Title: Already Over
Pairings: one-sided Seymour/Tidus, maybe a little Auron/Tidus
Warnings: Past pregnancy (not quite m-preg), character death, graphic violence
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy X (aside from my PS2 disc) or the song title. Rights go to Square Enix and Red respectively, I only use them for my own entertainment. I do own Genesis, Chikyuu, and the Excommunication AU plot.
Author's Note: I wrote this back in August of 2012. Even with over two years of life it's gotten no reviews or favorites, so I wanted to update - instead it turned into a complete rewrite. So I uploaded it again, and hopefully it'll catch someone's eye. ;u;
Also, totally without meaning to I wrote this into more of a Seymour-loves-Tidus-too-much thing than the original he's-just-insane-and-super-creepy idea. He's still crazy, but it's more out of irrational love/obsession now. c:
Tidus paced the room, heaving a soft sigh as he looked out the bay window, at the setting sun. He knew Auron was out there, and he knew they were looking for him. He just wished they would hurry up and seek him out. He turned from the glass when the muffled sound of tiny footsteps came up the stairs, looking down at the small girl who entered the bedroom. With a grin the teenager picked his daughter up and swung her around, cuddling her close. She giggled and looked up at him with her patented 'puppy dog look', eyes huge and overbearing.
"Daddy, why don't you ever leave the house? You never want to come into the yard and play with me," the girl's voice squeaked, catching at the end with a noise alike to a bird's chirp.
The blond smiled and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm waiting for someone, Genesis. I'm sorry I haven't spent much of my time with you, I promise I will very soon." He looked down into her mismatched eyes. "Wait a little longer, okay sweetheart?" he asked.
She brightened up and nodded, grinning wide enough to show her crooked baby teeth. "Okay, Daddy! I'm gonna be outside!" she cried, slipping from his embrace and charging back out to the front porch. Tidus chuckled quietly and leaned against the windowsill, staring wistfully at the wide plains around their small house.
I wish he would come already... I've been waiting for months. The blond shook his head to clear the thoughts away and left the window, crossing the room to the low nightstand beside his bed. He looked fondly down at the picture of the group he was with before they disbanded; Yuna, Lulu, Kimahri, Wakka, Rikku, Auron and him. He had been the first to leave, for reasons he never spoke of. In light of past events he hadn't come in contact with anyone other than now-songstress Yuna. The only thing he told her was that he wouldn't be coming back for a long while.
He sighed again, noting to himself that he'd been doing that too often as of late. He pushed his bangs from his face and let out a exasperated groan. "Why can't something exciting happen?" he muttered to himself. Just seconds after the thought came to him, a loud scream pierced the air.
Tidus' eyes widened. "Genesis!" he cried, flinging open the door and running downstairs, going into the front yard just in time to see a group of Guado standing at the edge of their property. Genesis was kicking and shrieking in one's arms, putting up such a fight that it took another guard to restrain her. When they saw Tidus staring at them with murder in his eyes they took off at a dead run. The child caught his eye, her mouth forming the word 'daddy' before they vanished over the hills.
The teenager screamed her name once more as his blood boiled, anger flashing through him dangerously quick. Rounding the side of the house, he wheeled out the Machina transport bike he had stored in the open garage. Less than three months ago he had wandered Zanarkand's ruins and salvaged any machina he could, and welded the pieces together to create a makeshift speeder. It didn't run perfectly, but it was sturdy enough to travel long distances. Tidus straddled the bike and kicked it into gear, speeding off down the well-beaten path across this part of the plains, determination making his eyes glow brighter blue underneath his bangs.
Seymour walked in circles around the small cage, his dark eyes searching the fearful ones of the child before him. She trembled slightly under his gaze, doing her utmost best not to appear scared. But when the Maester showed her a sinister, toothy smile, she shrank back against the opposite bars of her cage.
"So this is the child Tidus bore... It's strange, she looks nothing like me." His voice was silky and dangerously calm, echoing in the vast throne room. He paused in his prowl, eying the scientist beside him critically.
