Author's Notes: As stated in the summary, this takes place
four years after the gang defeats Yevon. Therefore, Tidus and Yuna are 21, Rikku
is 19, Wakka is 27, and Lulu is 26. (Don't know how old Kimahri is, but you get
the idea, right?)
As you all know, I don't own any of the characters; they belong to Squaresoft, yada yada yada. I did, however, create Chappu (not Wakka's brother, baka), Raia, Vivia, and whoever else might pop up later on. Please do not use them at all. Thank you. ^^
This is my first attempt at a Final Fantasy X fanfic, so please don't be too harsh. *laughs* Yes, the title sucks…I'm bad at titles, gimme a break. XD
EDIT: Reuploaded AGAIN…sorry about all of the crappy mistakes…didn't realize how weird FF.net was with Word files…I converted it to HTML, so it better work now. -_-;;
~*~*~
Tidus groaned and shielded his eyes from the light. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness he sat up, observing the area around him. It seemed to be a beach of some sorts. I'm not in the Farplane anymore, that's for sure…
His heart skipped a beat. Does that mean that I'm alive again? Err, not that I was alive in the first place… Despite being alive or not, he felt excited. I can see Yuna and the others again…!
"Hey!" he called out. "Hey! Anybody out there? Hellooooooooooooooooooooo!"
He felt disgruntled when all he saw was sand and water. The young man looked behind him to see a familiar treasure chest. Wasn't that where we found the Moon Crest? Wait…that means…
"Besaid!" he voiced aloud gleefully. He was more than happy to dive into the water and swim his way to the main beach, all the while with a smile on his face.
Despite spending so long in the Farplane, he was still as agile and strong as he was when he was a Guardian. It didn't take him long to reach the beach, and when he had emerged from the water, he was amazed at how empty it was.
He looked over at the pier. The S.S. Liki wasn't docked there, but it could have been traveling to or coming back from Kilika. The Besaid Aurochs, the local blitzball team, weren't practicing on the shore. The usual crowd of youngsters wasn't running around and goofing off.
Tidus scratched his head in confusion. "Maybe they're all resting," he told himself, though he had to admit that it was a stupid reason. He placed his fists on his hips. "Well, there's only one way to find out!" The blonde boy squared his shoulders and began to march the familiar path to the village.
Another skill that hadn't diminished in the Farplane was his ability to fight, and for that he was glad. Though he was positive that he wouldn't have had trouble with the Water Flans and Dingoes anyway, he was relieved that his trusty Caladbolg had been with him.
Within a matter of minutes, Tidus had reached the village. He breathed a sigh of relief as it appeared to be the Besaid he remembered. I guess that no one wanted to go to the beach today, he rationalized. His eyes scanned the area, and he grinned as they fell on Wakka's hut. I wonder how the big guy is doing…I think I'll have to pay him a visit.
"Heyyyy!" he called as he approached. He didn't hear any response and frowned. He opened his mouth to call out again but stopped as he heard voices.
"…think they're going to do well this year. The boys work really hard, ya?"
"Do you think that they'll be able to bring home the trophy for the fifth year straight?" a feminine voice teased.
Aha…I knew they would get together, Tidus thought with a satisfied grin. He always sensed a bond between Wakka and Lulu; he just didn't know how strong of a bond it was. He supposed that it was another one of his "feelings."
The young man decided to make his presence known. "Hey, guys!" he said cheerfully, walking into the hut.
Wakka and Lulu's heads snapped to attention at the familiar voice. Simultaneously, their faces turned pale, and their mouths gaped open. Tidus laughed good-naturedly. "What's the matter? You guys act like you've seen the ghost of Omega or something."
"Tidus?" Wakka squeaked out, looking a bit spooked. "What are you…how are you…?"
"How did you get back?" finished Lulu with a bewildered expression on her face.
He shrugged and grinned boyishly. "To be honest, I haven't the slightest idea. But it's great to see you guys again! How long has it been?"
There was an uncomfortable silence. "Four years," Lulu responded quietly.
