--Chapter Four--
The cafe was completly empty, save those who worked there, but even they were celebrating in the back. Tidus found it so satisfying that an entire town could celebrate for something he'd done... even if he had killed his father. He no longer hated Jecht... he felt an understanding for the man he use to reluctantly call his father now.
Tidus just got a quick snack that he could bring with him, that Rikku happily paid for, and they walked back into the streets of the town. They walked down the streets and Rikku watched the sky. It was upsetting to see that the sunny day was quickly turning darker as clouds approached. The black clouds covering the sun reflected her mood... her happiness, the sun, trying to shine through the clouds, her true feelings. They both tried, but it just wasn't happening.
Unknowingly, Tidus found himself back at the entrance of the town of Luca, back where he had told Yuna to whistle, and he'd come. He wondered if she'd ever whistled after he'd gone... Tidus rested his arms on the balcony, and hung his head. Rikku stood next to him, staring silently at the sky. He too saw the clouds approaching from the horizon over the water towards them. In the distance, he heard the beginning of a clap of thunder.
Suprisingly, there was no response from Rikku. He looked over, wondering if she'd left. But she was standing right there.
"Rikku, you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she said, smiling.
"Well, cause there's a storm coming," he scratched the back of his head, confused. "Arent' you, ah, afraid of...thunder?"
Rikku nodded after a hesitation, the movement reminding him alot of Yuna's nod. "I use to be, but not anymore."
"Ooh," Tidus said, although he really didn't understand. But, he didn't understand much about Rikku. Just that she was a friend, someone who helped him, and someone he found comfort with.
Another clap of thunder sounded as the storm came closer. Another, and another. Not once did Rikku even flinch. Tidus wondered if she was even the same person.
"Hey," Tidus said, trying to lighten what had somehow become a depressed mood, "you remember the first time we met?"
"Yeah," Rikku laughed. "You couldn't even handle yourself against a little fiend."
"I was half asleep and hungry," Tidus defended but laughed too. "I had no idea what was going on, who you were... what you were saying. I learned alot of Al Bhed since then."
"Oh yeah?" Rikku smirked. " 'Then tell me what I'm saying, hmm?' " Rikku questioned in Al Bhed.
" 'That's too easy. It's nice to know your native language, though.' "
Rikku laughed some more. "You're pretty good. Rin was helping you, right?" She smiled and looked up as the first drop of rain from the storm hit her on the forehead. She shivered... the water. She should still be afraid of the water? The water had returned Tidus to her, had brought him back once again. "You also beat me up that time."
"I didn't know it was you!"
"Sure you didn't," Rikku teased, then backed up a step, and bounced into a fighting stance. "I want a rematch. No one beats an Al Bhed!"
Tidus turned and looked at Rikku, smile growing. "Fine, if you're ready to loose." He didn't have his sword, but he had never relied on the sword until the day Auron had showed up... blitzball skills were handy in a little fight. Rain wasn't.
Rikku took a step foward, sending a right jab at him, which he side stepped to avoid, then aimed a kick for her side. The Al Bhed jumped back, catching his foot on an edge and throwing him off balance. Without hesitation, she spun closer, hitting him in the shoulder with a roundhouse, then another punch. Tidus grabbed the gloved hand and pulled Rikku closer.
He had meant to retaliate, he had. But he found he couldn't move. He just stared at her swirled eyes, the eyes he loved. There was no coherent thought in his mind at that moment. He couldn't recall anything.
She felt much the same way, transfixed by the blue of his eyes. But she told herself, no, no she couldn't do this now, not now, not ever. She took her free hand and sent a punch to Tidus's chest, not too hard but enough to suprise him. When he met her eyes again, she smirked. "I told you, Al Bhed's don't loose."
Then, she took off running and laughing. A few seconds later, Tidus was chaising her through the large town, in the pouring rain, lightening and thunder flashing all around them. They were so caught up in having fun, Rikku didn't even notice she was unconciously leading the way back to the inn, until she stopped dead in front of the door.
Tidus had to stop even quicker to avoid plowing into Rikku and together they both stared at the inn, until there came a voice from inside.
"Rikku, is that you?"
Tidus and Rikku exchanged a look, but neither knew exactly what the emotion behind the look was, because the voice had belonged to Yuna.
