Title: Just Whistle
Rating: K+
Pairing: Tidus x Yuna
Summary: "You do realize I still have no idea who you are, right?"
A/N: Because there is a stunning lack of TidusxYuna fics in the Dissidia forum, considering it's canon and to my understanding decently popular. I'm not one for reading or writing in the romance genre often, but this pairing remains the one of the few I probably love and enjoy. Wasn't sure how to end this, so the ending may feel a little weak.
Notes: Completely disregards how the 12th cycle goes. And Yuna is operating on a lack of some important memories, keep that in mind.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dissidia, naturally.
One-shot.
Just Whistle
"Hey, use that if we ever get separated! Then, I'll come running, okay?"
How long had been she been here — caught in this everlasting cycle of fighting? The fight for memories, for a chance to return home, and for her, to return to her friends. She really wanted to be with him, but though her memories were mostly regained, there were some gaping holes in them that despite all her fighting, remained blank. She couldn't remember how, or why, but at the very end of their journey, her love disappeared.
She knew she had not been rejected, and that he had not left because he wanted to at all. But he was gone, and Yuna wasn't entirely sure he would be able to come back. Dimly, she could remember thinking he had rejoined his father, Sir Jecht. But Sir Jecht was here, and she most certainly didn't want to involve Tidus in this rather pointless feeling war, where you were summoned without memories, and almost as pawns against the other side.
And now, she was alone for the time being. Sir Jecht had gotten caught up in a battle with a Manikin, and it had been copying the inappropriate mannerisms of it's original — thus infuriating Sir Jecht to the point that he chased after the clown-like crystal creature once it fled, yelling that he'd catch up with her later.
She had wandered off, and found herself rather close to the ocean. Figures, her thoughts of him lead her to water, Tidus' favorite element, seeing as Bliztball was a game played underwater, and Tidus loved that game.
With her thoughts astray, and her eyes wandering, it wasn't much of a wonder of how she suddenly tripped on an object she'd failed to see. A fairly large rock the size of her cousin Rikku.
She sat up with a sigh, and brushed the dust off her skirt. She made to get up, only to stumble backward again as she nearly crashed into someone who suddenly appeared beside her.
How'd they get there so fast?
She got up properly, and backed to see the face of whoever it was — by what she could see roughly waist down, she presumed it wasn't one of her fellow Cosmos warriors, so then it must be —
Tidus.
She blinked. Hard. Once. Twice. After the fourth, she was certain her eyes weren't deceiving her, as she gazed upon the man she fell in love with in Spira. He looked different — she recalled him having un-even pants of some sort, one leg that reached past his knee, the other just short of it. Now, he was shirtless — his beloved, hooded shirt long gone — and wore a pair of shorts that resembled that pants he wore before, but were undoubtedly different. The gauntlet he wore before too had vanished and been replaced, leaving him with a different kind of gloves and red bands around his wrists and arms.
He grinned at her, sheepishly.
"Hey, there." His voice was a little different than she remembered, but enough that she was still certain it was him. "Er, sorry about that. Saw you trip, and thought I'd come and see if you're okay."
She just stared. Wasn't... He...
"So uh," He stuck his hand out. "My name's Tidus. You are...?"
He didn't remember.
He didn't remember. Yuna wasn't sure what to think, so her body went ahead and answered for her. Her hand moved without thought, and grasped his. Quickly, her brain caught up to speed that she was supposed to say something.
"You..." Her mouth felt extremely dry. "You don't remember?" Of course he didn't, she knew that. This world stole their memories away from them, as it did with everyone. Seeing it in someone she'd never expect to forget, however, was a different matter.
He tilts his head, and frowns.
"Remember? Remember what? Are you a fellow Chaos warrior that I met and forgot — no, wait; you're a Cosmos fighter, aren't you? I'd remember your pretty face around the old shrine if I'd ever seen you."
