Disclaimer: I do not own any characters featured in this story. They all belong to the inventive Square Enix.
Part II: Chapter Five
We left the Al Bhed camp the next morning with Rikku now in our ranks. The Al Bhed there were grateful for everything I had done for them the day before, so they sent us all off with their blessing and apology for kidnapping me. Again.
Once we found the main road again we were on our way. We got to Guadosalam at around midday. The heat had risen so we were all hot, sweaty and irritated. Seeing the huge tree-like entrance to Guadosalam was a huge relief to all of us.
When we got inside of the city I was admittedly taken back. The place was like a giant tree house. Seriously, for a moment I thought we had stepped into some kind of freaky fantasy RPG. I half expected to see a couple elves pop out to greet us.
In reality it was an old, stuffy looking Guado that greeted us as when arrived.
"We have been expecting you, milord. Welcome to Guadosalam. This way, please, this way," he said, reaching for my hand.
I stared at him flabbergasted until Auron stepped in front of me, and stopped the Guado's hand. Between the two of them, Auron was clearly the more intimidating one. He was about the same height as the Guado (who was oddly short for as far as Guados go), but he was much broader across the shoulders and arms. He also wasn't dressed like a sissy.
"Step away," he ordered, staring down the Guado until he did as ordered. Pretty impressive considering he had one eye and a pair of dark sunglasses on. But then again, this was Auron we were talking about here.
"Oh, I beg your pardon," the old Guado apologized, bowing. "I'm called Tromell Guado. I am in the direct service of our leader, the great Seymour Guado. Lord Seymour has very important business with Lord Tidus."
Seymour. Of course. Should've known.
"Did he say why?" I asked, eyeing up the huge palace-like structure behind him.
Tromell shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to say. Please, come inside the manor. All will be explained there. Of course, your friends are also welcome."
"Twist our arms why don't ya!" Rikku muttered, scratching her cheek.
"Well, might as well get it over with," I sighed, and followed the old man into the manor.
Tromell left us waiting in the front foyer while he left to check on… something. I don't know. I wasn't listening. I was a bit preoccupied with gawking around the place. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It looked like a mansion but with a sophisticated tree house theme to it.
"These are the past leaders of the Guado," Belgemine told me when I wandered over to where she was inspecting Seymour's portrait, among others.
"They all look the same," I commented, comparing them.
"Maester Seymour doesn't look like them, though," Gatta pointed out, and he was right. Seymour was, admittedly, better looking than his ancestors. I think he had Anima to thank for that.
"That's probably because his mom was a human," I said to him without thinking.
Belgemine glanced at me sharply. "How did you know that?"
I froze. "Uhh…"
Tromell saved me from answering by emerging from the inner rooms of the mansion. "This way, please. Lord Seymour will be with you in a moment."
We all followed him into the banquet hall where Rikku and Gatta immediately attacked the buffet table. If it was another time and place, I probably would have joined them. Unfortunately my stomach was too twisted into too many knots for me to eat.
So instead I stood between Auron and Belgemine and waited impatiently for Seymour to come. Tromell, for reasons I don't know, tried to make conversation with us despite the looks Auron kept giving him. It made me wonder if all Guado were as fearless or as dense as him.
"Truly, it is good to have guests again. Since Lord Jyscal passed away, these halls have been too quiet," he said to Belgemine and me.
Belgemine nodded in agreement. "The death of Lord Jyscal was a great loss for all of Spira."
I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Was this Maester Jyscal really such a great guy?"
"He brought the teachings of Yevon to the Guado. He was truly a great man," assured Belgemine
"Truly, a loss for us all," Tromell said with a sad sigh. "But now a new leader, Lord Seymour, has come before us. Lord Seymour is the child of a Guado and a human. He will be the tie that binds our two races together. But that is not all, I think. Lord Seymour… he will surely become the shining star that lights the way for all the peoples of Spira!"
"That is enough, Tromell. Must I always endure such praise?" Seymour reprimand gaily, finally making his grand appearance. He paused at the doorway to sweep his eyes over the room before giving a Yevon bow. "Welcome!"
I stepped forward. "You… wanted to see me?"
Seymour waved a dismissive hand. "Please, make yourselves at home. There's no rush."
I stared at him flatly. "Uhh, actually there is. I'm on a pilgrimage to defeat Sin here. Remember?"
Tromell and Belgemine both sucked in a breath at my obvious disrespect. Seymour only gave me an amused look. "Pardon me. It has been a long time since I had guests. Very well. The reason I asked you here was to speak to you about Anima." He paused for a moment and then added, "In private."
"Fine," I said before my guardians could disagree. "Then we can leave, right?"
He nodded. "Of course. Please, come this way."
I gave my guardians a reassuring smile before following the maester into an adorning room on the side. It was smaller than the hall and looked more like a sitting room.
"So… what did you want to ask about Anima?" I asked, turning around only to find Seymour standing right behind me. I took a few steps back and glared up at him. "Ever heard of personal space?"
He smiled. "My apologies. Please, take a seat and I will explain why I asked to speak to you."
