They arrived at the docks within minutes, and there was the Gullwing's ship, the Celsius, waiting to take them both home.
Rikku had been practically doing cartwheels at the thought of a secret mission to smuggle Yuna and Tidus out of Bevelle. Ever since Yuna had introduced him to the public as her boyfriend, they had been the talk of Spira. The newspapers were constantly filled with stories about them and whatever they were doing. Every gossip column agreed they were the cutest couple that had ever been seen.
Tidus accompanied Yuna everywhere; she barely ever let him out of her sight, and he was reluctant to be from her side. He was her main council and confidant during her meetings, and he always stood behind her while she gave speeches at the podium, ready to offer advice or support. He had also taken it upon himself to be her head of security, shooing away reporters and fans when he decided Yuna had had enough. Instead of being offended, the mobbing fans usually sighed at his romantic protective side.
It was surprising how quickly the people of Spira had accepted him, but that may have been attributed to the fact that he was her hunky former guardian, and he still claimed that position. The women absolutely adored him, and the men, after watching him fill in and perform at a couple blitzball games, were possibly more in love with him than the women. Several professional teams had already offered him permanent positions, but he had declined them all so far.
The Youth League and New Yevon representatives had been constantly trying to win him over to their side of the debates. To have an ally so close to the High Summoner would greatly increase their influence over Spira.
In the last month, a lot of progress had been made between the two opposing factions, mostly due to Yuna's mediator skills. The Machine Faction had been busy earning respect for the Al Bhed, too. When it had been publically made known that the High Summoner was half Al Bhed (thanks to a few snooping reporters), there was hardly a place left in Spira where people were scorned just for their race.
Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai had been working hard along side her, mostly taking on the little problems and having her stand in as referee when the complex ones got out of hand. Everyone would agree to whatever the High Summoner wanted to do, that was one thing they all had in common. And it was for that reason that Yuna had spent the last week in Bevelle at all those meetings.
Tidus, too, had turned out to be quite a diplomat, usually seeing right through complex issues and stating the simplest solution as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Surprising, he was a fast learner when it came to politics, and he was quickly becoming as much a respected moderator as Yuna. Though both sides were still skirmish, New Yevon and the Youth League were learning to live with each other and accept their differences.
So, thus far, Tidus and Yuna had been labeled as the ideal couple, with no scruples or marks on their perfect relationship. The perfect leaders for the new age. To Spira, they were epiphany of love and happiness.
Well that might be true, but the stress of the public life was making them weary.
The Gullwings had flown them back to Besaid late last night, and they had fallen right into bed. They had slept late this morning, both of them peacefully asleep in each other's arms. And after lunch, Tidus had led her to this private cove for an afternoon of delights.
'And indeed, it has been delightful,' Yuna thought as she lay her head on Tidus' chest, his heartbeat a lulling rhythm beneath her ear.
"They will just have to accept that the Lady Yuna was done with red carpets."
"Hmm?" she asked lazily. Yuna had been so lost in her thoughts, and was just so content, she had already forgotten what she had asked a moment before.
His hand was stroking the back of her head, creating a warm feeling of comfort inside her. "They will need to understand that you and I are done being their headliners for a while. Maybe they will learn to get their own lives."
She looked up at him. "Could it be that the infamous Sir Tidus had finally begun to tire of the public's eye?" she asked teasingly.
His azure eyes were warm as he laid a hand on her cheek and gazed upon her. "I've figured out that some things are more important than playing around for the cameras." He gave a teasing smirk as he said, "Not that we shouldn't do some goofing off, but only after."
"After what?" she asked absently, drawing little circles with one finger on his shoulder.
"Yuna," he said softly, and his tone brought her gaze up to his. "I know so much has changed in the last two years, the world you knew has been completely remade, and it is still shifting into its new form. Even you have changed, but for the better. My only regret is not being here with you to watch it happen."
"It's not like that was your fault," she interrupted, kissing his palm that rested on her face.
"But regardless," he went on, "I don't want to miss anything else. And I never want anyone to ever tell me again that I'm not allowed to love you." He took a deep breath. "Yuna, will you marry me?"
She had a quick flashback to the other times she had heard those words. The first had been Seymore's proposal, a hated memory she didn't dwell on, and then the Al Bhed leaders, Youth League captains, and New Yevon ambassadors who had asked for her hand after Sin had been defeated. But none of them made her want to give the answer she now gave to her Tidus, along with her whole heart.
"I already made this decision long ago. You have always been my one and only choice. Yes, Tidus. Yes and a million more yeses!" She leaned up and kissed him again, he joyously returned it. But both of the were smiling so much with happiness all they really got was teeth, so she rubbed the tip of her nose along his handsome face.
"Wait," he said and levered himself into a sitting position. This left her straddling his hips and she blushed bright red, but when she tried to move away his hand came up on her thigh and held her where she was. Yuna blushed harder, but Tidus was busy reaching over to the beach bag they had brought with them.
After digging around in one of the outside pockets of the bag, he pulled out a small pouch and brought it to his lap. Yuna watched as he opened the leather pouch and pulled out a folded silk cloth. With both hands, he reverently unfolded the cloth and presented it to her.