The Guado shook his head, glancing up from his scroll. "She seems to have taken nearly all her features from him, my Lord," he murmured.
The Maester rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his scoff. "That much is obvious. I thought the serum would work, would make her like me." He came to stand beside the scientist, peering over him at the scribbled ink marks. "Why didn't it?"
The creature shrugged. "Tidus did turn into a fertile woman, as per the serum said. It did not guarantee the child born would look like both father and mother," he said, gesturing at the red-haired child. "I don't understand how she has heterochromia or red hair, so I can only assume they're side effects of the medicine. Tidus doesn't have any red-haired friends other than that blitzball player called Wakka, but they had no contact at the time of serum distribution.
"However, her aging has accelerated due to the extra dosage we gave her at birth. She should be just around one year, but instead she's almost five years old," he explained.
Seymour shot the small girl a dark glare, startling a whimper from her. "Keep the child locked up," he ordered. "I want to see how my mate has adapted this past year." He turned and left the throne room with his personal chambers in mind, not noticing the scientist nod absently as he continued to write notes.
Time had flown by as Tidus gave little care towards daylight, riding well into the night through the endless hills. But even his bike could not keep up with well-trained Guado, and he lost them very early on. He knew where they had taken her; he had been kidnapped and forced there himself nearly a year before, to the city of Guadosalam. He knew how to get in and get out. He just didn't know how to get her back.
The next day came to pass and the blond was in the desert by this time, clouds obscuring the hot, merciless sun. His blue gaze roamed over every land-form around him, desperately in their search for Genesis. A cloud of dust larger than the one already drafting him billowed out as he hit the accelerator, the bike speeding along ever faster. His muscles were rigid with concern and anxiety, and his body was already worn out from his consistent driving. He needed a break, but he couldn't change anything yet.
As luck would have it, one of Rin's Travel Agencies crested between some dunes on the horizon. It took him nearly two hours to get there, but the inn was a welcome respite. He parked the Machina bike outside and walked through the patterned doors. The temperature dropped by a good ten degrees, taking some of the weight from Tidus' shoulders with it. The teenager gave a halfhearted wave to O'aka when the merchant called his name, passing him to speak to the woman running the inn. Halfway through his first question Rin himself came out of the back room, a huge smile coming to his face when he saw Tidus standing there.
"It is good to see you, my boy!" he said happily, shooing the woman aside. "How may I help you?"
Tidus leaned over the counter just so, his voice lowering as he asked in Al Bhed, "Have you seen any Guado passing through here?"
The man looked surprised that Tidus spoke so fluently, but he replied in the same tongue. I am sorry, Tidus. I haven't seen or heard of them for months." Looking at his friend carefully, he could feel how off the teen was from his usual demeanor. "Did they do something to you? No one has caught wind of you for a year, y'know..." he trailed off quietly.
The blond sighed. "I know. All I will say is the Guado have taken someone very important to me. I need to get them back, and soon."
Rin nodded in understanding. "I can give you a few bombs and potions should you need them." When Tidus made to respond the man held up a hand. "No charge; I can see you are in a hurry and this is important to you," he offered, turning to a large chest beside him and starting to paw through it for the items.
"Thank you, Rin," Tidus murmured in Al Bhed, shoulders sinking with the tiniest bit of relief.
Soon after, he put the items into his knapsack and strapped it onto the back of his bike. Rin had followed and now stood in the sun beside him, watching the ex-blitzer prepare for the journey. "Take care, you hear? I don't want the news to come that one of my friends has died," he said seriously.
Tidus grinned at the Al Bhed. "Don't worry, I'll come back alive," he replied before kicking the gear and tearing off down the path. Rin sighed and shook his head as the teen vanished in a cloud of dirt, heading back into the comfort of the agency.