I sat down on the sofa across from him, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Okay. Start talking."
"When we spoke before Operation Mi'ihen, you told me that the fayth instructed you to go to Anima. You also commented back in Luca that you have spoken to her more than once. I want you to explain what you meant."
With a heavy sigh, I explained my situation to the Guado. "I can talk to the fayth in my mind whenever I want. Or rather, whenever they're available. I've talked to Anima the most and she's told me about what happened to you two."
"I see. And do you have any proof of this?" he asked, looking skeptic but curious.
I pondered the question for a moment before grinning. "Your childhood plushie was named Hoohoo."
Seymour's face turned a light shade of pink that oddly complimented his eyes. I couldn't help but stare, entranced by the very human reaction.
"I… believe you," he said, clearing his throat and pushing the blush away. "So you have spoken to my mother. And now you know my story."
"Yeah. But it's more than that. I… she asked me to save you. And I promised her I would," I told him.
"Save me?" he repeated before laughing. "You promised her you would save me? How?"
"I… I don't know," I admitted, suddenly feeling very foolish and naïve. How was I supposed to save someone that I didn't even know? And what was I supposed to save him from again?
Seymour regarded me mutely for a few minutes before finally speaking again. "If you are truly determined to save me, might I make a suggestion?"
I shrugged. "Shoot."
"The most important goal in my life is to ease the suffering of Spira. I want to bring them joy and relief until Sin is defeated," he explained. "But I cannot do that alone. That's where you come in."
"How? What do you want me to do?"
Seymour smirked. "Marry me."
I stared at him, waiting for the punch line. When it didn't come I decided I must not have heard him right. "Excuse me? Can you repeat that?"
"I asked you to marry me," he said in a drawn out tone.
My brain stalled. I rubbed my eyes a few times. Pinched myself on the thigh. Nothing. The smirking Guado was still in front of me. I wasn't dreaming.
Well in that case…
I exploded. "Are you insane?" I screamed, standing up to point at him. "How the hell did you connect 'save me' to 'marry me'?"
Seymour frowned. He probably wasn't expecting this kind of reaction. "You said you wanted to save me, but I don't need saving. However, you can help me bring the people of Spira a distraction from Sin. By marrying me you will bring a light of hope to the people of Spira. A Guado maester and a human summoner joining together in a powerful bond to overcome Sin. Can you imagine how happy they'll be?"
Okay, I could understand that. Seeing someone powerful get married would be like a symbol of a better future I guess. But why me?
"But why does it have to be me? Why not someone like… like Yuna! She's the daughter of a High Summoner!" I pointed out. Then paused and realized what I just said and blanched. I just offered Yuna to Seymour. Bad, Tidus, bad!
"Lady Yuna would be a more ideal choice," Seymour admitted, standing up and moving to stand (read: leer) over me. "However, I find myself fonder of you than I am of her."
"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically, backing away only to fall back onto the couch. That didn't stop me though. I scooted down to the other end while Seymour sat down next to me.
"So you like me. Great. But what about love? Isn't that, like, a necessity in marriage?"
He scoffed. "You don't have to love someone to marry them. Actually, in arranged marriages love usually doesn't come later after you know your spouse better. I think that would apply to our case best."
Crap. Talking to this guy was like trying to navigate a maze while wearing a blindfold. I was getting nowhere.
"Can I even marry you?" I asked, grasping at straws and knowing it.
"Of course. The age of marriage is fourteen."
I resisted the urge to gag. Eww. Pedophiles!
"You know, there's no need to answer right away. Think it over for however long you want. Don't feel pressured to agree," he said smoothly, smiling at me kindly.
I gave him a flat look. "I had intended to."
Seymour's smile morphed into a smirk. I think he was beginning to get that I could see through his little Boy Scout façade, and that wearing his mask around me wasn't scoring him any points. Honestly, I would probably respect him a lot more if he would just be himself.
"What about my pilgrimage? You know I'm not giving that up," I said, just remembering it.
"I wouldn't dream of asking you to," he replied. "In fact, I want you to continue your pilgrimage. Defeating Sin is a major priority to all of us."
"But if I do defeat Sin… I would have to die. Could you really stand to send your partner off like that?" I asked him. Actually there was a chance I wasn't going to die, but he didn't know that, and I didn't plan to share it with him yet. I really wanted to know his answer to such a dilemma.
Seymour stared at me like it was obvious. "Of course."
I felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of cold water over me. How could he just dismiss me so obviously like that? He wanted to marry me yet he had no problems sending me off to die. Maybe I was being overly sensitive, but such a thought just didn't sit well with me. How could I marry someone who didn't care enough to try and stop me from fighting Sin?
"Well in that case I think we're done here. Goodbye, Maester Seymour," I said, giving him a fake smile and standing up. I marched over to the door and threw it open to find my guardians and Tromell waiting there. They all looked at me in obvious curiosity and concern.
"We're leaving," I told them, walking to the exit.