Against the white silk was a gold ring.
Yuna was having a hard time remembering how to breathe as Tidus caught her hand and slid the ring onto her third finger. Her eyes were fixated on the set stones. Between two white diamonds was a bright sapphire, as bright and lovely a blue as ... his eyes. She was speechless.
Several seconds passed, but she didn't even notice the silence. It was awkward for him, though, to watch her stare at his token of love without saying a word. "Uh, I thought you would like the indigo blue better because it would remind you of ..."
'Your eyes?' she wondered as she looked up into the twin orbs that matched her ring.
He was indicating the sea. "Besaid's beach. It was here, in Besaid, where you grew up and we first met, after all."
The stone did resemble the bright tropical waters of Besaid, but every time she looked at the ring, she would only think of his eyes and how they looked at this moment, shining with love and a small bit of vulnerability. He was boyishly uncertain as he awaited her response, and she found it positively adorable.
Her ringed hand came up to his cheek. "I love it." She placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "And I love you, Tidus. And ... I can't wait to say I'm your wife."
She kissed him again, pouring all her love and joy into it. They lost track of time again as they lost themselves in each other and their kisses.
It amazed Yuna how much she enjoyed kissing. His kisses, to be exact. Only his kisses. She had definitely come a long way from her first impression of affectionate kisses.
With a moment of darkness, she remembered her first kiss ever: the dreadful wedding kiss given to her by Maester Seymore. Even though she had told herself she was only doing it only to save her friends at the time, she had had a girlish curiosity to find out what the fuss over kissing was about.
Too say it had been unpleasant would be an understatement. Seymore's boldness and insolence had only angered her more than she had already been, and the kiss had been so nauseating she had almost collapsed in sickness when it ended.
When Seymore had given the order to kill her guardians after the terrible kiss she had just endured, her anger had caused her to snap and forget her disgust. Immediately following had been her desperate jump from the tower and her escape to the temple of the Fayth. There had been a moment, while she was on Valefor, that she had thought to herself that kissing was possibly the worst thing ever thought up. She had sworn to herself she would never, ever, kiss another man again. Her fear and determination had clouded out the rest of that day and everything that came afterward, but that tragic moment was forever etched in her mind.
However, her vow had not lasted long. While she had been in that spring in Macalania, thinking over all that had happened and wallowing in her despair, he had been there, at her side and filling her mind with impossible dreams. Her Tidus, her beloved Tidus, had given her the greatest comfort ever.
Before she had decided to go ahead and swear off men forever, he had kissed her with all the tenderness and affection that she had expected in her girlish dreams. To see him smiling, feel his soothing touches, and share his joy over their newfound love had erased any damage Seymore's dominance had done. Even if their time had been cut short because she couldn't hold her breath underwater for long, it had still been the most precious experience of her whole pilgrimage.
Now, lying on the beach of Besaid, her home, with the man of her dreams, a man that she had chosen this time, she could feel the deepest sense of healing to her soul. Her future looked so bright in this moment. No matter what was to come, she had him back with her, and she wasn't ever going to let him be taken from her again. They would be together forever.
Suddenly, Yuna became aware of a dark shadow over her, and this time, it wasn't Tidus.
The next thing she knew, she had been roughly torn away from his arms.
She was set aside none too gently, and her feet didn't have time to get underneath her, so she fell down to her knees.
Behind her, she heard Tidus yelp in pain and quickly turned to see.
Wakka had Tidus in a chokehold under his arm. "What did you do to Yuna to make her do that in public?"
Tidus was too busy trying to push Wakka off to get a breath that he didn't answer.
"Wakka, for goodness sake, let him go!" Yuna got to her feet and tried to pull Wakka's arm away from Tidus' throat.
"I don't think so. Yuna, you would never be so blatant in public-"
"We are NOT in public," she yelled at him, still trying to wrestle Tidus from his grip.
They were in a perfectly secluded cove, about an hour from the village, and there was no chance of anyone coming upon them without the intention of looking for them, just like Wakka seemed to have done. Otherwise, Wakka was right; she would never be so demonstrative with an audience.
Wakka had grown up on the teachings of Yevon, and they were still a large part of who he was. And the teachings were strict on the rules of courtship. He had been edgy this whole month with the two of them together, and he always seemed to find a reason to disturb them when they tried to find a moment alone.
"This is not you, Yuna. And if it's not you, it's him. Now what did he say to get you on top of him and … kiss?"
Yuna put her hands on hips in exasperation. She loved Wakka like a brother, but she wasn't a little kid that needed protection or permission.
"For your information, he asked me to marry him!" She thrust her engagement ring in front of Wakka's stunned face. He stared blankly at the stone for a moment while Tidus continued to struggle.
"Now let him go!" Wakka obeyed, but he still seemed to be a daze. Tidus coughed and rubbed his neck. Yuna put her hand against his shoulder; she would've massaged his bruised throat for him if Wakka hadn't been watching.
"Well, that's … great, ya?" Wakka said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Even though she was agitated over what he had done to Tidus, he looked so uncomfortable and embarrassed that Yuna felt sorry for him.