So he was Chaos — but how? All her memories pointed to the fact he had a good heart, one that did what he felt was right, full of justice. Chaos didn't follow such ideals... But how much did she know of the opposite side? Perhaps Chaos lured Tidus with some sort of promise, but what could take Tidus to world of fighting, on the side of evil? She didn't know, didn't have a clue. She could only fathom that his induction to the conflict was recent, if his lack of memories was anything to go by.
"...Yes, I'm a warrior of Cosmos." She said finally.
"Thought so." Tidus let go, and swung his arms up behind his head. "But it's cool. You're not the one I'm looking for, and I'm not really interested in fighting anyone else, just 'cause they're on the other side."
He was looking for someone? Yuna wondered who. Sir Jecht, maybe. But she smiled anyways, because his actions still remained the same, his smile as warm as the sun. She dared to do something different, if for a moment. It was Tidus, after all, and one didn't stumble upon their lost friend and love every day. He always did bring out more outgoing ideas from her.
"Would you... like to go for a walk?"
"Huh?" Tidus' eyebrows rise. "Uh... a walk?"
"Yes." Yuna tells him, as if it were completely simple and normal for those of two sides to have a casual walk through the land. "Together."
"O-kay." Tidus eyes her warily, as if she just asked him to jump into the mouth of Shinryu. "Sure, I guess. You do realize I still have no idea who you are, right?""
She gives him a large smile, and for a moment something in his eyes glimmer, and Yuna longingly hopes — wishes? — that it was a flash of memory, of her, of their friends, of his time in Spira. But he says nothing, and Yuna depressingly thinks it could have been a flash a light. But no matter, she decides. Make the most of the time now. Something she'd learned on her pilgrimage.
They set off along the side of the river, quietly. Tidus' arms had reclaimed their position behind his head, his movements easy-going and calm. Yuna held her hands in front of her, walking with them loosely clasped and her mind elsewhere. She dragged it back, almost kicking and screaming. It'd do little to ponder Tidus' existence here for an ulterior motive, when she had enough from guesses to surmise that he had come to settle something with Sir Jecht. She wanted to enjoy her time with Tidus; not waste it thinking too much.
"So." Tidus breaks the silence easily. "Do I know you?"
"...Yes."
"And you do know me."
"Yes."
"What was I like?"
"Hm?" Yuna paused and stared at him.
"What was I like? Y'know, did I... Did I do sports? Go to school? Have a girlfriend? I gotta say, my memory is pretty screwed up." Tidus explains. "I mean, I know I grew up in this huge city, and there was this guy who took care of me when my parents were gone—" Yuna watched Tidus carefully, was that anger in his eyes? "—and then I have a few weird images of islands, temples, and a bunch of people I don't know, but I think I should, and they're all blurry and their voices are twisted. I think, if I concentrate hard enough, that maybe one of those girls looks sorta like you, so you may actually know me after all."
Yuna nods. "That's what happens here; our memories are sealed, and by fighting and as time goes by, we recover them. But until we have them all, they're just... broken pieces, that don't fit together until we have them all. It's what's so frustrating about this place."
"Tell me about it." Tidus sighs. "But I still haven't got an answer. Sports? School? Girlfriend?"
She ponders the questions. She doesn't quite know all the answers, but tries to give some anyways.
"I don't know what this 'school' is, we didn't have them in Spira. You do play Blitzball, you love it, remember?" She can't keep the pleading tone out of her voice at the end.
"Blitzball." He tastes the word on his tongue, and absently rubs at the back of his head. "Blitzball. Sounds familiar. And the girlfriend thing?"
"...Sort of."
"Sort of?"
"Sort of. I'm... not sure how to explain it."
Tidus shrugs. "You don't have to, then. Not like explaining her to me will help remember much, probably. Anywho, why not tell me about you?"
"Well... I'm — I was, a Summoner."
"What's that?"