"Tidus!" Seymour called, catching up to me thanks to his freakily long legs. I felt his fingers wrap around my elbow and stop me in my tracks. I hissed as he jerked me around. He was surprisingly strong. Must be the Guado blood.
"Let go," I said, trying to pull my arm back and failing.
"I have offended you. I'm sorry," he apologized, sounding totally unapologetic.
"The hell you are! What kind of person asks someone to marry them and then agrees to let them die in the next sentence?"
"Because I thought if I had said otherwise I would have offended you!"
"Well, congratulations because you did, genius! Now let go or so help me—!"
The sound of a sword being drawn cut through our argument. Before anyone could blink, Auron placed his blade on the right side of Seymour's neck. One clean swipe and this Guado would be a headless Guado.
"Release him," my guardian ordered quietly. That meant danger. Auron always got real quiet right before he snapped.
Seymour released his iron hold on my arm and allowed me to step back. I rubbed at my elbow, gently massaging the bones and muscles. I was going to have a bruise there later.
"I apologize, Tidus," Seymour said slowly, staring down into my eyes. "I did not mean to upset you by dismissing your possible death as if it were nothing. I just thought that if I had admitted that you continuing your pilgrimage would affect me, then you might feel like I was trying to stop you."
I stared up into his lavender eyes silently. He seemed honest and actually a bit sincere, and I think maybe even a bit… guilty?
"I accept your apology," I finally answered before standing up on my toes to look over his shoulder at my guardian. "Auron, it's okay now. You can put your sword away."
"Get over here," he ordered in return, not moving his blade.
Without complaint I moved around the Guado to stand by the older man's side. As soon as I was he pulled his blade away from Seymour's neck, and put it back in its usual place.
Seymour turned around to face us once he was safe again. He gave us both a courtly bow.
"My apologies, Sir Auron, for making you think I meant Tidus any harm. I promise that was not my intent."
Auron snorted. It was a new snort I had just noticed recently, and had finally categorized. It translated roughly into something like 'I pity the foo' that mess with mah summoner.'
"He understands," I said to Seymour since I knew Auron wouldn't say anything even remotely polite to him. "And I think it's time for us to all leave now. We have a lot to talk about."
Seymour nodded. "Of course. Tidus, I will await your favorable reply."
I nodded and began pushing Auron around the Guado and towards the exit with my other three guardians following us. We were just about out the door when Seymour had to go and open his big mouth again.
"Why are you still here, sir?" he asked.
Auron paused.
"I beg your pardon, Sir Auron. It's just that we Guado are keen to the scent of the Farplane…"
Underneath my hand Auron's arm stiffened. I looked up at his face and saw him clench his jaw tightly before stomping out. With one last look at Seymour's back, I hurried out after him with the rest of my friends.
"What was that?" Rikku shrieked at me once we were out of the manor and outside of Guadosalam back to where the Moonflow was. I needed some fresh air and Auron looked ready to kill something, so we all agreed to go back outside of the city where fresh air and fiends were available to all.
I collapsed on the grass under a thick tree. Rikku stood over me on my right while Belgemine gracefully sat down next to me on my left. Gatta stood near Belgemine and Auron was standing in front of me a few feet away. Even from this distance I could see that he was still pretty tense.
"Tidus?" Belgemine's cool hand touched my arm gently; wordlessly expressing her concern.
"He asked me to marry him," I said dully, rubbing my forehead.
"Who? Seymour?" asked Rikku.
I nodded. "Yeah."
Rikku let out a gasp/shriek hybrid noise while Belgemine sucked in a sudden breath. I saw Auron's head snap up.
"Why?" asked Gatta, the only rational one. He didn't seem surprised by my admission; just curious and a bit confused.
"Because it would be good for the people of Spira. Something about giving them hope and something to look forward to," I explained, shrugging.
"A human summoner and the leader of the Guado. Married in the name of Yevon, overcoming the barriers of race. It would give Spira something cheery to talk about for a change," admitted Belgemine, putting the dots together rather quickly.
"But… why now? Why you?" Rikku questioned.
"Because… he likes me. At least, that's what he said. I don't know why now though. I sort of walked out before we could get that far."
"We noticed," snickered Gatta.
Belgemine gave him a sharp look that made him sober up quickly. "It's not funny. This is a very serious matter. Tidus might be marrying one of the most powerful men in all of Spira."
"He's a maester, not a god," I reminded my teacher, rolling my eyes.
She shook her head in disagreement. "Here in Spira it practically means the same thing. Tidus… Seymour Guado is a young, charismatic, powerful man who holds a lot of influence over Spira. And now he has chosen you to share all of that with. Do you understand what that means?"
"Yeah. Now when I want donuts they'll be free," I said with a straight face before cracking up. I couldn't help it. I always had a bad habit of laughing during serious moments.
"Tidus! This is serious! It's not a joke!" Belgemine scolded, her gentle face settling into a scowl.
"I know it is! I know! I just… agghh!" I stood up and walked away from the group. "I can't think right now, Bel! It's too much! I need to take a break!"
"Where are you going?" called Rikku.
"Swimming!" I yelled back, stalking across the road to where I could see the river.
