Chapter 26: Mark of the Beast

Shuyin ran through the tremendously tall, enchanted trees of the Forest of Memories until he came to a still pond surrounded by beautiful sparkling flowers, small misty waterfalls, and flat rock gardens. The only fixture in this surreal but natural setting was a small, wooden bridge that crossed over the middle of the pond. Following the trail to look over the rail down into the water, he considered his long, long life beyond death and tried to see his own reflection in its gentle ripples. "One month in the making ... It's time to see if it works. Are you in there?"

A shimmering face appeared in the water—Lenne's face. Yuna was right. The energy of his loved one was eternal and everywhere in this new world. That was all Shuyin needed to see before he left the bridge and approached the edge of the pond.

"Will I ever see you again?" Tidus asked.

The spirit waded into the water, up to his knees without so much as making a single ripple. "If you ever really need me, just look inside yourself. I've always been there."

"Yeah, but I won't be able to argue with you anymore."

Shuyin chuckled as he descended into the water up to his waist. "New dreams can't begin until the old ones no longer matter. It's all yours now, little brother. Take care." The spirit dove beneath the surface, where he became aware of the weak but collective presence of Lenne and many other people he knew from his past. He allowed his memories to flow into the strands of energy that pooled there. As his old soul flickered and faded away, the magic that forced new life into him was immediately absorbed by the newer soul he shared.

With the real spirit gone, the chains that bound Tidus were dissolved. All that remained was the feeling of his body sinking deeper into the planet—cold, wet suffocation. "What's happening to me? ... I'm drowning."

He fought against the feeling and instinctively swam toward the surface. Then, he crawled back onto the embankment. Coughing and sputtering, catching too much water in his lungs for the first time since he was little, he paused to catch his breath and gasp for air. As he coughed, water dripped from his nose and hair onto his hands. And he realized that not only had sensation returned to them, but also they were no longer transparent. Sitting back on his heels, Tidus touched his knees and then his arms. His human form was material once more.

Bewildered but about to burst with excitement, Tidus jumped to his feet and ran back through the pyrefly-laden trees, to the hill, and across the magical bridge that would take him back into the floating, artificial landmass. In the Farplane, when he came to the Abyss, he paused only at the Celsius's teleport sphere to return to the airship.

On the bridge, he ran to the large window at the front to see if the airship was back from Luca yet. It had already landed on the beach in Besaid. "Woohoo!"

"Tidus, you are dripping all over my leather seat!" Brother complained behind him.

"I know! Isn't it great! You can fuss at me again about going out with Yuna now!" Tidus grabbed Brother by the suspenders and jerked him forward, giving his cheek a big kiss.

Brother's eyes widened in shock, and he quickly wiped the 'Tidus germs' from his cheek. "Yuck! Phooey! What the—"

"Where is she? Where's Yuna!" Tidus asked of everyone.

Stunned, Buddy remained on the other side of the room. "She went to the beach to summon you, but—"

"But she can't do it!" Tidus laughed as if he'd just won another blitzball championship but then paused in alarm. "No—wait! I'd better check to be sure!" He ran back down the hall to the lift.

))((

"Kid's gone stark raving mad," Cid spoke what all of them were thinking.

"That never happened! You never saw that!" Brother fussed, still wiping his cheek, looking disgusted. "I spray him with disinfectant the next time I see his ..." He paused and looked at the other two men, who also just realized what happened.

All three of them ran for the lift.

))((

Rikku and Paine had been waiting patiently for the lift in the engine room, each holding two ice cream cones picked up from the food vendor near the docks. But when the doors opened, Tidus pushed them out of the way and kept running.

"Excuse you!" Paine yelled at his rudeness. "Nearly made me drop Yuna's cone, and he's all wet again. I swear I think he's part fish."

Rikku giggled as they entered the lift. She was going to touch the cabin button, but someone had already called it to the bridge. "Well, at least he smells like the ocean."

Pain's brow lifted. "Are you telling me the ocean doesn't smell like fish?"

The doors opened, and Rikku tried again to press the cabin's button, but her brother, father, and friend suddenly slammed into her, squishing her against the back wall. "Yaiiiiiii!" she shrieked. "Hey! What's the big idea? You made me drop my ice cream!" Rikku pouted at one empty cone as Buddy winced at the frozen ball of chocolate sliding down his back.

Paine held her cones high, trying to avoid the same catastrophe. "What is with you people today?"

"Tidus is back!" Brother told them. When they gave him blank stares, he slapped his own head and emphatically repeated, "Tidus is BACK!"