Tidus flinched and took a step back, as though someone struck at him. "Four…years…?" he repeated to himself. "Damn…" He hadn't bothered to care about how much time passed while he was in the Farplane — he couldn't have, really, since he would be stuck there for eternity anyway. "…Damn," he repeated. Everything must have changed…
He looked over at Wakka first. The man's appearance had not changed much. He still insisted on wearing the uniform of the Besaid Auroch's, and his hair was still up in its…unique style. His face still had some stubble on it. Truthfully, the only difference in his appearance was that he looked a bit older.
His head turned slightly to observe Lulu. If he hadn't had heard her talking, he wouldn't have known it was her. The former Guardian had let her hair down, literally. Gentle waves of black cascaded freely down her back. Gone was the outfit he was so used to seeing her wear. Instead, she had on a simple and flowing black dress with sleeves that came to the end of her shoulder. On her feet (he had just then noticed that he never saw what kind of shoes she wore) were simple black sandals. She also seemed a bit…rounder than he remembered her to be. Her appearance and the air around her seemed to be a lot less intimidating. Wakka must have been a good influence, he reasoned.
Wakka cleared his throat. "So, uh, what have you been up to?" he asked lamely. Tidus could tell that the man thought the question was absurd; after all, how much could a person do on the Farplane?
"Well…catching up with my old man, talking with Braska and Auron, reuniting with Mom…" He shrugged and joked, "You know, the usual. And how about you two? What've you been up to?"
For the first time ever he caught the exchange of genuine smiles between the two, the kind that bonded two lovers together. Wakka reached out to hold her hand. "Lu and I have been married for four years…the wedding was a month after we defeated Yevon, ya?"
The smile remained on the black mage's face. "About five months after, our first son was born…"
"Wait a minute," Tidus interrupted. He tried to put the facts together. "So six months after we defeated Sin, you guys had a kid? Either it was premature or you two did something that no one else knew about…"
Wakka coughed and both blushed. "Ahh…you see…remember when we spent such a long time in the Calm Lands before going to Mount Gagazet?" he began. Tidus nodded to confirm this. "Well…" He looked at Lulu and grinned, a little embarrassedly.
"I take that back, I don't want to know," Tidus retorted. Though he had thought they had some sort of fling, he didn't need it to be recounted for him. "So how many…kids do you have?"
"Three," responded Lulu. "We named our first son Chappu…in his honor." The young man didn't need to know any more reason why. "The next is our daughter Raia…she is two years younger than Chappu. Vivia is a year younger than Raia…"
"And we're expecting a fourth," Wakka said with a grin, placing a hand on his wife's rounded stomach. She blushed a little.
"Geez, you two were busy," commented Tidus bluntly. The couple chuckled nervously. "So where's—"
He didn't get to finish his sentence. At that moment, a cry arouse from one of the small divided sections of the hut. Lulu started to stand, but Wakka held out his hand to stop her. "I'll take care of it, ya?" he told her. He caught Tidus's eye. "That would be Vivia…" He rose and headed towards the section.
Tidus had to refrain from snorting with laughter when he heard the way Wakka was talking. It was so…not Wakka. He sounded like one of those perfect father figures that he had always wanted. He couldn't help but feel jealous of their kids.
He gulped, trying to regain his composure. "Um, so…Lulu, where's Yuna?"
The woman's face fell at the mention of the name. She was silent for an unbelievably long time. "Why do you ask?" she asked.
He gave her a look that clearly said, "Are you kidding me?" "Come on, Lulu. You should've known better than anyone about how close the two of us were. I want to be able to see her again…"
"I'm…not sure where she is," Lulu responded slowly.
Tidus had a feeling that she was hiding something. "You mean that you don't make sure she's safe?"
"We aren't her Guardians anymore, Tidus," Wakka's bride responded with her former attitude coming back into play. "We don't keep tabs on her wherever she goes. She's old enough to take care of herself. And in case you haven't noticed, Wakka and I have our own lives to live…raising soon-to-be four kids isn't easy. Add that to protecting Yuna and it's downright chaotic."
He cringed at her scolding. "I guess you're right," he responded dejectedly. With a sigh, he said, more of a statement than a question, "So you don't know where she is."
Lulu shook her head. "No, I don't…but perhaps Rikku does."
"Okay, great. Where can I find Rikku?"