"In Spira, Summoners were people who traveled the land, sending lost spirits to the Farplane, and trying to obtain Aeons from their temples. Once the Summoner had gained them all, they and their Guardians — people who traveled with them and protected them — would go to Zanarkand, a ruined city from a thousand years past, and obtain the Final Aeon."
"Zan-ar-kand... What afterwards?"
"The Summoner would make one of their Guardians into the Final Aeon, and would go to defeat Sin, a creature that plagued all of Spira for a thousand years, and fight it. The Summoner dies in the battle, and Sin disappears for some time. The time without Sin is known as the Calm, and the people could rest easy for a few years, until Sin rose again, using the body of the last Final Aeon to defeat it."
"Whoa. Sounds heavy. Does Sin ever just die, like forever?"
"It was said that Sin was punishment for our sins, back when Zanarkand was still a thriving city. When we obtained pure atonement, Sin would go away. Or so we were told."
"It wasn't true, was it?"
"No." Yuna shook her head sadly. "Sin was meant to be eternal, created during the Great Machina War between Zanarkand and Bevelle."
"But someone's got to be able to beat it, right?" Tidus said with a passion that reminded Yuna so much of him; back when they found the way to defeating Sin. "Nothing's unbeatable forever."
"Yes. We did."
"We — what?" Tidus looked baffled.
Yuna looks him in the eye — sea blue, just as she remembered. "You were my Guardian, among five others, and we defeated Sin. Together, without using the Final Aeon. We freed Spira from its spiral of death."
"I—" Tidus looks bewildered and perhaps besieged with thoughts and memories he couldn't understand. He backed away a few steps, running a hand wildly through his hair. "But I—"
"Tidus..." Yuna reached forward, wanting to comfort him. But he darted away, and her hand fell as suddenly as her heart did.
"I — I'll see you later, Yuna." Tidus mutters, eyes downcast. With his superb speed, he dashes off, and disappears through a Chaos Gateway she can barely see from her vantage point.
She lets her hand drop, and stands there for a long while, feeling hurt, until she remembers that she never told him her name, yet he used it just now, and a spark of hope and happiness ignites inside, and she almost feels like she's glowing with joy.
Sir Jecht came stumbling by not too long after she comes to that fact, nursing a few minor wounds that took her attention quickly. She does not tell him of Tidus.
The next time Yuna sees Tidus, he's being attacked by her comrades.
He's utilizing his speed, and dodges Cecil's attempts to run him through with a spear fairly easily. What does catch him off guard is an energy-empowered arrow that misses his head by centimeters, sent by Firion who fires another, determined to either hit the blitzer, or at least leave an opening for Cecil.
Yuna stumbles upon their battle with wide eyes and without thinking, rushes into battle. Cecil, originally thinking Yuna came as added backup, found Valefor's Energy Ray crossing between him and the enemy, allowing Tidus to jump away to a spot of tactical advantage, taking a moment of rest. Cecil and Firion dart back to her, puzzled looks on their faces, weapons ready in hand.
Yuna shakes her head and dismisses Valefor.
"Yuna." Firion says, a hard edge to his voice. "What are you—?"
"Please," She keeps her voice calm and steady. "Firion, Cecil, don't attack him. He's a friend of mine."
"On the side of Chaos?" Cecil sounds curious, and Yuna realizes that it may be sympathy or empathy she hears in his voice too, because Cecil has a brother on the opposing side.
"Yes. He's... a close friend, from my world." She tells them, gauging their reactions. "He can't remember very much now, because he's hasn't been here long enough."
"...Are you sure?" Firion absently rubs on a wound that Yuna fervently hopes Tidus did not make.
"Yes, I'm positive." Yuna makes herself look as firm as possible. She knew it was her Tidus, her guardian, her friend, ally, and love. "Please... Just let me talk to him."
"Can you tell us why he's on Chaos' side, if he's your friend?" Cecil inquires.
"I—I think it has to do with his father." Yuna admits.