She gave him a smile. "Come on, Wakka, be the first to congratulate us." He perked back up at her happy tone and obliged, giving her a hug and a kiss, and then clapping Tidus on the back.
"Well how about that, eh? What made you finally decide to do it?" he asked Tidus, who had gotten his breath back just to have it knocked back out again by Wakka pounding on his back.
"Well," he said breathlessly, "I figured I had another week before Cid pulled a piece on me and demanded I do right by his niece."
Wakka laughed at that. Cid had been thrilled to meet Tidus again, and apparently he had already given his approval of the former guardian. But lately when he saw Tidus, he seemed to be expecting something from him and annoyed that he hadn't yet delivered.
"You proposed because Cid has been pressuring you?" Yuna asked aghast.
"Hey, that is a veritable reason to do so. Have you met your uncle? Moreover, have you met Wakka?"
"What do I have to do with this?" Wakka whined.
"Well, it would be nice if you weren't always hovering over us whenever we are here."
"Hovering? You both need a chaperone! And after what I just saw here today, I can tell …"
But Tidus had stopped listening, because he realized Yuna had walked off toward the water again. Actually no, she was stomping off and stopping at the water's edge.
He left Wakka and went after her.
She heard his approach and held woodenly stiff as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He pulled her back against his chest as she stared off into the water.
"Yuna …?"
"Will we always be controlled by those around us?" She bit the words out angrily. "Will our lives ever be our own? Even your proposal was influenced by someone else." She wasn't actually mad at him, just at their situation.
Her entire life had been dictated by what everyone else expected of her. In the last few years, she had begun to understand how much she didn't like it. Hated it, in fact. She thought she had been getting away from public decree when she had joined the Gullwings, but she had still ended up saving Spira from Vegnagun and presiding over those meetings in Bevelle. Would her life ever be her own? Or was her choice of Summoner going to haunt them forever?
He turned her around in his arms and looked right into her eyes. All the playfulness was gone from his face, there was only sternness, and it frightened her a little. She had only seen him like this when he was fighting.
"I want to marry you, Yuna, because it's what I want to do. It's true that I don't want Cid's or Wakka's evil eyes on us anymore, but mostly, I just want to look at you everyday for the rest of our lives and see you smile in happiness. And I want to be the one to put that smile there."
She buried her face into his bare chest and returned the embrace. "I made my choice long ago, Tidus. You, only you, and no one else will ever make me truly happy. I can only hope to make you as happy as you make me."
"You already do," he whispered to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"I'm sorry. I'm still just really stressed over the past week."
"You have every reason to be. It's okay, Yuna. We'll stay here for as long as it takes to recuperate." For a few moments, they didn't move, just held each other and enjoyed the last of their day on the beach.
"Now come on, we have to go tell Lulu," he said, with a grin.
She nodded, blissfully happy again, and led the way back to the beach bag. Wakka watched them from a distance, for once intelligent enough to know not to interrupt them. She packed up the sunscreen and towels as he pulled his clothes back on over his black shorts. Yuna was a little sad to see all that marvelous bare skin covered up again.
He was still halfway through dressing when she pulled out her garment grid and changed back into her Gullwing outfit in a matter of seconds. He made a face at her as he pulled several straps over his shoulders.
"Well, it's not my fault you couldn't find a dress sphere with a swim suit," she said. He didn't reply, just finished dressing without complaints, then he took the beach bag from her and swung it over his shoulder.
"You two about ready?" Wakka called. Yuna answered that they were and walked over to join him.
"Come on, then. Lulu's got supper ready by now." Wakka took off down the path.
"But it's an hour's walk back." Yuna called.
"I brought the shuttle." Wakka called back over his shoulder, not breaking his stride.
He had gotten the machina shuttle as a present from Cid as a show of good faith from the Al Bhed. There really hadn't been any need, but ever since Wakka had learned to drive the land roving machina, he had only praise for all things machina. He encouraged everyone in the village to try out new machina.
Apparently he had left the shuttle somewhere farther back along the trail while he searched for them because they were walking about ten minutes and they still couldn't see it.
"I had no idea it had gotten so late," Tidus said as he looked the sky which was growing orange.
"I think it was because you were busy with something else," Yuna teased. He looked down at her. He had gotten used to her new spunkiness, but it still surprised him when she was so bold at times like this.
They let Wakka walk ahead of them. She brushed her hand against his and he took it, intertwining their fingers together. In silence they walked along, there was no need for words. Her head leaned on his shoulder and he thought he heard her hum "my choice."
The trail opened onto a clearing and they found Wakka already behind the wheel of his machina shuttle. "Climb on up," he called.
The shuttle had no roof, but it did have enough comfortable seats for ten people, and there was a storage area beneath the sitting area. It was bright yellow and blue, and it was Wakka's new pride and joy. He would take any excuse to haul rock or wood for any of the villagers in Besaid if it meant showing off his machina shuttle.
Tidus helped Yuna up into the high seat then boosted himself up. Wakka revved the engine and they took off down the path.