"She's most likely with the other Al Bhed, trying to build a new Home," Wakka's voice interrupted. He came out, gently carrying a two-year-old girl with black hair. Vivia's large brown eyes regarded Tidus with curiosity. "You can probably catch the airship the next time it comes here," he advised. "It comes once every two weeks for trading purposes."
Tidus looked up at the former blitzer. "Thanks…"
"In the mean time, you can stay here," the man went on. "There's no sense in filling up the Crusaders' lodge when we have room, ya?"
"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude or anything…"
Wakka waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, brudda. We don't get visitors here that often. The pleasure's all ours."
"Thanks," Tidus found himself saying again. Then, grinning jokingly, he asked, "When's dinner?"
---
"One thousand, ten hundred and twenty-one…"
Tidus sighed impatiently. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be getting any sleep for a while; he was thinking about Yuna. Why wouldn't Lulu tell him where Yuna was? Wakka wouldn't budge, either. The only little bit of information was what he got out of Chappu, who said something about not seeing "Aunt Yunie" for a long time.
He shuddered. I hope she hasn't died…but if she did, certainly I would have seen her on the Farplane?
He sat up in the bed that was provided for him. "Maybe if I take a walk I can get my mind off of things," he muttered. Slowly he rose to his feet and started out of the room, towards the entrance of the hut.
He stopped briefly in front of Wakka and Lulu's section of the hut. Not being one for respecting privacy, he peeked in.
Both were in a deep slumber. The man had pulled his wife into an embrace, and both were smiling blissfully. Again, Tidus found himself feeling jealous, and his heart ached to see Yuna even more.
Defeated, he turned away with a sigh and started off on his walk.
---
"You take care, ya?" Wakka called to Tidus as the blonde boarded the Al Bhed airship.
Tidus rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Yes, sir!" he responded with a mock salute. He grinned as he saw Chappu and Raia waving excitedly at him and waved back. Vivia had fallen asleep in her mother's arms.
I wonder if Cid's on the ship? mused the boy. He turned, stepping inside.
~*~*~
Comments and constructive criticism are welcome. I'm sorry if the characters are a wee bit/a lot OOC…I promise the next chapter will be slightly more interesting. ^_^;;
~ Laurzie ~
As you all know, I don't own any of the characters; they belong to Squaresoft, yada yada yada. I did, however, create Chappu (not Wakka's brother, baka), Raia, Vivia, and whoever else might pop up later on. Please do not use them at all. Thank you. ^^
This is my first attempt at a Final Fantasy X fanfic, so please don't be too harsh. *laughs* Yes, the title sucks…I'm bad at titles, gimme a break. XD
EDIT: Reuploaded AGAIN…sorry about all of the crappy mistakes…didn't realize how weird FF.net was with Word files…I converted it to HTML, so it better work now. -_-;;
~*~*~
Tidus groaned and shielded his eyes from the light. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness he sat up, observing the area around him. It seemed to be a beach of some sorts. I'm not in the Farplane anymore, that's for sure…
His heart skipped a beat. Does that mean that I'm alive again? Err, not that I was alive in the first place… Despite being alive or not, he felt excited. I can see Yuna and the others again…!
"Hey!" he called out. "Hey! Anybody out there? Hellooooooooooooooooooooo!"
He felt disgruntled when all he saw was sand and water. The young man looked behind him to see a familiar treasure chest. Wasn't that where we found the Moon Crest? Wait…that means…
"Besaid!" he voiced aloud gleefully. He was more than happy to dive into the water and swim his way to the main beach, all the while with a smile on his face.
Despite spending so long in the Farplane, he was still as agile and strong as he was when he was a Guardian. It didn't take him long to reach the beach, and when he had emerged from the water, he was amazed at how empty it was.
He looked over at the pier. The S.S. Liki wasn't docked there, but it could have been traveling to or coming back from Kilika. The Besaid Aurochs, the local blitzball team, weren't practicing on the shore. The usual crowd of youngsters wasn't running around and goofing off.
Tidus scratched his head in confusion. "Maybe they're all resting," he told himself, though he had to admit that it was a stupid reason. He placed his fists on his hips. "Well, there's only one way to find out!" The blonde boy squared his shoulders and began to march the familiar path to the village.
