Chapter 20: Our Destiny

The trek through Kilika forest had been interesting to say the least, especially when Rikku had a delayed reaction to their recent victory by bouncing around rather foppishly and whooping as if she were seventeen again. Of course, it was no surprise his daughter and Vidina had joined in the obnoxious behavior. At least, they were acting their age.

When sharing his experience with Nymeia to the others, they seemed genuinely stunned at what he had been willing to sacrifice for all of them. Yuna, however, not so much, she knew him better than anyone and the lengths he'd go to in order to protect his family. And it was obvious from how her face had dropped; she hadn't been thrilled with his willingness to do such a task.

Before parting ways at the ferry docks, he promised Lulu he'd reconcile with Wakka once she had a chance to explain everything to him. In all honesty, he missed the jovial islander and was a bit concerned hearing how much he'd been hitting the ale lately. He certainly hoped to remedy that.

As for Rikku and Gippal, he could count on them dropping by near the end of the week like always. At least now, he didn't have to worry about keeping any secrets from them when they visited—just whether their three young boys found his son's scandalous magazine collection again.

And as much as he hated to admit it, Vidina was starting to grow on him. The young man was respectful for the most part and had a good heart like his father, Wakka. However, the moment Vidina's hands had slipped down past his daughter's waist when she kissed him goodbye, earned him a stern look. If dealing with his teenage daughter—who apparently inherited his raging hormones—was going to be his biggest challenge from now on, then he was eternally grateful in light of everything.

After surviving what had been a harrowing experience in the Farplane, the front door of his house had never been a more welcoming sight. He honestly never expected to return. For once, he was delighted his gut had been dead wrong.

Upon inserting the key into the lock, Yuna latched onto his wrist, preventing him from completing his task. "Wait, I need a minute to prepare in case—what if he's not inside?"

"Dad already told us Nymeia would bring Zak home. Now, c'mon—I wanna see my brother."

His wife genuinely looked terrified of him turning the lock. Of course, her skepticism wasn't unfounded, considering how she hadn't been present to hear Nymeia's promise. Although, it did hurt a little that she still doubted his claim, which wasn't surprising either, since he'd concealed the truth about the keepers for years. "I'm gonna trust he's in there, Yuna. Either way, I'm still opening the door."

"No—wait!" she pleaded, gripping his wrist tighter. "How do we know for sure this realm is liberated? We have nothing to indicate it is other than this goddess' word."

Tidus looked into her anxious eyes and let out a long breath. "That's gonna have to be enough. Did you expect the sky to light up or something?"

"Mom, I know Zak's inside or somewhere close. I can feel him. Dad, just open the door, already."

Finally, the grip on his wrist eased, allowing him to turn the key and push open the door. Immediately upon entry, he was greeted by the spicy aroma of what smelled like gumbo. "When did our son learn to cook anything other than pizza pockets?"

Just then, a teenage boy with shaggy brown hair emerged from the dining room, grinning from ear to ear. "I thought I heard you guys."

Yuna reacted exactly how he anticipated, hitching a breath as tears of joy sprang to her eyes. "Zak," she said in a strained voice, before dashing over to wrap him into a tight embrace. "My baby, boy!"

"Far from a baby, Mom," he said, rolling his eyes.

And not a second later, his daughter had joined in the joyous reunion, looping her arms around her twin's neck and squealing with glee. "I knew you were here! I could sense it."

It was certainly a relief to see his son alive and well, but he wasn't so sure Zak would be happy to see him. Had he not sent his father to Zanarkand, his son wouldn't have been taken by their keepers in the first place.

As if the young man had read his mind, he managed to tear himself away from the two women and approach him. The serious look on Zak's face made him nervous. He was almost positive he'd hear his son utter the same three words he had to his father on many occasions. In an effort to avoid such an outcome, rather than wait for Zak to speak, he chose to plea for his forgiveness. "I failed you, Son. I should never have sent my father to negotiate with those keepers. Had I known…I'm sorry…for everything."

"I'm here, aren't I? And it's because of you that I am. I knew you'd come through. You always do, Dad."

He certainly miscalculated his son's reaction. And truly, he couldn't be happier. The smile returned to Zak's face as he leaned in and gave him a sturdy hug.