Tidus leaned back in his seat, his arms propped up on the seats beside him, and looked up at the orange sky. Yuna leaned her head on his shoulder again and looked up too. Wakka was facing the other way, concentrating on driving, so he didn't see them getting cozy.
"See any stars yet?" she asked him.
"Uh-huh, the evening star is right there." He pointed. "Make a wish."
She closed her eyes and made a wish with her whole heart.
"What did you wish for?" he asked.
"I can't tell or it won't come true, and I really want it to come true."
He raised an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned? It does involve me, doesn't it?"
She gave him a little shove. "You are so conceited. What did you wish for?"
"That you would tell me what your wish is," he said with a charming smile.
"Well, too bad. You just told me your wish, and now it won't come true."
"Oh my, I swear I just heard Rikku's voice come out of your mouth. You know, you really have become quite a brat."
"Takes one to know one," she shot back.
His finger tapped her on her nose. "I find it quite cute, actually."
"Would you two quit it!" came Wakka's voice. "I'm trying to drive here, and listening to lovey-dovey talk is ruining my driving mood."
"Driving mood?"
"He means he can't feel all tough and macho in the pilot's seat when he's thinking about Lulu," Yuna explained. She reached forward and patted Wakka on the shoulder. "It's okay, Wakka, both Lulu and I know your big and strong and a tough guy."
Tidus tried very hard not to burst out laughing, but he was loosing that battle. Wakka turned around and looked at Yuna, something akin to wonder and shock on his face.
"Yuna, you have completely changed from the girl I grew up with. What happened to the sweet and timid girl I used to know? I don't know whether I should blame Tidus or Rikku or both."
Yuna blushed scarlet and looked down at the floor of the shuttle. Wakka, satisfied that she was finally embarrassed, turned back to the road.
It was true that she had never been this bold growing up. She had always been the kind, shy one, and everyone had always protected her from any harsh criticism or teasing. Then she had begun training to be the High Summoner, and her life had been nothing but seriousness after that. She hadn't had time for sarcasm or pranks or jokes like the others, and only recently had she begun discovering that part of her.
Of course it was Tidus and Rikku's fault, and the Gullwings, too. They were bringing out a side of her she had never known existed, and she liked it. It was okay to be reckless and make mistakes now; she didn't have to worry about disappointing an entire world. 'But am I completely changing from the person I was?'
She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Tidus's eyes. "You're still the same girl I fell in love with," he whispered so Wakka wouldn't hear. "You're just human now, not the untouchable and unattainable High Summoner you once were. Now, you are my Yuna."
'His Yuna.' She liked the sound of that.
"Maybe this is who I was supposed to be all along. Who I would've been if Sin had never existed, or I didn't decide to follow my father's footsteps."
"Maybe," he whispered, and his eyes said the rest. He loved her, believed in her, and would support any decision she made. That unconditional love was what gave her strength to keep discovering herself.
"Here we are," cried Wakka. He parked the land machina outside the village and jumped out. Tidus got down first, and then turned to help her. She put her hands on his shoulders and he held her waist. Slowly he let her slide down to the ground, just the way she preferred. Their eyes were locked on each other, unspoken words passing between them.
"Hurry up, you two," called Wakka. He had taken the beach bag and was already heading into the village. "I'm hungry for supper."
"I am too," Tidus confessed.
"But that isn't anything new," she giggled. He smiled back and placed his arm around her shoulders. Together they walked into the village.
As they approached Lulu and Wakka's hut, Rikku came running out, much more excited than usual, if that were possible.
'Oh no, did Wakka already tell her about the engagement? That's not fair. It was our news to tell!' thought Yuna.
"I have the most incredible news to tell you two!" cried Rikku, her arms waving in the air and her braids flying crazily.
"We have something incredible to tell you, too," said Tidus as he glanced down to Yuna.
'How did I ever get so lucky as to have someone like him?' she thought distractedly. It appeared Rikku had something to say too, so she could still have the pleasure of telling her cousin about the engagement.
It was only then that Yuna noticed the look of horror on Rikku's face.
"You are not going to believe this. Bevelle has been destroyed!"
Yuna had two reflexes to Rikku's announcement. The first was to clutch the arm around Tidus' waist even tighter, and the second was to put her other hand on the butt of her pistol. Though she didn't know which one she clutched for protection and which one for comfort.
Rikku was still shouting excitedly, detailing what little she knew, but Yuna's mind seemed to have blanked as the horror sank in.
Bevelle, the most beautiful city in Spira, where she had just spent the past week of her life, it had been … destroyed?!
But they had just been there. She and Tidus had just attended a conference meeting there last night, listening to an Al Bhed captain talk about expanding Home. They had all just been there at the docks last night when the Gullwings picked them up to make a secret departure back to Besaid. All of that was destroyed?
'We were just there!' she thought with panic. How many times had she come close to dying, only to avoid it by barely a margin? And now again, she had just escaped with her life, brushing against death like some passerby,... but ... what cost…?
Her mind began dissolving in fear, her thoughts splintering with the terror. When she tried to reach them, they slipped away like water in her hands.
'What's … happening … ?'