Night bled into day as the following morning showed Tidus still speeding across the landscape. It was twice now that he'd nearly fallen asleep at the wheel, much to his dismay. He refused to stop, knowing Genesis was most likely with his "mate", or whatever the hell Seymour referred to him as. Normal circumstances wouldn't leave him so weak after a short journey as he'd had so far, but the Guado had messed something up inside of him. He didn't know anything about science, but he could tell when his body wasn't 'feeling right', and this discomfort had stuck with him for months. It dragged him close to depression on his best days, but his daughter was like an anchor, keeping him from the most violent of his thoughts. These impressions were what was helping him push past the weariness tugging at his conscious; not to mention that the girl had acquired some attributes from the separate dosage given to her from birth, as did he from his stay in Guadosalam, and he did not want the Maester to find out about them. Genesis barely had control over her powers and could let them loose at any time. He just prayed to Yevon and the Fayth it wouldn't happen before he arrived.
A shadow loomed overhead, unbeknownst to the blond deep in thought. It trailed after him, far too airborne to be seen with normal vision. The figure standing at the 'helm' watched the teenager with a practiced eye over the rim of his sunglasses, memorizing the trail the ex-blitzer would make. "About time the brat showed his face," a deep baritone muttered before pressing a foot into the shadow, making it rise and fully disappear from sight.
The former Guardian saw the Macalania Woods well before he got there. Instead of questioning what could lie in wait for him upon passing the Guado borders, he hoped he still could remember the way to their home city. The twisting, grasping trees had proven difficult to escape the first time he had been taken to Guadosalam, and he would have to approach the city head-on. There were no shortcuts or underground tunnels he could use to slip inside unnoticed.
Noise erupted from behind almost as soon as he sped past the glistening tree line, but the blond was ready and trained with the fastest reflexes he could handle. He pressed the accelerator, going faster than whatever pursued him, but to no avail shook them from his draft. He zigzagged in between plant life in a high speed chase, trying as hard as he could not to crash into the plant life around him. A gap in front of him led him into a decent-sized clearing, one large enough to hold fifteen Guado huddled in a mass and without limbs above to create a makeshift steeple above him. The sun winked at him between spaces in the flora as he pulled into the open space, his tires somehow not tearing through the high grasses. When he risked a look over his shoulder, an enormous Zuu was gliding behind him, a broad figure controlling the fiend from atop its back. A breathy, disbelieving chuckle was forced from his throat when he put two-and-two together and made sense of who they were.
Auron.
He locked his legs together and jerked the bike to the left, almost flipping himself over as he skidded sideways across the grass, coming to a complete stop. He straddled the bike and waited, watching right back as his ex-mentor came closer. Not a muscle moved other than his blinking eyes with the man leaped from the wings of his beast, striding with purpose and not hiding the hint of underlying anger in his tense form. "Where in the hell have you been?" Auron practically snarled, glaring fiercely into the teen's sea-blue eyes.
The younger male smiled, but the taut corners of his mouth made it forced. "Places; I had some business to take care of." His eyes dropped from the elder's face to the Machina transport beneath him, his voice grew tight and weary with the anxiety weighing him down. "Still have some unfinished stuff, too."
The Guardian looked at the son of his best friend. It had only been a year since he had left them, two years since his arrival into Spira, but the boy had changed ever more. He appeared the same from the outside: cocky, arrogant, and stubborn, but there was more than that. Tidus had experienced pain - the loss of his parents so long ago was still a heavy memory, but they weren't the only ones who died while knowing him - and also had someone to protect. The man could see in his companion's eyes that the other Guardian had someone there for him and vice versa. Auron couldn't help but let a small flash of pride swell in his chest; the blond had really grown up.
"Where are you headed?" he inquired, curious as to why Tidus was in such a hurry - not to mention his new clothes, the way he held himself, and the Machina speeder beneath him that was technologically advanced compared to what the Spirans had now.
The teen hesitated, still not making eye contact. "Guadosalam," he murmured finally.
Auron raised an eyebrow, both to the answer and the emotion warring in Tidus' clear irises. "Why?"