Another skill that hadn't diminished in the Farplane was his ability to fight, and for that he was glad. Though he was positive that he wouldn't have had trouble with the Water Flans and Dingoes anyway, he was relieved that his trusty Caladbolg had been with him.
Within a matter of minutes, Tidus had reached the village. He breathed a sigh of relief as it appeared to be the Besaid he remembered. I guess that no one wanted to go to the beach today, he rationalized. His eyes scanned the area, and he grinned as they fell on Wakka's hut. I wonder how the big guy is doing…I think I'll have to pay him a visit.
"Heyyyy!" he called as he approached. He didn't hear any response and frowned. He opened his mouth to call out again but stopped as he heard voices.
"…think they're going to do well this year. The boys work really hard, ya?"
"Do you think that they'll be able to bring home the trophy for the fifth year straight?" a feminine voice teased.
Aha…I knew they would get together, Tidus thought with a satisfied grin. He always sensed a bond between Wakka and Lulu; he just didn't know how strong of a bond it was. He supposed that it was another one of his "feelings."
The young man decided to make his presence known. "Hey, guys!" he said cheerfully, walking into the hut.
Wakka and Lulu's heads snapped to attention at the familiar voice. Simultaneously, their faces turned pale, and their mouths gaped open. Tidus laughed good-naturedly. "What's the matter? You guys act like you've seen the ghost of Omega or something."
"Tidus?" Wakka squeaked out, looking a bit spooked. "What are you…how are you…?"
"How did you get back?" finished Lulu with a bewildered expression on her face.
He shrugged and grinned boyishly. "To be honest, I haven't the slightest idea. But it's great to see you guys again! How long has it been?"
There was an uncomfortable silence. "Four years," Lulu responded quietly.
Tidus flinched and took a step back, as though someone struck at him. "Four…years…?" he repeated to himself. "Damn…" He hadn't bothered to care about how much time passed while he was in the Farplane — he couldn't have, really, since he would be stuck there for eternity anyway. "…Damn," he repeated. Everything must have changed…
He looked over at Wakka first. The man's appearance had not changed much. He still insisted on wearing the uniform of the Besaid Auroch's, and his hair was still up in its…unique style. His face still had some stubble on it. Truthfully, the only difference in his appearance was that he looked a bit older.
His head turned slightly to observe Lulu. If he hadn't had heard her talking, he wouldn't have known it was her. The former Guardian had let her hair down, literally. Gentle waves of black cascaded freely down her back. Gone was the outfit he was so used to seeing her wear. Instead, she had on a simple and flowing black dress with sleeves that came to the end of her shoulder. On her feet (he had just then noticed that he never saw what kind of shoes she wore) were simple black sandals. She also seemed a bit…rounder than he remembered her to be. Her appearance and the air around her seemed to be a lot less intimidating. Wakka must have been a good influence, he reasoned.
Wakka cleared his throat. "So, uh, what have you been up to?" he asked lamely. Tidus could tell that the man thought the question was absurd; after all, how much could a person do on the Farplane?
"Well…catching up with my old man, talking with Braska and Auron, reuniting with Mom…" He shrugged and joked, "You know, the usual. And how about you two? What've you been up to?"
For the first time ever he caught the exchange of genuine smiles between the two, the kind that bonded two lovers together. Wakka reached out to hold her hand. "Lu and I have been married for four years…the wedding was a month after we defeated Yevon, ya?"
The smile remained on the black mage's face. "About five months after, our first son was born…"
"Wait a minute," Tidus interrupted. He tried to put the facts together. "So six months after we defeated Sin, you guys had a kid? Either it was premature or you two did something that no one else knew about…"
Wakka coughed and both blushed. "Ahh…you see…remember when we spent such a long time in the Calm Lands before going to Mount Gagazet?" he began. Tidus nodded to confirm this. "Well…" He looked at Lulu and grinned, a little embarrassedly.
"I take that back, I don't want to know," Tidus retorted. Though he had thought they had some sort of fling, he didn't need it to be recounted for him. "So how many…kids do you have?"
