Author's Note: It's taken me forever it seems, but I had to pause because I was running out of creative ideas. Regardless, I'm refreshed now and here is the next chapter! (Once again, Tidus being roused painfully; I must be some kind of unconscious sadist…Oh, and I though it would be fun for Wakka to call Tidus 'Tida' as a nickname, just so there's no confusion)
Chapter VII: Song Birds and Angry Bees
When Tidus came to, he woke to what felt like his muscles were in flames and a nest of angry wasps had lodged in his brain. His bones may as well have been lead and his mouth tasted like dry metal. Even groaning in pain was uncomfortable.
"Hold still, Tida." Before Tidus could even comprehend that Wakka was with him, two massive arms roped underneath his armpits and hoisted him to a sitting position. Tidus wailed in anguish at the feeling. "Sorry kid, but you gotta sit up. We got problems."
Tidus' head lolled about on his shoulders, but he got a pretty good look around.
It was called 'the Cloister' but technically it was a prison. The place was a gauntlet of floating metal floors, electrical pulses, and immovable barriers, only removed under the presence of a sphere. Although Tidus had never before had the 'pleasure' of touring the place, he'd heard enough to know that no one had ever escaped. The Maester of Bevelle kept his prisoners there until he decided whether to turn them loose into Spira or into the Via Purifico: the execution chamber. Usually fate turned towards the latter.
He was sharing the floating square of metal with Lulu and Wakka.
Lulu was standing, her bearing as dark and striking as ever, but her face was a white mask of worry and she wrung her hands under her long bell-sleeves. Wakka sort of crouched next to Tidus to make sure he didn't fall to the floor again, and he looked worse for wear than Lulu did. There were dark circles under his eyes and his normally tall hair was sort of lopsided, like some exotic, wilted flower. The metal taste in Tidus' mouth extended down to his stomach.
"How long have we been down here?" Tidus asked, his tongue feeling thick and cottony inside his mouth. The hornets in his head had died down but his body still ached.
"We don't know…" Lulu said, chewing on her lower lip. "It seems like forever. We didn't know if you were going to wake up either." Her violet nails were bitten and bleeding.
Tidus was trying to piece together what had gone on earlier. "Yuna…?"
His question was met with the most painful of silences.
Tidus groaned from the sharp stab of pain that ripped through his chest. He began to recall the events of the last time he was awake, ending with the blue lightning that had pulverized him. The tiny cry that had echoed from down the hall drowned out the buzzing in his ears. But it was one thousand times more painful.
"Bastard…" He hissed, clutching his chest. He felt like he couldn't breathe.
"He betrayed us all." Wakka said, acid in his voice. "When you didn't come back, we thought something was wrong. The next thing you know, we're being dragged down here without any explanation. We thought you were dead when we first saw you. What happened?"
After swallowing several times to get the dry feeling from his mouth, Tidus began to explain what had gone on between Yuna, Seymour, and him before he had been electrocuted. Looking back, the events made him feel even sicker than before and when his tale was completed both Lulu and Wakka seemed to be shaking in shock and fury. Tidus could hardly blame them; if he had full capacity of his muscles, he would be attempting to scale the walls of this place.
"Why is he doing this?" Wakka finally asked, horror and hate fighting for control in his voice.
"More importantly," Lulu interrupted. "What should we do? We have to get her out of here."
"We have to find a way to get out of here…" Tidus got to his feet, his knees wobbling. He almost tipped over again, as a smooth voice wafted through his cell. Tidus blood began to boil as he recognized Seymour's velvety smooth tones. Now that soft and composed voice only made his skin crawl.
"It's useless to try and escape. No one has ever gotten out of the Cloister without my leave. You shouldn't make this any more difficult for yourself. Once Yuna and I are married, I will let the three of you go free."
"Lies." Tidus felt his nails digging into his palm as Seymour, poised and perfect, appeared outside of their cell. "After what we know, you would never let us go. You know I would fight you to my last breath to get her away from you."
There was steel in Seymour's blue eyes and his jaw clenched in ire.
"Why are you doing this?" Lulu shouted angrily. She turned so that her braids snapped like a whip. "Where is Yuna?"
Seymour rested his cheek on his hand and regarded the three of them like they were not even worthy of his presence. Finally, his eyes coming to rest on a furious and trembling Tidus, he seemed to come to a decision and smiled venomously.
"She's quite safe at the moment. Worry not, I have guards with her at all times. As to my plans…I hope all of you are paying attention, because this idea is my pride and joy." Seymour took a deep breath before launching into his plan. "It took me most of my life it seems…I have a plan to eradicate the entire race of Al-Bhed, you see."
Tidus felt his breath freeze halfway through his throat.