Again the ex-blitzer paused before replying. He didn't want the men to discover the reason why he had left the others the previous year. He had no clue how Auron would take it, and frankly, he didn't want to find out or go through with it. "It's personal. Why are you questioning me?" he shot back, deflecting the man's curiosity.
The dark-haired swordsman shrugged one shoulder. "I'm looking out for you. You're still young, and I don't want to see you get hurt," he answered.
Unbidden anger filled him when Auron said those words, sudden as his expression grew dark and he fixed the red-coated warrior with a heated glare completely unfit for his personality. "I am not young, Auron! I'm nineteen years old and I can take care of myself, so back the hell off!" Tidus clenched his fists tightly, lips curling back into a snarl. "You didn't come to me for an entire year, and in that time you weren't there to protect me, either. I've been watching my own back, proving over and over again I can live just fine by myself! So don't go thinking I'm still that naive brat from when we first came to Spira. Because I've changed," he said. Lowering his head, the teenager breathed out shakily and pressed his palm to his temple.
Auron was stunned into silence. Tidus had yelled at him and they'd fought before, but never like this. He had an idea of why the boy had left, and the severity of whatever had happened left him wanting to know what transpired. But he wouldn't get his questions answered with Tidus in this unstable state. He reached out and rested his hand on Tidus' shoulder, making the blond look at him when he squeezed, gently. "I'll assist you, if you'll let me," he said firmly.
For a third time Tidus was quiet, mentally debating his options. After a long moment he nodded, meeting eyes with his old friend. "Let's go. I have something to take care of," he said, returning to the bike he'd gotten off of during the argument with Auron. The man mounted his Zuu and the two hit the path again, Tidus leading the way towards Guadosalam.
Even though they were already in the Woods, it took them several hours to make their way to the city. By the time they crested the hill that overlooked Guadosalam, night was close to falling and Tidus was weary from the constant travel. Auron suggested every few minutes that they stop to rest, but he was shot down each time by the blond. A mile or so from the city, Tidus stopped his bike and hid it in the wide hollow of a fallen tree. The Zuu landed behind him, Auron leaping down from its back to stand beside the teenager. Without turning to him, the warrior looked on as he asked, "Are you ready?"
Tidus nodded. "I'm doing whatever it takes." Although Auron had no idea what he would do - other than charge into Seymour's manor, magic hot in his hands - Tidus knew the elder would stay by his side the whole way. After a brief check to be certain they had their weapons on their person, Tidus led the way down the path towards Guadosalam, Auron in close pursuit.
When they arrived at the gates, it was quiet. The usual din was absent as the two wove through the side paths, avoiding the main road in case there were assassins or archers lurking on the roofs in wait to take them out. It took longer than Tidus would have liked to reach the familiar red door to the mansion, which opened to them at the barest touch. A shiver passed down the blond's spine as they entered, his heightened senses straining to detect the tiniest bit of noise. They had their weapons ready, and as they stepped into the main hall, drew them in advance.
Tidus was first to see the cage hanging at the opposite end of the hall, his gaze immediately landing on the small figure curled up inside. "Genesis!" he cried, breaking away from Auron's side at a dead run.
The fire-haired child reacted instantly, shifting around to face the men, her mismatched eyes locking with her father's. "Da-" she started to say, but someone else cut her off.
"Welcome back, Tidus," a too-familiar voice came from a shadowed doorway next to the cage, the mocking lilt coming closer until it showed itself as a creature Tidus had hoped to never see again. Seymour stepped out from the hidden corridor - which led to a chamber the ex-blitzer knew too well - and came to a stop beside the captive girl, his lavender eyes staring with lustful abandon down at Tidus, who had frozen in place mere feet from them.
The muscles in Tidus' back twitched as he tensed, hand tightening its grip around the hilt of Brotherhood. "Seymour," he spat, glaring at the Unsent.
The blue-haired Guado merely smirked and held his arms out, as if he were going to embrace Tidus. "In the flesh."