"YUNA! Snap out of it!"
Tidus was before her, shaking her by the shoulders, worry apparent in his face as he searched her glazed-over eyes.
"Huh?"
"Welcome back. You completely checked out on us. Come on, Paine is on the commsphere, waiting to talk to us."
'Paine? Paine was in Bevelle with us. She was doing some work for Baralai. Oh no, she's been hurt! Or worse! And that means she…'
Tidus gave her another little shake, bringing her out of her reverie. Yuna gave herself a mental shake. There was no time to let herself be petrified by fright. Paine needed her, it was that simple. She would do anything for her friend, and that included not freaking out.
Tidus was still watching her anxiously. He had grabbed her when her knees had almost given away, and he had watched her little mental vacation. He wasn't going to let her go if she was still shaky.
"Right. Let's go," Yuna said assertively, trying to ease his concern.
To prove she was fine, she pushed pass him and entered Wakka and Lulu's hut ahead of him. Brother and Buddy were already there, sitting stiffly on Lulu's couch and being strangely quiet for once. They were watching Rikku, who was speaking hysterically into the commsphere she held in front of her.
"- just got back. When I told them, Yunie went into shock! This is terrible! How are we going-"
Brother jumped up from his spot on the couch, cutting Rikku off. "Yuna! Rikku said you fainted! Bad, bad, not good! I knew he couldn't-"
"Brother, Rikku, I'm fine," Yuna interrupted. Brother took a step toward her, his face filled with alarm, but she held up a hand to stop him. "You can sit back down, Brother. I don't plan to break apart."
She appreciated Brother's concern for her, but she didn't have time to ward off his infatuations. Though she had just been condemning her position just less than an hour ago, Yuna knew, as a summoner, it was her unofficial duty to comfort her people in times of distress.
"Yuna?" came Paine's small voice from the commesphere.
Yuna took the commesphere from Rikku and turned up the volume. "Yuna here. Paine, what's happened?"
"Oh Yuna, it's been completely dreadful!" Through the sphere, Yuna could see the warrior was covered in dust and her clothes were torn. Paine was as close to tears as Yuna had ever seen her. Her shoulders slumped; she looked completely defeated and exhausted.
"It's okay, Paine. It will be okay. Just tell me what happened," Yuna said soothingly.
"It was around noon today that we saw the airships. Very small airships. They came over the city, flying low, but-but not putting down landing gear. They were this strange color, not like anything I've ever seen. They- there was … something that fell from them. Several somethings, but we were so far away we didn't even know if they were real…"
Paine was babbling, or at least very close to it. Her words came out in a jumble and Yuna had to sort through them to understand what she was saying. She had never seen Paine like this.
"Then, they flew off, and we went back to eating. B-but, almost as soon as they were gone, the explosions started, ... so many explosions. All large fireballs on the buildings and all over the city. Then the buildings started crumbling, falling over. It was like watching sandcastles being washed away. And when we got closer, we heard … the screaming…"
Paine disappeared from the viewscreen. Overcome with emotion, she couldn't speak anymore. In the background there was some muttering, then Baralai appeared onscreen. His face was just as dusty and ragged as Paine's had been.
"Lady Yuna! At last. The commespheres have been malfunctioning all afternoon. Only an hour ago were we finally able to get word out to the anyone else about what happened."
"What's the situation?" Tidus asked over Yuna's shoulder.
"We wish we knew. We spent the entire afternoon pulling people out of the rubble and tending to their injuries. We've run out of potions and everything is completely in ruins."
Baralai now looked close to tears himself. "The temple is gone. It's nothing but a pile of stones. The Cloister of Trials, the chamber of the Fayth, all the documents, all that history, all the teachings... gone. Lost forever. They're just ... gone."
His image vanished and the commsphere. It switched back to Paine's face again.
"Yuna, we need help. We've managed to round up a few survivors and made camp at the docks; it's the only place that is not in danger of being buried by falling rubble.
"We need more medicine, and we don't have any food, but mostly, everyone is in shock. They all have blank eyes, … and they won't answer when you talk to them. A lot more are still in there, searching for their loved ones and friends. It's not safe for them to be there, all the buildings keep collapsing, but they refuse to leave."
She bowed her head and closed her eyes before she could speak again. "We still haven't found Gippal."
"WHAT?!" cried Rikku. She grabbed the commesphere from Yuna. "Why didn't you tell me that before?!"
"Because I knew you would react like this," snapped Paine, sounding more irritated than usual. The disaster had worn out her patience this afternoon; she was in no mood to deal with Rikku's hysterics.
"Where have you been looking?! Where was he when the explosions went off?!"
"We don't know where he was," replied Paine steadily. "He was going to return to Djose tomorrow afternoon. Before we left, we saw him speaking with another Youth League captain about weapons."
" 'Left?' You and Baralai left? Where did you guys go? You said you saw the bombs go off, but were too far away. Where were you?"
"We were having lunch, some ways outside the city," Paine answered matter-of-factually.
Rikku stood motionless as she processed this.