"The whole reason I became Maester was to realize this ideal of mine. You see, when I was young, my father had a very similar idea and brought it before the panel of lords. We felt that if all the lords united, then we could raise enough support to rout Bikanel Island. Unfortunately we had resistance to the plan in the form of Lord Braska. Usually the lords will just go along with whatever the Maesters suggest, but not Braska. Much to our dismay, a good majority of the lords agreed with Braska. I would find him admirable if he wasn't so irritating.
Regardless, I knew that the only way to have sway over the lords would be to somehow gain control over Besaid. I could have killed Braska, but I knew it would be equally as difficult to sway Yuna when she came into ladyship. So I found a much more favorable solution: marrying her, so by default when Braska dies, I'll become Lord of Besaid. Unfortunately, not too long ago there was a hitch in my plan…"
"It was you!" Tidus shrieked, the ringing in his ears now only because of his yell. "You killed Kinoc! And you used it to…" Tidus felt his stomach go cold at the realization. It all made sense now…everything fit together. "You used it to bait us here…"
Seymour grinned maniacally, his blue eyes full of nothing but venom. "I didn't lie. I was going to press my suit on Yuna, but it turns out that Braska doesn't fully trust me, as he arranged for Yuna to be married to Kinoc while I was away on business. I tell you, it was no easy task finding an assassin willing to kill himself afterwards. Luckily, it all worked out and the detectives I employed managed to find the evidence so as not to incriminate me."
"So what now?" Lulu asked in horror, her violet eyes practically lavender.
"Well…the joyous news is already spreading throughout Besaid. Lady Yuna has accepted my proposal for marriage and within the week we will be wed. Of course Lord Braska will be in attendance and…I fear an Al-Bhed assassin will be there as well to kill the beloved Lord of Besaid, giving the rest of Spira an excuse to avenge him. And just like that, this world will be rid of the scourge of the pagan Al-Bhed."
Tidus did not know whom to fear for first: Lord Braska, the Al-Bhed (including Rikku), Yuna, or themselves.
"You're…going to kill Lord Braska?" Wakka's voice trembled.
"There's no way Yuna would marry you!" Tidus barked. "You lied to her didn't you?" Tidus pondered for a moment what Seymour could possibly have as leverage against her freedom. He felt his oceanic eyes narrow. "She's trading her hand for our lives…isn't she?"
Seymour smiled. "I swore to her that you three would go free, but…now that you know everything that I've said…I'll be forced to execute all of you. I don't like leaving loose ends, you see."
"You're insane!" Tidus screamed, stumbling forward a few steps. "If you think for one second I'll let you marry her, you are out of your damn mind! I'll never let you…"
Seymour smiled at Tidus indulgently. "I fear you have no say in the matter, Tidus. You've meddled in my affairs for the last time. I'll be marrying within the week and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it." Seymour turned his back on them. "Enjoy what time you have left."
"NO!" Tidus screamed, racing at the yellow barrier that split him from Maester Seymour. He was blasted backward the moment his outstretched hand touched the warm surface. He clipped Lulu in the shoulder as he passed and landed on his knees, the tips of his hair smoldering. "No…Yuna…"
….
Waiting was agony.
Tidus didn't know what day it was or how much longer he had left to live. And no matter what sort of rescue plan he concocted in his mind, the fact of the matter was that the plans would only be plausible once he, Lulu and Wakka were outside of the charged barrier. And the barrier stretched over their cell like a bubble, making any possible escape plan null and void.
Aside from that obvious problem, Tidus and Wakka had no weapons and Lulu's magic was barred by some sort of dark bangle that had been clamped to her wrist. Even if they did escape, by some miracle, they were weaponless against the might of Bevelle. It seemed hopeless.
The only shred of hope that remained to him was that Rikku would appear before all hell broke loose.
"He's going to kill Lord Braska…" Wakka murmured again and Lulu squeezed his hand in reassurance.
"Not if Sir Auron, Sir Jecht, and Kimahri do their jobs properly. We can only hope that they will sense the danger and act accordingly. Surely they will notice our absence."
Tidus felt sorry for Lulu and Wakka. It was obvious to see the love the two of them shared for one another, even though it was forbidden until Yuna was wedded. But alone and faced with the prospect of death, they were willing to be more open with their affections.
He didn't know which of them had it worse: He and Yuna or Wakka and Lulu. Wakka and Lulu were together and (as of now) would be together until the moment they died. But then they knew that the one they loved so was about to be killed and there was absolutely nothing to be done about it.
Meanwhile, Tidus knew the love of his life was safe…but in the arms of another man and completely against her will. If he were to die in this second, it would be in torment, as he had no idea as to what the future held for Yuna.
His heart ached with jealousy and frustration and fear causing his eyes to ache. He envied Lulu and Wakka…but only a little.
Tidus, even feeling as hopeless as he was, was reinvigorated by his envy and set to planning again...
It felt like moments, perhaps a few hours, really when nine guards, all dressed in stern navy blue, marched up in front of the barrier around the cell. Tidus, Lulu, and Wakka all leapt to their feet, waiting for word.