A feline hiss came from Tidus' throat as he stiffened his shoulders, teeth bared. "Let her go, you bastard! She's mine!"
Seymour's smirk widened, "I believe she's rightfully mine, considering I am her father," he purred.
Of all things to fall from Tidus' lips, he didn't expect the rippling growl-laugh hybrid. "You violated and abused me; that doesn't give you the right to be her father!" He jerked his head towards the trapped girl. "I was the one who conceived her, not you!" he cried, taking a step forward.
Auron had walked down the hall by then, but stayed a ways back. He was the only one left out of the loop, and none of what Maester or ex-Guardian said made any sense. He only received shock after shock with every sentence from their mouths.
Seymour, easily seeing Auron's confusion, turned his smirk onto the warrior. "I see Sir Auron does not understand our... situation," he seemed happy about this. "It appears Tidus gave no courtesy to such an amusing guest, for the least of things an explanation. Allow me to shed some light on the occasion..." With a shuffle of his robes her threw out his hands, a pale light coming from his palms that grew so large it covered the four, and sent them into a memory-world, much like when he showed Yuna and her Guardians the city of Zanarkand. In vivid detail the memory relayed Tidus' capture, his taking the serum and turning into his female self, how he was forced to have intercourse with Maester Seymour, and finally how he gave birth to Genesis prematurely, at only five months of pregnancy.
When the area around them faded back to the gloomy hall in Seymour's manor, the elder Guardian was enraged. This creature had harmed his protege, had forced Auron to break the promise he made Jecht ten years ago. From behind his dark shades he shot a heated, hateful glare at the Maester, who easily picked it up and laughed right back.
"Sir Auron, you're upset over this? How cute, because was it not also your fault Tidus left your little troupe?" His smirk became wolfish when he caught the twitch of Auron's eyebrow, lavender eyes flashing wickedly. "Yes, I know all about how you 'exiled' him when he refused to tell you anything that happened, or why he left for days on end. Death changes a man's morals, doesn't it?"
Decades of training could not stop the hitch in the Guardian's breath at those words. From the corner of his eye he saw Tidus turn towards him, confusion written all over the teenager's face. He kept his gaze on the Maester, but he couldn't help reaching to his waist, taking hold of his katana's hilt. "Stop talking," he growled.
The Guado chuckled mirthlessly, a spell already forming on his lips. Before he could release the charged Thundara, Auron's blade buried itself deep inside his chest, tearing through organ and bone to pierce the opposite side of his torso. Seymour looked up defiantly even as he hunched over the blade, a strangled hiccup bubbling in his throat when the warrior twisted the katana and forced him to slide off the blade, collapsing to the ground in a flutter of elegant robes. From her place above them, Genesis let out a soft warble and turned away, sickness rolling in her stomach.
Blood mixed with spit dripped from the Maester's chin, his breath coming in shallow pants as he looked past Auron, to the ex-blitzer standing several feet away. "I've known, Tidus," he rasped, a laugh rattling through his red-tinged fangs. "I know where...you hide her..." Tidus came a little closer, blue eyes wide as he met Seymour's eyes. "I've sent...so many soldiers," a wry grin made the Guado's mouth curl, and another laugh escaped him. It turned into a coughing fit, and there was a long pause as Seymour shuddered out his last words. "You'll never be safe. I'll...come back for...you." The chamber finally fell quiet as the Maester's breathing slowed, then stopped.
Kneeling beside the corpse, Auron watched as pyreflies began to eat away Seymour's body. He wiped the blood from his katana on the Guado's robes and leaned back. "Some can't wait to die," he hissed at the disappearing lights, before turning back to Tidus. The blond was frozen in place, eyes staring absently at the spot where Seymour had just been. "Tidus."