A/N: More tomorrow! The reunion of Tidus and Yuna, as well as everyone else! What will happen?? Stay tuned! *soap opera music plays*
The cafe was completly empty, save those who worked there, but even they were celebrating in the back. Tidus found it so satisfying that an entire town could celebrate for something he'd done... even if he had killed his father. He no longer hated Jecht... he felt an understanding for the man he use to reluctantly call his father now.
Tidus just got a quick snack that he could bring with him, that Rikku happily paid for, and they walked back into the streets of the town. They walked down the streets and Rikku watched the sky. It was upsetting to see that the sunny day was quickly turning darker as clouds approached. The black clouds covering the sun reflected her mood... her happiness, the sun, trying to shine through the clouds, her true feelings. They both tried, but it just wasn't happening.
Unknowingly, Tidus found himself back at the entrance of the town of Luca, back where he had told Yuna to whistle, and he'd come. He wondered if she'd ever whistled after he'd gone... Tidus rested his arms on the balcony, and hung his head. Rikku stood next to him, staring silently at the sky. He too saw the clouds approaching from the horizon over the water towards them. In the distance, he heard the beginning of a clap of thunder.
Suprisingly, there was no response from Rikku. He looked over, wondering if she'd left. But she was standing right there.
"Rikku, you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she said, smiling.
"Well, cause there's a storm coming," he scratched the back of his head, confused. "Arent' you, ah, afraid of...thunder?"
Rikku nodded after a hesitation, the movement reminding him alot of Yuna's nod. "I use to be, but not anymore."
"Ooh," Tidus said, although he really didn't understand. But, he didn't understand much about Rikku. Just that she was a friend, someone who helped him, and someone he found comfort with.
Another clap of thunder sounded as the storm came closer. Another, and another. Not once did Rikku even flinch. Tidus wondered if she was even the same person.
"Hey," Tidus said, trying to lighten what had somehow become a depressed mood, "you remember the first time we met?"
"Yeah," Rikku laughed. "You couldn't even handle yourself against a little fiend."
"I was half asleep and hungry," Tidus defended but laughed too. "I had no idea what was going on, who you were... what you were saying. I learned alot of Al Bhed since then."
"Oh yeah?" Rikku smirked. " 'Then tell me what I'm saying, hmm?' " Rikku questioned in Al Bhed.
" 'That's too easy. It's nice to know your native language, though.' "
Rikku laughed some more. "You're pretty good. Rin was helping you, right?" She smiled and looked up as the first drop of rain from the storm hit her on the forehead. She shivered... the water. She should still be afraid of the water? The water had returned Tidus to her, had brought him back once again. "You also beat me up that time."
"I didn't know it was you!"
"Sure you didn't," Rikku teased, then backed up a step, and bounced into a fighting stance. "I want a rematch. No one beats an Al Bhed!"
Tidus turned and looked at Rikku, smile growing. "Fine, if you're ready to loose." He didn't have his sword, but he had never relied on the sword until the day Auron had showed up... blitzball skills were handy in a little fight. Rain wasn't.
Rikku took a step foward, sending a right jab at him, which he side stepped to avoid, then aimed a kick for her side. The Al Bhed jumped back, catching his foot on an edge and throwing him off balance. Without hesitation, she spun closer, hitting him in the shoulder with a roundhouse, then another punch. Tidus grabbed the gloved hand and pulled Rikku closer.
He had meant to retaliate, he had. But he found he couldn't move. He just stared at her swirled eyes, the eyes he loved. There was no coherent thought in his mind at that moment. He couldn't recall anything.
She felt much the same way, transfixed by the blue of his eyes. But she told herself, no, no she couldn't do this now, not now, not ever. She took her free hand and sent a punch to Tidus's chest, not too hard but enough to suprise him. When he met her eyes again, she smirked. "I told you, Al Bhed's don't loose."
Then, she took off running and laughing. A few seconds later, Tidus was chaising her through the large town, in the pouring rain, lightening and thunder flashing all around them. They were so caught up in having fun, Rikku didn't even notice she was unconciously leading the way back to the inn, until she stopped dead in front of the door.
Tidus had to stop even quicker to avoid plowing into Rikku and together they both stared at the inn, until there came a voice from inside.
"Rikku, is that you?"
Tidus and Rikku exchanged a look, but neither knew exactly what the emotion behind the look was, because the voice had belonged to Yuna.
A/N: More tomorrow! The reunion of Tidus and Yuna, as well as everyone else! What will happen?? Stay tuned! *soap opera music plays*