Rikku and Paine exchanged glances realizing Tidus had physically pushed them aside. As the lift opened into the engine room once more, everyone spilled out to run to the beach. They were expecting to see Tidus and Yuna together once more. Instead, all they found was Yuna, twirling her staff, doing a lonely summoning dance.

))((

Tidus had gone behind the Celsius and dove under the waves to swim to the lagoon. There, he hovered over Shuyin's tomb, confirming that the color was gone from his statue, and the seal had cracked. Then, hardly able to contain himself, he turned and swam toward the shore. Coming out of the surf behind the airship, he paused to catch his breath, not from shortness but from excitement. The rest of the crew had gathered at the ship's landing gear, where they grinned and waved as soon as they saw him. Grinning back, Tidus straightened and walked past them, holding a finger to his lips before stopping a short distance behind Yuna.

She paused with worry when her summoning failed again. "It's not working," she spoke to herself. "Why isn't it working?" She looked as if her worst fears had been realized since Tidus's aeon wasn't answering her call.

"Why don't you just try whistling instead?" he suggested.

Startled by his unexpected voice, Yuna turned around to see he was already here—solid, alive, and human.

"Shuyin said it was time," he explained. "He went into the stream in the Forest of Memories, so he could be with Lenne."

Yuna stared at him in disbelief. "Shuyin's … gone?"

"Without him, the spell that bound our spirits to the tomb fell apart. Our aeon can't be summoned anymore. But since I was never really born, I think, somehow, the resurrection spell transferred his life to me."

Yuna could hardly believe it. "You mean … you're …"

"I think I'm real." Any further attempt to figure out what happened was cut short by a kiss as Yuna jumped into his arms. And he savored what it was like to feel the softness of her lips and catch the scent of her powdery perfume. "That was the first thing I wanted to do when I became real," he quietly told her when she withdrew in disbelief and wiped away her tears.

"You were always real to me."

"But this time, I think it's really real." Tidus looked deeply into her eyes for a moment but then hugged her closer, relishing the feel of the sun's warmth and the water's chill on his own skin. Sensation … He would never take it for granted again.

Yuna drew back and dried her eyes, unable to contain her grin. "Let's go tell everyone!"

Tidus answered with a soft laugh. "Um, I don't think that's necessary." He took her hand and twirled her around to face the airship. On cue, everyone that had been fighting to keep silent burst into shouts and cheers and ran to welcome him back.

Rikku bounced up and down with excitement, giving Tidus a big hug. He played along by bouncing up and down, too, until she pulled back laughing at his imitation of her. "I'm so glad you're back to being you! Hey! We should have a bonfire celebration tonight!" she suggested. "I'll go tell Wakka and Lulu to spread the word that you're back! Hold this for me, okay?" She gave him her ice cream cones and ran across the beach to the village.

As soon as her back was turned, Tidus looked at the cones, shrugged, and decided to finish off the full scoop that remained. "It's melting, and she's too bouncy," he excused himself when he received a flat look from Paine. "She would have dropped it in the sand, and that would have been a waste."

"Tidus-logic ..." Paine smirked and passed Yuna's cone to her before slipping an arm around his back to give him a hug as well.

"Hey, I'm going to behave this time around." Tidus tried to avoid getting the drippy ice cream on her shoulders while he returned the familial gesture.

"Sure you will." Doubtful but amused, Paine pulled away and began eating her own ice cream before it melted too much, too.

"Welcome back, kid!" Cid patted his back. "I knew we could count on you to come through one way or another."

"I welcome you back from way over here." Brother stubbornly stood out of arm's reach.

"Welcome back, man," Buddy held up a hand for a high five, which Tidus returned after temporarily transferring the half-eaten cone to his mouth. "Does this mean blitzball season starts on schedule for the Aurochs?" Buddy jokingly asked.

Tidus laughed. "I'll start pre-season drills as soon as my hut's done." The last of the ice cream ran down his fingers as he finished it off.

"Your hut's already done. Didn't Yuna tell you?" Paine answered. "She's spent the whole month working between the Forest project and furnishing the hut. That's why she was never around to see you on the beach until late at night."

Surprised, Tidus stopped licking his fingers and turned to face Yuna.

The summoner gave her melting cone a dainty lick. "The wind storm damaged it a little, so Wakka had to do a few repairs. After that, I started decorating it like you asked, but ... it didn't feel right staying there without you. I'm sorry I couldn't finish and that I didn't tell you."

"Hey, but that other thing is finished, right?" Paine prompted. "We got that finished before everything else fell apart. Did it make it through the storm?"