The man's deep baritone seemed to snap Tidus from his funk as something clicked and he quickly faced away, unable to look at the sight he'd wanted for so long. He chose instead to focus on freeing his daughter; with a cry he cut through the thin chain suspending the cage, the metal smashing apart when it crashed against the floor. Genesis crawled out of the remains and lunged into the teen's arms, burying her face against his chest and letting out a quiet sob. Tidus hushed her and murmured soothing words into her ear as he rubbed her back between the shoulder blades, a special spot he knew calmed her down. Auron stayed off to the side, looking around the hall and waiting for the reunion to end.
When the child relaxed several moments later, Tidus rose from his crouched position, Genesis in his arms. He and Auron shared a glance and the older man nodded. They began walked towards the exit, eyes and ears alert.
They never made it to the door. Only a few steps from the bright red wood, dozens of Guado came pouring in from everywhere, even smashing through the high-arched windows and showering the trio with shards of broken glass. The men grouped together and stood back to back instinctively, falling into battle-ready stances. Genesis cried out in fear as they were quickly surrounded, clutching Tidus' shirt in her tiny hands. "Daddy, I'm scared..." she whispered.
Tidus flashed her a winning smile as he watched the guards warily, bringing her closer to him so he could talk more privately. "Don't worry, honey, your daddy's a professional at these sorts of things, we'll get through this!" he assured, winking at her. She giggled at that and he continued, "Do you remember what I taught you a couple months ago?"
The girl nodded. "Yes," she murmured. A tiny spark lit up in her hand, but it vanished just as fast as it appeared.
He smiled. "Good. I want you to use them if anyone who isn't me or Auron comes near you, understand?" He waited until she nodded, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Do not come out of hiding, Genesis." Before she could speak he snapped his fingers together sharply, and she vanished from his hold. Auron, if he saw the small light that flashed when Genesis disappeared, didn't comment on it. Tidus turned towards the seasoned warrior, locking eyes over their shoulders with his guardian. "Ready to end this?" he asked.
The man nodded. "Let's do it."
They launched away from each other and the fight began, the hall filled with the sounds of yelling Guado and the loud crashing of metal upon metal. In the first few moments Tidus cast Hastega on himself and Auron, and he checked that his daughter would not be seen from where she was - an alcove tucked far above them, hidden behind a tapestry on the ceiling. He was engaged by some Guado and soon lost himself in the routine of battle, cutting limbs from bodies and doing his best not to flinch at the overwhelming stench of blood. Auron was doing fine against the opposite wall, slicing through multiple enemies with a few hits from his Banishing Blade. He muttered to himself about their weakness, chuckling dryly as he attacked other Guado.
As they cut their way through the endless ranks of Guado, the swordsmen began to work their way outside, into the meadows beyond the city. Genesis followed quite a ways behind them, crossing from tree to bush in order to stay out of sight. From what she could see of them, Auron and her father were overwhelming the enemy soldiers, but two people alone were not enough. Tidus was fairing worse than the Unsent warrior; a sheen of sweat coated his face as he cast magic attacks and swung Brotherhood around alike, and the hastened pace granted by his speed ability was wearing him down. As there was a small break in the fighting Tidus took a second to glance around for Auron. The man was too far away, pressing against a large horde of the creatures; in his own mess Tidus had been backing towards a sheer cliff, and below him there was a large, deep body of water that looked terrifying from such a height. The blond was on much lower ground, where the terrain was slippery and it was difficult to find traction. The Guado were handling just fine with the landscape, proven when a new wave advanced on Tidus, who swallowed thickly and readied his weapon.
Genesis chose to hover near her father, if a couple hundred feet from the very cliff he was perched against counted as 'near'. She was certainly well enough in range of her father's attacks, because there were so many screaming people all around her, some begging for the kindness of death, the others forcing themselves to fight until they were tossed back down again, and didn't get back up. When the occasional Guado wandered too close to her hiding spot, she would cast a bit of magic on whoever and end their life. It was a disgusting thing, but these men were like the scary one, the one that had hurt her father and somehow created her. Doing this was doing it for Tidus, and she would do anything for him.