"You two were on a picnic?! Together?!" Normally, Rikku would have found this information as quality teasing material on Paine's behalf, but she wasn't in that particular mood. Her breathing was becoming harsher, her face turning red as her temper rose.
"While Gippal and everyone else was being blown to smithereens, you and your hubby were out on a midday tryst?!" She was shouting now. She began yelling obscenely in Al Bhed at Paine.
"Rikku," said Yuna softly. She gently pulled the commsphere away from her, afraid she might throw and break it into smithereens. Yuna handed it off to Tidus as she pulled the fuming Rikku into her arms. It took a second, but then Rikku clutched desperately at Yuna. The girl broke down into tears.
"Oh Yunie, Yunie," she blubbered into Yuna's shoulder. Yuna lightly hushed her.
"He's okay, right? He's got to be okay."
"Of course he is, Rikku. They'll find him soon. And we will be there by tomorrow to help everyone. Everything is going to be fine." Though Yuna was still trying to convince herself that was going to be true, she wasn't going to tell Rikku that. Right now, her cousin didn't need to add to her distress.
Though Rikku and Gippal had yet to mention it to each other, it was obvious to everyone else how crazy they were about each other. Yuna couldn't imagine how Rikku felt right now, being told the one she loved might be gone forever …
'On second thought, maybe I do know what's she's going through. Oh, poor Rikku.' Yuna would never wish that kind of misery on anyone, especially her young cousin.
Just the memory of that anguish made her turn around and look at Tidus, just to reassure herself he was still alive, and still here.
Tidus was speaking into the commsphere. "I can't believe she knows the meaning of the word 'tryst'."
Paine made some reply on the commsphere only he heard; he must have turned it down so it wouldn't upset Rikku anymore.
"Tell everyone we will be there by tomorrow, with supplies and help. Hang in there, Paine. The cavalry is on its way." He ended the link.
"Buddy, how soon can the Celsius be ready to lift-off?" asked Tidus.
"It can be ready by morning. We can be there by noon tomorrow."
Tidus nodded to his answer, and then lifted the commsphere to call someone else.
"Nooj?"
"Tidus? Oh, thank the Fayth, the commspheres are finally reaching Besaid," came Nooj's reply on the sphere.
"What are you talking about?" asked Tidus.
"The commspheres have been down all day long. From what I'm hearing, there hasn't been a working commsphere anywhere in Spira. I haven't even been able to get a signal. Somehow whatever happened in Bevelle affected the commsphere signals." He said the last part in a voice an octave lower, his emotion obvious.
"So you've heard?" Tidus said quietly.
"Baralai called me the moment the commsphere was working. The poor man was so glad to finally reach me, he ... broke down. Paine told me what happened."
"Where are you, now? I thought you were going to remain in Bevelle and keep negotiating with the New Yevon."
"LeBlanc and I are in Luca. We ...um, LeBlanc wanted to go shopping. She said she had been cooped up in that hotel room in Bevelle for a week and needed to get out. Apparently, she finished all her Bevelle shopping in the first two days we were there. I thought we could use a break, one quick day trip to Luca before tomorrow's meetings, but ... this happened."
Nooj paused for a moment, then he slammed his fist down on the table he was standing at, causing the sphere's image to wobble. "Tyssed! I never should have left!" (Dammit)
"Don't be stupid. You're lucky you got out of there when you did. You or LeBlanc probably wouldn't be alive if you hadn't. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think shopping just saved your life, man."
Even though Tidus was trying to lighten the mood, he could understand Nooj's frustration. The thought of all his new friends, scared and helpless in Bevelle, made him want to jump on the Celsius and fly there himself.
Nooj watched Tidus, both men regarding each other in silence. To a man, Nooj could see Tidus understood, and he acknowledged that Tidus was right, this was no time to lose his cool. Too much damage had already been done, and even more had been lost this day.
"Have they found Gippal, yet?" Nooj asked quietly. Tidus turned his back to Rikku and Yuna and softly whispered that they hadn't.
Wakka suddenly held up another commsphere. "Someone else is calling us." Everybody raised their heads and looked at him.
"Well, answer it. Find out who it is," said Lulu from her chair in the corner of the room. She adjusted the sleeping Vidina in her arms and settled back to silently listening.
Wakka turned on the sphere. Out came a loud string of Al Bhed commands and curses.
"Cid! Cid! Calm down. We can't understand you," Wakka tried to shout over him to no avail. He put the sphere on mute.
"Cid just called us," Tidus explained to Nooj who was trying to see what was going on in the room.
"Oh, that will make him happy. He's been trying to reach you ever since I called him earlier and told him what happened," Nooj replied. "I need to ask him a few things quickly."
Tidus nodded and turned back to Wakka, who had managed to get Cid to stop shouting in Al Bhed as least.
"Tidus!" Cid's voice called out when he saw the blonde's form. "Where's Yuna?"
"She's here, Cid, in Besaid. So are Rikku, Brother, and Buddy. They flew us here last night."
"Rikku and Brother? So you're all safe? No one's hurt?"
Tidus' eyes met Yuna's. She was stroking Rikku's back as the girl still had her face buried in her neck. Yuna was quietly observing everything that was being said from over Rikku's shoulder.