Tidus' throat tightened with emotion as he blinked back the tears pooling in his eyes. Even in happy times like these, he still couldn't bring himself to let those tears escape in front of his children. With a deep breath, he regained his composure and stepped back to give his son an inquisitive look. "Since when can you make gumbo?"

A mischievous grin etched across Zak's face. "I can't, but I met someone in Zanarkand that makes a mean plate of it."

"Who made the meal then?" Yuna asked.

"Mmmmhmmm, I tell ya, dat some good n' spicy stuff right 'dare. I betcha your daddy hadn't had anythin' like 'dis since we was kids."

After all he'd endured; he truly believed nothing could ever surprise him again, that is, until he heard that voice. In the next instant, a woman around his age with long ebony curls emerged from the kitchen. There may have been a couple tiny lines now present around the dimples in her deep bronze cheeks, but those lively brown eyes hadn't changed a bit in twenty years.

The tightened feeling in his throat returned. No longer worrying about displaying an emotional release in front of his children, he allowed the joyful tears pooling in his eyes to escape. "Trin, is that really you?"

"Who else gonna make a gumbo smell dat good?" Her smile quickly faded as she rested her hands on her hips. "Don't go cryin' on me now, ain't nobody die."

Laughing through tears, he raced over and threw his arms around her in a tight hug. "How's it possible you're even here?"

"S'pose I should ask you dat. But afta' searchin' fo' your dumb ass twenty years, I ain't complainin' any."

Feeling guilty from her admission, he pulled back and looked at her concerned. "You searched for me all this time?"

"Like a damn foo'."

"What about your family?"

"I wit' my family now. Ain't hadda man stay long since I neva' stopped lookin' fo' ya. All 'em said I's lyin' 'boutcha being my big brudda 'cause we ain't look nottin' alike. Kept on sayin' you was an ol' flame."

"I'm sorry, Trin," he sighed heavily.

"S'all good. I'mma snag me somethin' juicy before long, now dat I know where you at."

Just then, he heard Yuna clear her throat in what he took as a polite gesture to indicate his rudeness. "Sorry," he said with an apologetic smile before guiding the woman he considered to be his sister over for a proper introduction. "Trin, this is—"

"You must be, Yuna," she interjected, pulling her into a tight hug. "Ya boy, told me 'bout you's and Tidus' story. I always wanted a sista'."

"Tidus spoke fondly of you. He really missed you, y'know."

The vivacious woman leaned back and looked at his wife with a serious expression. "He eva' get outta line, jus' let me know. I'll slap 'em upside da head fo' ya."

Yuna giggled. "I'll keep that in mind, but I have him trained pretty well."

"Oooo…I like you. Got some spunk to ya." From the way Trin grinned and gave him a wink, he was afraid of what may leave her lips next. "Nottin' like dem floozies ya'd bring home afta' a game."

And knowing Trin, he shouldn't have expected anything less. After cringing from the glare he received from his wife, he shot his sister a stern look. "Thanks for that."

"Is that gumbo stuff ready?" Trista asked, eagerly. "I'm starving."

"Sure is sweetie-pie. My... You looks like your daddy too, huh? C'mon, best we finish talkin' while we eat. I ain't eaten no cold gumbo."

As he made his way over to the dining room with his family, it suddenly occurred to him what Nymeia had meant by granting him what his heart desired—his sister, Trin. Grateful and humbled the goddess chose to be so generous; he silently thanked her for all she had done.

It was upon sitting at the table surrounded by those he loved most when he decided to resign from his position as coach of the Goers. Bitzball was no longer his life. It was a boy's dream, something he wasn't any longer. He wasn't sure what he'd do instead as of yet, but spending more time with his family was definitely at the top of his priority list.

When he appeared in Spira almost twenty years ago, he would never have guessed in a million years his life would end up this way. Somehow, he had always expected a tragic end to his story. Even though, the journey had been filled with plenty of bumps, and even crashes, he wouldn't change a thing. It shaped him into the man he was today.

Spiran's would no longer be manipulated and controlled by an external force. He and his daughter had made sure of it. And if anything ever threatened to change that, he would gladly defend the world once again. Nothing in life was set in stone, but one thing was certain—he, along with the rest of Spira were now free to be the masters of their own destiny.

Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. Comments are welcome.