Something slammed into the tree beside her and she shrieked, scrabbling backwards on her hands and knees as something much too heavy fell to the dirt in front of her. A Guado stared up at her with glassy silver eyes, a whisper of breath coming from his parted lips. The sound stood out so clearly in the din of the raging battle. Genesis stared as the creature feebly lifted his hand, the metal claws of his glove outstretched. He reached for her, mouth forming words she couldn't understand. When the cold metal touched her forearm she let out another cry and flung a spell wildly, hitting the guard in the face. The body jerked from the sudden impact and his hand fell limp.
Genesis looked on in silence, her mismatched irises glancing between the fallen Guado and the scene before her. The sky was growing darker than it had been earlier, and it was nowhere close to nightfall. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that something was going to go wrong, and very soon. She turned her face upwards, gazing intently at the thick, rain-heavy clouds. The fire-haired girl knew to always trust her instincts, and they were going haywire.
Auron stabbed a few more guards before looking down the hill at his companion. The teen was doing well from what he could see; he had to have practiced, in the year he had left Tidus had grown exponentially more fluid with his swordplay, and definitely surpassed him in magical abilities. Despite the warm burst of pride he felt as he watched Tidus fight, he shared the same gut feeling as Genesis - though he had no idea how to react when everything went into action at the same time; as the Guado converged up the hill towards Auron, the ex-blitzer below was thrown off his feet when a sudden bolt of lightning came from the skies above, exploding in the mass of guards swarming the teenager. It sparked against the dry grass and the greenery went up in flames, the area around the cliff face dramatically lit up in orange and red hues as fire burned all around. Tidus found his grip at the edge and stood up, making to take another step back from the threats before him when his foot caught on naught but air. He let out a surprised shout as he tipped back, losing his balance and careening into a free-fall.
The warrior heard Genesis' scream first. The terrified shriek of "Daddy!" was heard, and he jerked his head towards the spot the blond had just been, seeing nothing in the darkened group of fire and Guado. His sharp eyes soon spotted the flailing teen descending rapidly down to the rock-laden inland sea below. The man knew he wouldn't be able to save Tidus, but his daughter took charge. She ran from her cover, dodging past hulking Guado and underneath misfired spells. When she made it to the cliff's edge, she seemed to swallow a huge breath before leaping after the blond.
Auron's heart froze, even as his body kept trading blows with the soldiers. Did the girl not realize she was killing herself, too? He could only stare in mute shock as father and child plummeted downwards at an alarming rate, growing ever closer to the choppy water far below. But he was soon taken by surprise yet again.
Genesis reached out for Tidus as he fell, angling her body so she could get to him faster. He met her halfway and pulled her close, holding her arm as she maneuvered them around so she was behind him. She pressed her palm into a spot between his shoulder blades, her hands lighting up with a bright green glow that sort of sucked itself into the skin she touched. After a few seconds she shoved her father away, launching herself at a distance and closing her eyes. A pair of soft black wings ripped free of her shirt, the fabric falling away in the back so her thirteen-foot wingspan could fly freely. She glided in tight circles, watching as Tidus neared the water, and soon crashed beneath its surface.
Auron caught all this as he broke away from his attackers, weaving around creatures and fire all the same as he tried to heal himself. The Potion was a great relief when he managed to slip between two patches of flames, losing the angry Guado behind the searing heat. He stared at the winged girl in disbelief; the first reason was that she had let her own father fall into the sea, where he surely died. No human could withstand a drop from this height, even if there was a semi-soft landing spot beneath it. The second reason was because of the wings stretched out behind her. How could someone possible get wings, of all features? He couldn't wrap his head around it - the entire week had been nothing but confusion and frustration. He growled lowly, brandishing his katana. With a mumbled "tch!" he continued staring down at the girl as she flitted about the cliff face, peering into the water.
A second, abnormal lightning bolt made its appearance, this time shooting directly into the body of water. Somehow it created another explosion, one that shook the rocky cliff and loosened several large boulders that crashed into the water. Brilliant green flames lit up an inch above the water, carving a design into the surface that resembled the summoner's circle for the Fayth, Ifrit. Auron saw a dark shape near the center, and narrowed his eyes to try and see it clearer.