"His father?" Firion raises an eyebrow.
"Sir Jecht is Tidus' father." Yuna watches, with suppressed amusement, as surprise takes root on the faces of both warriors. "But that have... some... problems with each other. Tidus hates Sir Jecht for personal reasons."
"Jecht has a son?" Cecil was flabbergasted.
"Yes." Yuna says, a bit impatiently. It must have shown, because both men stop asking questions. "I just want to talk to him... see if he remembers anymore from our world."
"Remember more? You've spoken with him before?"
She nods.
"...Alright." Firion agrees reluctantly, but then adds. "But we come with you. Friend of yours he may be, but I want to make sure he's not a threat."
Yuna doesn't bother replying and runs to Tidus, who looks up at her incoming footsteps with surprise. Cecil and Firion, exchanging looks for a moment, follow at a casual pace.
"Yuna!" Tidus smiles, and it's infectious because Yuna's lips curve upward before she realizes it.
"Tidus." She returns warmly, and sits down next to him. He scoots over and makes more room on the ledge.
"Your buddies down there know had to tag-team a guy." He complains, rolling his right shoulder, trying to make the sore muscles feel less painful. "Haven't moved this much in a while."
"Firion and Cecil are strong fighters." Yuna remarks. "Did you do something to make them attack you?"
"No," Tidus moans. "I was walking. All innocent like and all. Minding my own business. Then that guy with the spear starts shoutin' something about 'light be with me!' and starts attacking me. Probably wouldn't have had as much trouble if the other guy didn't come in with his utility belt of every medieval weapon known to man."
Yuna is confused. He's using words she doesn't understand and phrases she doesn't recognize again, but she skates over that, getting the gist of what he was saying.
"They're good people." Yuna promises.
"I'm sure they are." Tidus says. "They were summoned to Cosmos after all, which sounds a lot better than Chaos. Dude's the creepiest looking thing I've ever seen, but then again I'm stuck with amnesia, so who knows what horrors I could be forgetting?"
"You sound as if you don't enjoy the side you've been summoned to." Cecil comments from below, voice calm, and a mix of curious and surprised.
"You have no idea." Tidus sighs. "But I forget I said that. My 'allies' would probably call that treason and chew me up for even chatting with you. So I should probably cut this visit short."
"But I just arrived." Yuna protested, though she tried to be civil about the amount of annoyance piling up inside, and keep it from bursting out. "And it's been a while since we last talked."
"Yeah..." Tidus draws out the word, slowly, with a hint of tiredness. Maybe regret too, if Yuna tries to over-analyze the sound of his voice. "But you remember that guy in gold?"
"The Emperor?" Firion says, swiftly and sharply.
"The self-proclaimed one, but yeah. Totally got on my case about 'engaging in friendly idle chatter with the enemy'. Dunno why the guy keeps bugging me with all these one-liners that make no sense." He scratches at the back of his neck. "It's like he's following me. Then again, he's the first I saw when I 'awoke' here, so I dunno, maybe he has some sort responsibility with making sure I don't do anything dumb."
"The Emperor would only look out for your well-being if he needed you for something." Firion says, bitterly.
"Noted." Tidus replies. "Thanks for not-killing me at the end and all, but I should go."
"Tidus—" Yuna tries, in vain, to get in a last word.
"Sorry, Yuna." Tidus flashes her one of his famous smiles. "Really gotta go now. But if you need me, just whistle." He winks, and dives off the rock. Upon safely reaching the ground, he waves back up at her. "See ya!"
"Whistle?" Firion asks causally, standing up from the level below.
Yuna smiles.
"Do you know what that means?" She asks him.
He shakes his head, no.
"It's promise he made to me back in our world." Yuna watches his retreating back with a hint of nostalgia, wondering if she'll ever manage to get a chance to talk to him for more then ten minutes without him suddenly running off. "It means he's remembering."
Fin.