"What?" That was Belgemine.
"I think he said swimming." Gatta.
"I heard what he said, Gatta. I want to know why!" Belgemine again.
"He needs time to absorb what's just happened. Don't worry; I'll watch over him. You three go back inside and try and see if that O'aka merchant is around. We need more antidotes." Auron, my hero.
When I got to the Moonflow River I stripped down to my pants, left all my clothes, sword, and bag in a messy pile, and jumped in. The river wasn't the ocean but it was still water. That was good enough for me.
I think I did about thirty laps before the information about earlier finally began to sink in. Seymour—Anima's emo son—wanted me to marry him. Me! Tidus! The guy from a thousand years ago who was being ordered to defeat Sin once and for all. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with only me. It was so hard to comprehend.
Eventually I began to get tired and cold so I had to get out of the water. Auron was sitting on the bank waiting for me with my stuff in a neat pile next to him. He was sharpening one of his many blades.
"Feel better?" he asked when I sat down next to him.
I groaned and shook my head. "No. I still don't know what to do."
"It's not that hard. Either marry him or don't. It's up to you."
"But marriage is such a big thing! How can I make such a decision so casually?"
"You don't. You think about it until you think you know what you want to do, and then you act on it."
I sighed and pulled my legs up so I could wrap my arms around them, and rest my chin on my knees. "But I don't know him. How can I marry someone I barely know? Someone I don't even love?"
Auron paused and looked up at me. "Do you want to hear a story?"
"Depends. Is it about my old man?"
"No. It's about me."
I was surprised. Auron rarely spoke about his past. I think this was the first time he ever voluntarily offered to tell me something about him. "Really? Okay then."
"Very well. Ten years ago I was a devoted warrior monk of Bevelle, well-regarded by Yevon's upper echelons, and being groomed for a high-ranking position within the clergy."
"Wait, wait, you were a warrior monk? When was this?"
"Didn't you hear me? Ten years ago. I was twenty-five."
"Riiight. Okay, go on."
"Thank you. Well in order to achieve that high-ranking position within the clergy I was told I would have to marry the high priest's daughter. When I was told that I refused. I could not marry a woman I did not love, did not even know. My personal convictions would just not allow it."
"Whoa. So, you were in a position just like mine then," I said slowly, awed by the similarity between our two situations.
Auron nodded, going back to sharpening his sword. "Exactly. And despite the pressure on me and the disapproval I would receive for refusing the offer, I knew that it was still my choice to make."
"And do you regret it? Not marrying that woman?" I asked.
He paused again to give me a bored look. "What do you think?"
I grinned. That was all I needed to hear.
After that Auron and I went back to Guadosalam to where the others were waiting near the entrance for us.
"Feel better?" Rikku asked when she saw us, sucking on some sort of yellow candy.
I nodded. "Yeah. Still don't know what I should do though. But at least I'm thinking about it now instead of ignoring it."
"I don't think you should marry him. He seems a little too perfect if ya know what I mean," she advised.
"You're an Al Bhed; what do you know about maesters?" retorted Gatta, rolling his eyes.
She blew him a raspberry in response.
"Tidus, I think you should do it. Maester Seymour is a good man who wants the best for all of Spira. He would be a good partner for you," Gatta told me, making a swipe at Rikku, who ducked.
"Gatta is correct," agreed Belgemine, speaking up for the first time. "The maester would be a good match for you, but…"
"What? He's too old for me?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
She shook her head and glanced at Auron before glancing back at me. "You don't love him. You don't even know him that well. How can we ask you to devote your life to a man you don't love?"
We were all quiet after that. Belgemine made a good point with her comment. It was one that had been weighing heavily on my own mind too.
How could I marry someone I don't love?
Three hours and forty-seven minutes later and I still hadn't come to a decision.
I had been pacing around in circles, driving all my guardians crazy until they all finally ganged up on me and told me to get lost. Well, okay maybe not quite in those words. They 'suggested' that I explore Guadosalam with Gatta accompanying me since he lost the coin toss.
What a fine bunch of guardians I have, huh?
Guadosalam wasn't that big but it was complex. There were about three layers to it that intertwined in a bunch of confusing ways. It didn't help that the place and the Guado all looked the same to me.
"Where are we now?" I huffed, looking around the road we were on.
Gatta shrugged. "I don't know. I think the top floor. I don't recognize that Guado over there."
I looked to the wizened Guado he pointed at standing guard to some tunnel, and walked over to talk to him. "Excuse me, but where are we?"
"You are in front of the entrance to the Farplane," he answered, looking at me oddly.
"Farplane?" I repeated before realization set in. "Ohhh, that's right. The Guado are protectors of the Farplane, or something like that, right?"
"Yes. We Guado protect the Farplane so the dead can rest in peace," the guard explained. "Visitors are allowed to enter whenever they wish. We just ask that you remember that the Farplane is sacrosanct. Proper decorum, please."
"Will do," I promised him, turning to Gatta and waving him over. "Hey, let's go to the Farplane. I want to check it out."