With a splash and a fearsome, fiend-worthy shriek, Tidus rose from the flames, water cascading down his own black wings as they beat powerfully, giving himself the visage of the Messenger of Death. The Unsent warrior stood away from the cliff as he watched the teenager, awestruck. Tidus rose above the mass of Guado, his eyes switching from their normal blue to a shimmering, inhuman emerald. Holding up his left hand to eye level, he aimed at the horde of soldiers, lips chanting a magic spell no one could hear. The only warning they received was a sharp crack! before everything bled white, a huge beam of light shooting from the winged blond's palm and hitting the Guado, obliterating their remaining ranks.
The former Guardian sighed as his wings retracted, the open scars on his back healing themselves over before Auron could blink. Tidus' body fell limp and he dropped out of the sky, hurtling towards the ground - but not before a soft, pink bubble grew to full size beneath him, catching him easily and popping once it lowered the blond to the ground. Genesis was already by Tidus' side when the warrior made his way over to them, her voice soothing as she gently patted his forehead. "You're okay, Daddy. You just used too much energy..." she murmured, more as a reassurance to herself as she gave him a Potion for his injuries. Tidus sipped from it gingerly, saying nothing as his mentor came into view.
They stared at each other for a long moment, both trying to find something to say. Finally, Auron broke the uncomfortable quiet. "You've been training yourself," he stated, nodding once. "From the last time we sparred, your skills have significantly improved." He trailed off slightly, looking at the blond from behind his dark sunglasses. "And you've gained some... attributes."
Tidus' face brightened as he grinned, a laugh rumbling in his chest. "It's been a while, hasn't it? You've got to expect some changes." The blond's eyes had finally faded back to blue, his gaze warm as he smiled up at the older man. "I've really missed fighting alongside you, Auron," he said.
Auron surprised the ex-blitzer by breaking into his own short bout of laughter, his shoulders quaking in a way Tidus never figured he could. A tear even slipped from the corner of his eye, staining the rim of his collar. Tidus waited with uncertain patience until his friend was finished, the elder shaking his head as he calmed down. "I don't know how to treat you anymore, brat," he admitted, smiling a little on his own at Tidus' poorly hidden confusion. "You've changed so much in the past year, and I was not here to witness it. But, that's my own fault." Auron looked down at the teenager, who had pulled Genesis to his side, letting her cuddle against him. "I have acted unjustly. Never would I believe that the cocky, enthusiastic seventeen-year-old who hated anything to do with relationships and responsibilities and gave me more trouble than he was worth would mature into a father, brother, and..."
Tidus was looking at him intensely, gaze unreadable. "And what?" he prompted.
Auron reached down, clasping a hand around the teenager's shoulder. "And a close friend," he finished. "I cannot ask of you to forgive me for all of my past mistakes, but I'm willing to do anything to fix my wrong." The emotions that swam in Auron's single brown eye were genuine, heartfelt. "Will you be able to forgive me in time, Tidus?"
Without hesitation Tidus nodded, the arm he had around the red-haired girl tightening slightly. "I forgave you months ago. If I'm to look past the horrible parts to what happened to me and move on with life, I've got to pay mind to the good parts, right? The best thing that could ever happen to me is already here," he jostled Genesis a little, making her let out a soft trill that made Tidus smile down at her. "Now that I've got a daughter and a sister, it's made me have to think for others, rather than focus on my selfishness. You've changed too," he pointed out, gesturing in Auron's general direction. "You don't know what really happened to me, and I don't think I want to tell anyone. But," his smile grew into a wide smirk, "don't think for a second that I hate you. I know how you get, Mr. Brood." He snickered, sticking his tongue playfully out at the man.
The Unsent smiled back. "I'm proud of you, brat. You've really grown."
"Thanks, Auron. You're a real saint."