She was impressed with how he was taking control of the situation. This was a side to him she had never seen before, except when strategically battling. But then again, he never could stand it when everyone just stood around and nothing got done. He liked having the problems solved.
"We are all okay, here. I can't say the same for Bevelle, though," he told Cid.
"Ask him if he's done the favor I asked of him," said Nooj's voice from one sphere.
"Nooj wants to know if you did what he asked," Wakka said to Cid's sphere.
"It's in progress. We sent two ships off fast as we could. They should be arrivin' at Bevelle's docks within a few hours. We're almost ready to go with the second shift, more properly supplied this time. We should be there by mid-mornin'."
Tidus relayed this message to Nooj, who returned a grateful reply.
Just then, Rikku's face lifted off Yuna's shoulder as her mind finally registered her father's voice.
"Vydran?" She leapt at Wakka and yanked the commsphere from his hands.
"Vydran! Drao lyh'd veht res! Drao tuh'd ghuf frana ra ec! Ra lyh'd pa tayt, Vydran, ra zicd lyh'd pa!" (They can't find him! They don't know where he is! He can't be dead, Father, he just can't be!)
"Cmuf tufh, kenm! Fru? Fryd yna oui dymgehk ypuid?" (Slow down, girl! Who? What are you talking about?)
"Gippal, Vydran! Gippal! Ra'c seccehk! " Rikku wailed. (He's missing!)
She fell to her knees, her head bent as noisy tears fell down her face. The sphere, cupped in both her hands, had launched into another litany of Al Bhed curses.
Unexpectedly, Brother got up from his place on the couch and came over to crouch next to the weeping Rikku. For once, instead of being his idiotic self, he placed his arm around Rikku's shoulders and kept his mouth shut.
"Fa femm veht res. Fa yna mayjehk vun Bevelle huf. Fa femm caynlr vun res." Cid's voice continued. (We will find him. We are leaving for Bevelle now. We will search for him.)
Brother lifted the sphere from Rikku's hands before she dropped it. His sister's head sank against his bare chest and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Anyone who knew them would not have believed it had they not been standing in the room watching it (and a majority of them were), but in a time of crisis, it appeared that Rikku and Brother both possessed a large amount of sibling love for each other.
"Dyga lyna uv ouin cecdin," Cid told Brother. "E ryji du ku. Fa yna dygehk uvv." (Take care of your sister. I have to go. We are taking off.)
"Oac, Vydran," said Brother. "Fa femm caa oui eh Bevelle." (Yes, Father. We will see you in Bevelle.)
Brother disconnected the call and handed the sphere back to Wakka. Brother stood up, lifting Rikku's limp form into his arms. She curled around him, her face buried out of sight in his chest. Without another word, he walked out the door with her into the oncoming night, heading back to the Celeius.
Everyone watched them go. With that simple display of affection, each of them felt the weight of the situation's extremity settle around them. Anything that would make Rikku and Brother act that way was grave indeed. In times of distress, there was no time for petty disagreements or problems; they all needed each other's support.
Yuna walked over to Tidus, taking the sphere that still had Nooj on it, and wrapping her other arm around his waist.
"How is LeBlanc taking this, Nooj?"
Nooj had also been transfixed by the impossible sight of Brother caring for Rikku and it took him a moment to realize what Yuna had asked.
"Oh, yeah, LeBlanc," said Tidus, coming out of his own trancelike state. "Where is she, Nooj? Do I finally get to meet her?"
"She's ... uh, out collecting donations."
"Pardon?"
"She's going around to all the houses in Luca, knocking on doors and asking people to give what little they can to help the refugees in Bevelle. She just called me just a little while ago to check in and give me an update. Most people still don't know about the disaster, but once they hear about it, they are wiling to give everything they own. She said she was going to need another cart soon because people keep donating home-cooked meals and clothes."
"That's ... great. Good for her," replied Yuna hesitantly.
After hearing about Bevelle, Yuna had been sure there couldn't be anything else that could astonish her tonight. Except, ... she had just watched Brother walk off to comfort his heartbroken sister. And now...
'Who would have thought that the vain and self-centered LeBlanc would ever do anything to help others in need?'
'Well, she must have some good qualities that make her attractive to a man as smart as Nooj.'
"Will you be coming to back to Bevelle tomorrow, then?" Tidus asked Nooj.
"We will try, but I've been getting calls from all over Spira from all the leaders of Youth League divisions. They all want some reassurances, and they want to know our current course of action. A few of them I really need to speak with. Hopefully, some of them have more information why this catastrophe wasn't averted. I think I can get a few to come back with me to Bevelle and help."
"That's sounds wonderful, Nooj," said Yuna. "At least you have a plan."
"What plan? I'm making this up as I go. Just trying to decide what would be for the best right now. What about you, Yuna? You are going to Bevelle, right?"
"Y-yes. We have to find Paine. And we will be bringing our own share of supplies. We'll, uh, have to leave tomorrow morning, but we should be there by midday."