Gatta mutely followed me down the tunnel and to the stairs that led up to a glowing membrane. As we got closer to it, he admitted softly, "I've never been to the Farplane before. I'm kind of scared."
"I've never been there either," I said, giving him an encouraging smile. "So I'm a bit nervous too. But if you want, then you can hold my hand."
"I'm not that scared."
I laughed as together we walked through the swirling mirror onto a rocky platform. I slowly turned around; taking in the view at all angles. There was nothing around but yellow clouds. I walked over towards the edge and looked down and nearly passed out.
"Holy shit!"
Below the floating rock we were standing on were incandescent gardens with the biggest waterfalls I had ever seen surrounding them. Even as high as I was, I could still see the clouds of pyreflies swarming around the gardens and falls below.
I gulped and quickly backed away from the edge, feeling queasy and shaky. I wasn't afraid of high places but this… this wasn't normal. This place was too unreal for me.
"G-Gatta," I called, looking around for my friend. I spotted him off to the side talking to…
"Wakka?"
"Hey!" The ex-blitzball star waved at me with Lulu standing by his side. She gave me a nod of acknowledgment.
"Hey," I greeted, walking over to them. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Yuna wanted to pay her respect to her parents," answered Lulu, pointing to where the brunette summoner was standing farther away with Kimahri, looking up at an image of a happy couple.
"Oh. You guys caught up to us pretty fast," I commented.
"I think our little detour yesterday had something to do with that," Gatta muttered, giving me a pointed look.
I ignored him. "So you guys here to see someone too?"
"Well… I was going to pay Chappu a visit," Wakka admitted, looking off at the clouds. As if on command, a ghostly image of a young man bearing a strong similarity to Wakka and myself appeared.
"Is that… Chappu?" I asked.
Gatta nodded. "Yeah. That's him."
Wakka walked over to the edge of the platform and gave a low bow. "Yo, Chappu! Meant to come see you earlier, but I got held up, ya? Sorry. I know you won't hold it against me though. I gave up the game. I'm a guardian from here on, you know? And you said I'd never get the balls to do it! Hah! Showed you!"
He straightened up and gave his dead brother a sad but loving smile. "You know, I met this guy a little bit back who looks a lot like you. Seeing him, I thought, maybe… you were still alive somewhere, ya? But, then again, here you are on the Farplane. Guess your place is here.
"So, how you been? Oh, that guy I just told you 'bout, I gave him your sword. He likes it. I figure you wouldn't mind 'cause he's a summoner and he needs all the protection he can get, ya? Oh, and guess what? Yuna finally became a summoner. She started her pilgrimage and…"
I stopped listening after that. I felt like I was intruding on a private moment for Wakka between him and his baby brother.
I turned to look down at Lulu. She was staring at the image of Chappu with more emotion on her face than I had seen so far.
"He is dead, and I am still alive," she murmured. "Coming here really makes that clear. I should focus more on what I have to do now." She paused for a moment and then laughed. "Oh, I'm not even sure what I'm saying."
"I think you mean it's time for you to leave Chappu behind. I'm sure he was a great guy, but there'll be others," I told her, trying to sound like I knew what the hell I was saying.
"Hmm… it's a possibility," she agreed, looking thoughtful.
"How about…Wakka?" I offered, glancing at the redhead.
Lulu stared at me like I was a complete moron. "What, me? With Wakka?"
"Yeah, you two get along great!"
"Getting along isn't enough. Not even close."
"It's not?"
She gave me a flat look. "No. It's not."
"Oh." I glanced around awkwardly, and just noticed that we were missing someone. "Hey, where'd Gatta go?"
"Over there to see Luzzu," she said, pointing with her chin at the living Crusader staring at the dead one. "Don't tell me you didn't notice until now."
I laughed and scratched the back of my head. "Guess I was distracted. Think I should leave him there?"
"Maybe for a little while. Let him mourn a bit before dragging him away. In the meantime go say hello to Yuna. She was worried about you when she found out you left without telling her yesterday."
"Right." I nodded and made my way over to the female summoner who looked like she was just finishing up her talk with her parents.
"Hey, stranger," I greeted, stopping beside her.
Yuna's head snapped towards me in surprise. "Oh! Tidus! I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you'd be in the Thunder Plains by now."
"We had some business we had to take care of here," I explained, lacing my fingers together behind my head. "So are these your parents? They look real happy together."
"Yes. This is my mother and father," Yuna said proudly, folding her hands together in front of her elegantly.
"I see." Yuna's father I recognized—Braska had the kind of face you just don't forget—and her mother looked obviously like an Al Bhed. She had the tan skin, blond hair, spiral green eyes, and a smile that reminded me both of Yuna and (strangely enough) Rikku.
"Your mother… what happened to her?" I asked, looking back at my friend.
"She was killed by Sin shortly after I was born," she explained calmly. "She was traveling to mend the ties with her family when her ship was attacked. I barely remember her."
"Oh. Sorry."
She shrugged. "It's okay. I heard a lot about her from my father before he died. What about your mother? What was she like?"