One of the guards cleared his throat. "In exactly three hours, Maester Seymour will wed Lady Yuna. The moment the bells in the city chime together in celebration of their union, we have been instructed to carry you to the Via Purifico and promptly seal your fate."
"What do you mean 'carry us'?" Lulu asked.
Three of the guards unsheathed their weapons: long black rods that sparked blue lightning at the tips. Tidus' skin crawled in unpleasant remembrance.
"Maester Seymour feared that you would try to escape the moment the barrier was released, so we must make necessary precautions. We were told to use whichever voltage was called for."
Tidus almost toppled over in disappointment. Seymour was unmercifully clever. His tiny hope popped like a soap bubble and he began to resign himself to his fate. Thanks to the warm climate of Besaid, Tidus had never felt the sting of true cold, but at that moment, his chest felt as shriveled and cold as though he had spent the night on Mount Gagazet.
Tidus smashed his face into his hands in pure defeat, his shoulders hanging low.
Lulu and Wakka didn't speak at all, but stared at one another, memorizing their faces before it was too late. Tidus didn't even have that luxury. He had to make do with his memory.
In his mind he could practically feel her cool skin, like porcelain or white satin, even if she had been in the sun for hours. He could feel her softness pressing up against him as she slept and the faint tickle as the ends of her brown hair rubbed against his hand. He could feel as his memory failed him in places, where his recollections were blurry and faint, like a fading scent.
At least throughout all of his thoughts, her eyes stood out stark and warm like beacons of green and blue. When she smiled at him they lit up with love and affection; her eyes seemed full to bursting with life whenever they met with his. He wanted to stare into her eyes for ages…
"Yuna…" He murmured her name, prayed it almost. Nothing held more value in his heart than she did. His chest ached and his blood boiled…all for her. And in that moment, his will to live flickered back.
Electricity, pain, death…they didn't scare him.
"I love you…so I'll fight for you." His skin prickled at the anticipation of a lot of lightning, but Tidus chose to ignore it. The second the barrier was down, he was going to fight with every breath in his body. At least he'd die for her.
The three of them jumped at the sound of one bell chiming, deep and low. Two hours to go. Tidus' heart went out to Yuna. She was probably terrified, hiding behind a mask of perfect serenity.
Tidus began counting down the minutes, preparing himself for a world of pain that was probably in store for him. With each passing minute, his heart rate increased until it drowned out the second set of bells.
One hour.
At minute thirty-two and twenty-seven seconds, there was a great shout and Tidus was on instant alert as the guards became lost in a thick layer of black smoke. Thankfully, it did not penetrate the cell, as the electric barrier kept things out as well as in. The shouts increased and the response was a volley of gunfire, racing through the smog like shoot stars. There was no ceasefire until all the shouting had stopped.
It seemed like a thousand years had passed before the smoke cleared.
Tidus could not keep the smile from his face as he caught the flash of gold amidst the darkness.
"RIKKU!"
"TIDUS!" Came the excited reply and Rikku's relieved and sooty face popped up from behind the barrier. "Lulu! Wakka! You're still alive! Thank goodness we're in time!" Tidus had never been more thrilled to see anyone in his life. "GIPPAL! Have you found the sphere yet?"
As if to reply, the yellow barrier that separated Tidus from freedom dissolved away into nothingness. Tidus gave an involuntary cry of joy and wasted no time in clambering out of his cell, Lulu and Wakka hot on his heels.
He embraced Rikku, sweeping her off her feet. "Good timing. I almost thought we were done for." Over her shoulder, Tidus noted another Al-Bhed coming towards them, his gun rested on his shoulder. Tidus set Rikku back down.
The Al-Bhed guy saluted jauntily, his grin as devilish as Rikku's. His gold hair was set in a row of spikes and a black eye patch covered one of his glistening green eyes. He looked sort of like an Al-Bhed pirate.
"Nice to meet you all! I'm Gippal. Here on behalf of the detective services the Crimson Squad. We're here to help you liberate Lady Yuna and stop this bastard, Seymour, from eliminating us."
"Lord Braska!" Wakka gasped, coming abreast of Rikku. "We have to warn him!"
"Don't worry!" Rikku said impishly, bouncing in place. "The rest of the Crimson Squad is already on their way to warn him. Our job is to rescue you and then we're gonna go get Yunie! When I heard she was marrying Seymour, I knew something was wrong so we hightailed it to Bevelle. I'm just glad we made it in time…"
"We have enough evidence to incriminate Maester Seymour." Gippal continued, grinning maniacally, and Tidus felt warmth spread through his bloodstream. "But we need to hurry and get out of here. The wedding is going to start in a little-."
As if on cue, city bells rang three times and everyone present froze in horror. He wedding had officially begun.
"Yeah, let's go." Gippal said quickly as Tidus dashed past him completely.