Nooj eyes rested on Yuna for a moment; then his gaze strayed to Tidus. "You two do realize that something more than supplies will be asked of you. Do you understand the levels of hopelessness and despair you will find there, tomorrow?"
"Uh, ..." Yuna glanced up at Tidus, not sure how to reply.
"The people will be in dire states; their spirits completely crushed after loosing their homes. It will be like the aftermath of Sin, but worse, because they will not know the cause of their misery."
"How is that worse than Sin, eh?" asked Wakka from across the room. He was standing protectively behind Lulu and Vidina.
Nooj heard his question. "Not knowing is always worse. They won't know who to blame or how scared to be for another attack. Tension levels will be worse than they were when the Youth League and New Yevon were ready to tear each other apart." Nooj sighed.
"No one likes to feel helpless, and it will make them frustrated that they do feel that way. It's a violation not only to their property, but their sense of security, too. They are going to need reassurances, comfort, and hope."
His eyes locked with Yuna's. "There's only a few who they might be willing to listen to when all other logic seems to have disappeared over a lunch break."
Yuna felt a lump in her throat.
Nooj was right, about everything.
As shaken as she was over the whole situation, those who were feeling its effects directly would be a hundred times worse.
Bevelle was supposed to be a safe place, after all. The home of the famous temple of Bahamut, the revered Fayth, and the Yevon court and council. For hundreds of years it had been the most beautiful city of culture and history. The fact that it had been destroyed was still hardly believable.
It was unthinkable that it was all gone: all those marvelous buildings, the market streets, always clean and full of life, even the familiar landscape wouldn't be there.
Tomorrow, everyone in Bevelle would be tired, angry and frustrated, not a good combination when they needed clear heads for reasoning. But Yuna couldn't blame them. Their entire existence, everything they had ever known, had just been ripped away from them.
"They will need their summoner," said Yuna in a low voice. It seemed it would always be her destiny to bring appeasement to the misfortunes of Spira.
"It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring him along, too," said Nooj, pointing at Tidus. "You both have become a single unit in the public's eye. Seeing the two of you together, united and strong, will give them the confidence to endure, and just something else to think about besides their own troubles. They need to know you will be there for them in their time of need."
"Great, I get to be Yuna's accessory," Tidus mumbled under his breath, but evidently not quietly enough.
"I wouldn't sell yourself too short," Nooj said to him. "I'm having a bad prediction that the people are going to be desperate and untrusting to each other. They will begin bonding into their own close-knit groups, a whole us-verses-them reaction. They will use it as a way to make themselves feel more secure when they are so unsure of everything else.
"It's basic psychology, really. Survivor-syndrome will be heavy too; I myself am already feeling those effects. That too often leads to despondency, and we can't have that. Savior-syndrome would be the lesser of two evils, as long as it is the two of you they're idolizing."
Nooj received only blank stares in response.
"You lost me six miles back when you forgot the map's translator," said Tidus.
"I got up to the point that no one will be inclined to work together," was Yuna's reply.
"Oh, no. They will work together. This experience will be something they have in common. But inevitably, they will go on the attack and look for revenge on the someone who made them feel so vulnerable. It will be the two of you that will keep them from attacking each other."
Tidus groaned. "Why us?" he whined.
"Because Summoners and their guardians," said Yuna softly, "are the hope and light of Spira." She remembered the first time she had told him that, when she told him they had to learn to smile in the face of their demise, because the people of Spira needed them to be strong.
"But you're not a summoner anymore. This shouldn't have to be your responsibility," he argued.
"It doesn't matter. The people of Spira still look to me to ease the burdens of their lives. And as a part of me, that duty falls to you too."
There was a silent message Yuna was trying to send to Tidus.
No matter how much she hated it, being a summoner was her life, part of who she was, and she would never get away from it. Although she wanted to be rid of it, she had agreed to it, and would have to live with that choice. Spira saw her as the beacon of hope and happiness; she would have to play that role for them.
If he couldn't live with that, live with that part of her, then there would be no hope for a future with the two of them. It wouldn't be enough to just love her; he would have to accept that this was who she was, just like she had to accept it herself.
"I thought we agreed we were done being the center of attention," he said to her softly, this time so Nooj really couldn't hear.
"Things change," she whispered back sadly.
Indeed, in this one night alone, so much had changed.
EEK! Very bad cut-off! I apologize.
Very lovey dovey. *Sighs* don't you just love it?
I had a hard time deciding whether to destroy Luca or Bevelle, but I figure Bevelle is in more need of a make-over.
Heehee, I got to write in Al Bhed (and yes that's the correct way to spell it. Thanks for the correction.) The best part about FFX fanfics is the Al Bhed language; it's already made up for you!
Aww, Brother was actually a big brother in this chapter. I think he has lots of potential. (I always wanted a big brother.)
And old wise Nooj sees all and knows all. And he was a psych major, who knew?
LeBlanc has been too busy shopping for that new house she bought in Bevelle, she hasn't had a chance to meet Tidus. No one tell her she should've bought that homeowners' insurance afterall! She did always seem like a cheapskate (and a whore, but I won't bring that up)
Thanks to all who reviewed. I look forward to more.