"My mother?" I repeated, blinking. The moment I thought of her the well-known image of a woman with light brown hair and a stunning smile materialized in front of me.
I sucked in a quick breath and took a step back. "Ah… mom?"
Yuna gasped, covering her mouth with her petite hands.
"I-It's her!" And it was. From her well-worn shoes to her wind-swept hair, the perfect image of my mother stared back at me with the same blue eyes I always saw when I looked in a mirror.
"She's very pretty," Yuna complimented quietly.
I shook my head. "This doesn't make sense. No one ever performed a sending for her."
"She must've accepted death while she was still alive," she explained.
I clenched my fists together. Accepted death? Yeah, that sounded like her.
"She died because of him you know," I said, still staring at my mom. "When Jecht disappeared, she just lost the will to live. I remember, when she got sick, the old lady next door told me that when a lovebird dies, the one left behind… it just gives up living so it can join its mate. It was just like that."
"Is that why you are angry at Sir Jecht? Because your mother…" she trailed off, leaving the rest of her sentence unfinished but obvious.
Because your mother loved him more?
I think that was what I hated most about Jecht. His nasty words and drinking habits pissed me off greatly, but the unconditional love and devotion that everyone, even my own mom, gave to him even after he supposedly died is what really got to me.
Maybe that's what kept my hate for him alive. The constant reminder that everyone loved and preferred him over me. Like a festering wound, it kept eating away at me even after he was gone. It never healed. Sometimes I don't think it ever will.
"Your parents…" I turned to look at Yuna, just remembering that she was there. "They must have loved each other a lot then. For your mother to die without him."
"Yeah. I guess." I never really thought very deeply about my parents' marriage. The only thing I really focused on was that mom loved Jecht more. However, now that I had my own marriage proposal on the table, I began to think about it a bit more.
Jecht was a drunk who flirted and—as much as I hate to admit it—got along with everyone he met. Despite that though I could never remember seeing or hearing him with another woman (or man. With Jecht that was always a possibility). He was completely loyal to my mom, and she was, of course, the same way.
So they loved each other and were loyal to one another. From what I could remember they got along most of the time too. So was that what marriage was all about? A selfish, sort of slavish devotion to one person that you put above the rest of the world? And when that person dies, do you give up and die too regardless of the people who still need you?
No. No, how could I do that? How could I live like that? If that was what marriage was about then I wanted nothing to do with it!
"I can't marry him," I said out loud, feeling like I just had the Ultimate Epiphany. "I can't marry him!"
"What?" Yuna stared at me like she was seriously questioning my sanity.
"I gotta tell Seymour I can't marry him," I explained to her quickly. "Gatta! Gatta, come on! I've come to a decision about the marriage proposal!"
"You have?" Gatta asked, wandering over to me. His looked a bit teary-eyed but was all in all okay. I was relieved. I didn't like seeing him sad.
"Yeah. Come on; let's go tell the others." I waved goodbye to the still stupefied Yuna and yelled a farewell to the rest before dragging Gatta out of the Farplane and down the steps. We were nearly at the end when the screams started.
"Lord Jyscal?"
"It's Lord Jyscal!"
We turned around and gasped. The image of an elderly Guado dressed in elaborate robes was stumbling down the stairs in a swirling mess of pyreflies.
"Oooooohhh," the creature moaned pitifully.
"Is that really Lord Jyscal? I thought he was sent!" gasped Gatta, unconsciously grabbing the bottom edge of my shirt.
"Should… Should I send him? I mean, if he's already dead…" I trailed off, unsure.
"Yeah. He doesn't belong here," he agreed nervously.
I nodded and walked a bit forward to perform the sending. I tried not to hesitate so I wouldn't screw it up. Somehow I managed to send Jyscal back to the Farplane, but I noticed that once he disappeared a strange sphere was dropped in his place. When I saw it I quickly picked it up before anyone else noticed. I don't know why, but I figured it must've been important for him to bring it here.
Once I had it I turned around to face the shaken Gatta. "I think it's time to leave."
We found the rest of our companions waiting for us in front of Seymour's manor. Once together, we recounted to them our incident with Jyscal, and they were just as puzzled and disturbed by it as we were.
"He must have been sent once… but he stayed on Spira. Something, a powerful emotion must have bound him to this world," theorized Belgemine, rubbing her chin in thought.
"That's against the rules, isn't it?" asked Rikku, looking confused.
Auron nodded. "It means he died an unclean death."
"But it's been days since he died. Why would he come back from the Farplane so much later?" asked Gatta.
"What bound him… it must be some deep regret or unsolved issue that haunted him even after life," suggested Belgemine.
"Do you think he'll keep coming back until it's solved? I mean, I know I sent him, but he was sent once before and he still came back," I pointed out.
"It doesn't matter. Jyscal is the Guado's problem, not ours," Auron said in his 'don't start something that I'll have to finish' tone.
I ignored him and stood up. "I think it's time I tell Seymour my answer so we can leave."
"Maester Seymour left Guadosalam a short while ago," Belgemine told me before I could walk off. "They said he headed to Macalania Temple where he is the high priest."