"Three," responded Lulu. "We named our first son Chappu…in his honor." The young man didn't need to know any more reason why. "The next is our daughter Raia…she is two years younger than Chappu. Vivia is a year younger than Raia…"
"And we're expecting a fourth," Wakka said with a grin, placing a hand on his wife's rounded stomach. She blushed a little.
"Geez, you two were busy," commented Tidus bluntly. The couple chuckled nervously. "So where's—"
He didn't get to finish his sentence. At that moment, a cry arouse from one of the small divided sections of the hut. Lulu started to stand, but Wakka held out his hand to stop her. "I'll take care of it, ya?" he told her. He caught Tidus's eye. "That would be Vivia…" He rose and headed towards the section.
Tidus had to refrain from snorting with laughter when he heard the way Wakka was talking. It was so…not Wakka. He sounded like one of those perfect father figures that he had always wanted. He couldn't help but feel jealous of their kids.
He gulped, trying to regain his composure. "Um, so…Lulu, where's Yuna?"
The woman's face fell at the mention of the name. She was silent for an unbelievably long time. "Why do you ask?" she asked.
He gave her a look that clearly said, "Are you kidding me?" "Come on, Lulu. You should've known better than anyone about how close the two of us were. I want to be able to see her again…"
"I'm…not sure where she is," Lulu responded slowly.
Tidus had a feeling that she was hiding something. "You mean that you don't make sure she's safe?"
"We aren't her Guardians anymore, Tidus," Wakka's bride responded with her former attitude coming back into play. "We don't keep tabs on her wherever she goes. She's old enough to take care of herself. And in case you haven't noticed, Wakka and I have our own lives to live…raising soon-to-be four kids isn't easy. Add that to protecting Yuna and it's downright chaotic."
He cringed at her scolding. "I guess you're right," he responded dejectedly. With a sigh, he said, more of a statement than a question, "So you don't know where she is."
Lulu shook her head. "No, I don't…but perhaps Rikku does."
"Okay, great. Where can I find Rikku?"
"She's most likely with the other Al Bhed, trying to build a new Home," Wakka's voice interrupted. He came out, gently carrying a two-year-old girl with black hair. Vivia's large brown eyes regarded Tidus with curiosity. "You can probably catch the airship the next time it comes here," he advised. "It comes once every two weeks for trading purposes."
Tidus looked up at the former blitzer. "Thanks…"
"In the mean time, you can stay here," the man went on. "There's no sense in filling up the Crusaders' lodge when we have room, ya?"
"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude or anything…"
Wakka waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, brudda. We don't get visitors here that often. The pleasure's all ours."
"Thanks," Tidus found himself saying again. Then, grinning jokingly, he asked, "When's dinner?"
---
"One thousand, ten hundred and twenty-one…"
Tidus sighed impatiently. He had a feeling that he wouldn't be getting any sleep for a while; he was thinking about Yuna. Why wouldn't Lulu tell him where Yuna was? Wakka wouldn't budge, either. The only little bit of information was what he got out of Chappu, who said something about not seeing "Aunt Yunie" for a long time.
He shuddered. I hope she hasn't died…but if she did, certainly I would have seen her on the Farplane?
He sat up in the bed that was provided for him. "Maybe if I take a walk I can get my mind off of things," he muttered. Slowly he rose to his feet and started out of the room, towards the entrance of the hut.
He stopped briefly in front of Wakka and Lulu's section of the hut. Not being one for respecting privacy, he peeked in.
Both were in a deep slumber. The man had pulled his wife into an embrace, and both were smiling blissfully. Again, Tidus found himself feeling jealous, and his heart ached to see Yuna even more.
Defeated, he turned away with a sigh and started off on his walk.
---
"You take care, ya?" Wakka called to Tidus as the blonde boarded the Al Bhed airship.
Tidus rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Yes, sir!" he responded with a mock salute. He grinned as he saw Chappu and Raia waving excitedly at him and waved back. Vivia had fallen asleep in her mother's arms.
I wonder if Cid's on the ship? mused the boy. He turned, stepping inside.
~*~*~
Comments and constructive criticism are welcome. I'm sorry if the characters are a wee bit/a lot OOC…I promise the next chapter will be slightly more interesting. ^_^;;
~ Laurzie ~