High priest? Was there anything this guy didn't do?
"I don't get it. Why would the lord maester head off without telling us?" questioned Gatta.
Rikku shrugged. "Maybe he wasn't expecting an answer so soon."
He didn't look convinced.
"Well then, I guess we should get going," I hinted. "Do we need to get anything before we leave?"
"No. We're ready to go," answered Belgemine, rising gracefully. Gatta was immediately by her side.
"Alright then. Let's go!" I cheered, and we all headed to the cave that led down to the Thunder Plains. When we got there Rikku suddenly turned into a huddling mass of fear.
"Oh, no… we're here, we're here," she mumbled, cowering at a flash of lightning.
I couldn't blame her for being afraid. The Thunder Plains was a pretty scary sight. "How are we supposed to cross that?"
"See the lightning rod towers?" asked Belgemine, pointing to one of the many towers spread out across the vast, dark land. "The lightning is drawn to them… hopefully."
Great. That was comforting.
"We're supposed to head north while not straying too far from the towers," added Gatta.
"Meaning we should avoid wide, open areas," Belgemine translated.
Rikku squeaked and took a step back as another crack of lightning skidded across the sky. "I think I forgot something in Guadosalam."
Auron snorted. "Nice knowing you."
His sarcasm could always make any word sound like salt in a wound.
Rikku scowled at him. "Okay, okay! I'll go!"
And so we set off into the Thunder Plains.
The Thunder Plains was not a fun place to visit. I kept jumping every time there was a crack of lightening, and Rikku kept whimpering and screeching at every other sound. I made sure to walk between her and Auron just in case he snapped and cut her in half or something.
Along the way we ran into—to my eternal surprise—Shelinda making her way across the plains by herself. I wasn't too happy when I realized that.
"Shelinda!" I yelled out to her, ignoring Auron as he reached out to jerk me out of the way of another lightning bolt. I wasn't very good at timing when to dodge them so he kept doing it for me. "Hey, Shelinda!"
Somehow, she heard me over the noise and stopped near the tower she was by to wait for us to catch up.
"Tidus," she greeted cheerfully when we got to her. I noticed she seemed unusually perkier than normal. "I just heard the good news! I'm so happy for you!"
I stared at her in confusion. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Your marriage to Maester Seymour of course!" she cried, looking ready to hug me. I was relieved that she didn't. I might've lost an eye thanks to that pointy hat of hers.
Then I realized what she said and blanched. "Where'd you hear that?"
"From the Guado. They're telling everyone. They're all very excited!"
"Oh they are are they?" I seethed, a bit pissed. Hadn't they ever heard of privacy?
"Shelinda, listen: don't keep telling people about this, okay? I don't want them getting excited over nothing," I instructed her.
Shelinda looked confused and a bit disappointed. "You mean you're not getting married?"
"I haven't decided yet," I lied. Actually I had, but I didn't want to be the one to break the news to her that there wasn't going to be a wedding. She looked so damn giddy that I knew I would feel horrible about it. Better to let someone else take care of that.
Wuss, Jecht sneered, disgusted.
I ignored the comment.
"Oh. Okay then. I'll keep quiet," she promised, still looking excited but to a lesser degree.
I nodded. "Thanks."
After that we went on. I wanted to take Shelinda with us since it didn't seem safe for her to travel alone, but she refused. She said she liked traveling alone since it gave her a sense of independence. I didn't get it but I didn't say anything. Girls were complicated enough as it was to me. No need to make it worse.
We walked a bit more before finally taking a break near one of Rin's Travel Agencies.
"Does the storm ever stop?" I complained, squatting down next to Auron to pull the end of his coat over my head to shield me from the rain.
"Nope. It's one of the mysteries of Spira. No one knows why it always storms here," replied Belgemine, wringing out some of the water from her dress.
"How did they build those towers in the first place?" Gatta asked, eyeing up the towers with lightning rods.
"A man named Bilghen built them using machina," she explained. "You probably never heard of him because our history books don't acknowledge him. He was an Al Bhed."
Auron and I both snorted. Of course.
Suddenly, out of the blue, Rikku began to giggle madly. "Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh…"
We all turned to stare at her.
"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Gatta, looking like he wasn't sure if he should comfort her or runaway.
She just kept laughing. "Eh heh heh heh heh heh heh…"
"'Heh heh heh…' You're givin' me the creeps here, Rikku!" I told her, scowling.
Rikku cowered after another flash and then suddenly skittered towards me, startling everyone, and latching onto my right arm.
"Hey, whoa!"
"I wanna go home! I hate lightning! I hate thunder! Let's go rest over there! Please?" she whined, tightening her grip on my arm until she cut off the blood circulation.
"Didn't you hear Belgemine? This storm never stops," Auron said with all the warmth and sympathy of a mortician breaking the news that dear Uncle Lester had actually been alive when he'd been buried.
Rikku faltered. "I know, but… just for a little while? Please?"
I sighed and looked up at my guardian. "Well? What now?"
Auron just shook his head, and began to walk away past the Agency with the other two following him. When she realized we were going on, Rikku freaked out even worse.
"Pretty please? Just for a few minutes? I'm scared of lightning! Let's rest, please? Pretty please? I'm too young to die! You're mean… cruel! Your moms would be ashamed of you! Are you having fun doing this to me?"
Auron finally gave in. "Fine, we rest. She's worse than the storm."
"Hear that, Rikku? We're going in. Come on," I told her, standing up and dragging her into the Agency. Once we were inside she relaxed enough to let go of my arm, but still jumped and squeaked at the lightening.
"Are you really that scared?" I asked, rubbing my arm to get the blood flowing again.
She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "Mm-hm. When I was little, a fiend attacked me while I was swimming at the beach. My brother tried to beat it back with a spell… but he missed and hit me instead! It was a Thunder spell—bzzzzzzt!"
I flinched. "Ouch!"
Rikku nodded grimly. "I've been scared of lightning ever since."
I felt bad for her after I heard that. Bad enough that I decided that maybe staying for a few hours wouldn't be so bad. I knew I was a bit tired myself. The fiends at the Thunder Plains were not as easy to take on as I previously thought.
"Let's stay here for a few hours," I told my guardians, regarding them all carefully. They looked like a bunch of drowned rats. "I think a small rest would be good for us."
Gatta and Belgemine looked relieved while Auron seemed like he didn't care either way.
"That sounds like a good idea," agreed Belgemine, walking over to the front desk. "I'll get us some rooms. It would be good to get dry again. I hate being wet."
The Agency didn't have many rooms available so we all had to share. Rikku refused to sleep alone and Gatta refused to leave Belgemine's side (I actually think he was a bit nervous about the lightning too) so Belgemine agreed to share a room with the two of them. That left the last room for Auron and me.
"What a day, what a day," I said, collapsing on one of the beds. "I feel like hammered shit. I think I feel worse than yesterday!"
"That would be a feat," Auron agreed, standing in front of the window and staring outside at the storm.
"How much longer does the stupid Thunder Plains go on?" I asked, folding my arms behind my head.
"A couple miles more before we hit the Macalania Woods," he replied.
"Great. Sooner we get to the temple sooner I can give Seymour my answer," I said cheerfully.
Auron turned from the window to finally look at me. "You sound excited about seeing him. Does this mean you're actually going to accept his proposal?"
"Nope. I'm turning him down flat," I replied, still cheerful. "After remembering my parents' marriage I realized there is no way I could ever go through the same thing."
My guardian was silent.
His silence made me kind of nervous. "What? Do you think I'm making the wrong choice?"
"No. I think your reason for refusing his proposal is wrong," he answered.
"What? Why?"
"Every marriage is different, Tidus. You can't assume that the relationship you have with him will be the same as the one your parents had."
I sat up and stared at him. "So, what, are you saying I should marry him?"
"I didn't say that—"
"You just said 'the relationship you have with him' like you expect something to happen between us!"
"That's because something already has!" he yelled, finally raising his voice.
"What? What the hell have you been smoking? There's nothing between us! I barely know the guy!"
"Then why…" He stopped suddenly and shook his head. "Never mind. Forget it. Forget everything I just said. It doesn't matter. Marry him or don't marry him. I don't care."
"What?" I gawked at him, irritated and confused over his words. Why couldn't he just say what was on his mind? "Auron, don't walk away from this. Tell me what you were about to say!"
"It doesn't matter. This whole marriage deal doesn't matter. All that matters is that I keep my promise to Jecht, and make sure you don't die!" he shouted, losing his temper.
I froze. "What? What promise?"
Auron didn't answer.
"Auron, what promise? What did you promise my old man?" I demanded, feeling my body tense up.
"I promised Jecht I would watch over you. That's why I came to Zanarkand. That's why I stayed all those years," he answered honestly, not looking at me.
I felt like someone had just punched me in the chest. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't feel. I couldn't even think.
Auron still wouldn't look at me. Without another word, he walked out of the room. I could only watch him go, feeling like the world's biggest fool.
I always knew of the saying 'The truth hurts,' but I didn't think it would be like this. There was a physical throb in my chest that ached as bad as a knife wound. Then, slowly, the acid feelings of resentment, loss, anger and bitterness filled the gash in my chest. I had never felt such pain in my life.
The person who was the foundation of my life—hell, who was the most important person in my life—had just admitted that the only reason he even bothered with me was because he promised Jecht.
Jecht. It always came back to him didn't it? I went to an entirely new world and I still couldn't escape his shadow. Was there nothing in my life that wasn't connected to the bastard?
I felt something wet on my cheek. I reached up to touch my face and realized the wetness was tears. I was crying. I was actually crying. Like I was a little kid again, getting teased or ignored by daddy and mommy.
I couldn't control the tears. They just kept coming and coming no matter how much I wanted to stop it. Soon they turned into shoulder-shaking sobs that I had to cover my mouth to keep from getting out.
It was a bit ironic, really. For the first time since Auron had entered my life, I was finally crying seriously again. And yet the reason… was all because of him.