Yuna's chagrin turned into excitement. "I almost forgot about that! I'll go check! That would be a perfect addition to a party tonight!"

Tidus was wary. "What ... thing?"

"We'll show you tonight at the bonfire, okay? Stay here until then!" Yuna gave him a short kiss before hurrying away to prepare her surprise.

"Mmh. Chocolate." He licked his lips after she kissed him. "How come I got stuck with vanilla?"

"Because that was Rikku's, not yours," Paine restated.

With doubt, he glanced to the others. None of them volunteered further information. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Shinra, would it?"

"Maybe." With a smirk, she finished her cone while heading back to the airship.

Cid patted Tidus's back. "Adventuresome sport like you, you'll like it, though. Trust me. I'll go see if she needs me to move it for her."

"Adventuresome? What the heck did that little twerp do to my hut?" Truly bewildered about what that could mean, Tidus sighed as Cid left. "Well, I guess I'll shower off and find some way to kill time, then. Saltwater, pond water, mud, sand, vanilla ice cream, bleh ... I forgot how messy it felt to be human." Leading the rest of the crew back to the airship, he grinned over his shoulder to Brother. "'Course, you'd have to be human first to understand that."

"Just because I'm glad to see you back doesn't mean I like you now," Brother stiffly returned.

The blitzball player hooked an elbow behind the Gullwings leader's neck as they walked up the ramp together. "That's a shame, dude, because I was going to be nice and help you find a girlfriend."

Brother's expression softened with doubt. "Girlfriend? … I will not accept anyone less quality than Yuna!"

"Yeah, I get that, but you can't have Yuna!" Tidus palm-smacked Brother's forehead.

The comedic show of frustration brought snickers from Paine and Buddy. "Don't hold back, Tidus. Tell us how you really feel." Buddy laughed.

Brother merely grumbled and rubbed his forehead.

As they boarded the lift to the cabin, however, Tidus patiently faced their colorful leader again. "Look, I'll take you to Luca for a game, and afterward, we'll go hang out at the cafe or sphere theater, okay? Surely there's someone out there that could interest you as much as Yuna. And maybe someone will come out of hiding that would be interested in you, too. With Luca's nightlife, anything's possible, right?" He shrugged, trying to be helpful.

"But you are the one who will draw the attention of the girls. You are the captain of the champion team."

"Well, that's true, but ... No, seriously, I can introduce you to them, see? And because you're my friend, they'll know you're cool. And if that doesn't work, you can always do my victory dance."

Brother folded his arms and gave Tidus a doubtful scowl. "Your victory dance is nothing but a childish butt-wiggle."

"No, there's more to it than that, but that's why they like it." He grinned and demonstrated his trademark score dance. "See, you gotta do it like this. Woohoo!"

Brother tried to copy the silly move. "Woohoo!"

"That's it! Oh, hey, watch the ice cream."

Paine shook her head.

When the lift doors opened to the cabin, the blitzball player exited and contentedly finished munching the other cone Rikku gave him. Figuring he should probably have Shinra check his garment grid before attempting to use it again, he jogged up the stairs to his futon and exchanged the magical device for some clean, normal clothing. Then, he headed back down to the bathroom.

))((

Arantisu had been sitting in the corner of the cabin on the small stage, listening to sphere music while she waited for Rikku and Paine to come back. Now, she could hear the chatter of the crew's return and the shower running. "Did you bring my ice cream?" she asked, standing and trying to feel her way around the airship by memory.

Paine scratched her short, silver hair, walked to the child's side, and crouched before her. "Well, we did, but ... Tidus ate it."

"Tidus ate my ice cream?" Arantisu folded her arms with a pout. "Where's Yuna? She needs to summon me so I can talk to him on the beach."

"He's not on the beach. He's in the shower. But we'll help you smack him around for stealing your ice cream when he comes out, okay? He's back to his old self now. But this time, he's real," Paine explained with a smile, just as Rikku came running back inside.

"Okay! Wakka's telling everyone in the village that Tidus is back, and he'll be here to see him shortly!" Rikku announced, breathless from her run. Then, she lowered her voice. "Lulu and Yuna want us to come help set up a surprise party for him down on the you-know-what." She snickered. "This is going to be great!" Then, hearing the shower, she looked expectantly at the counter. "Hey, if he's in the shower, where'd he put my ice cream?"

"He ate it," Paine tattled without remorse.

"He … what? What a pig! He's not back ten minutes, and he's stealing our food?" The thief leaned on the counter tapped her fingers on it.

"Actually, it was less than that." Paine straightened her tall, slender frame.

Arantisu left their conversation to follow the sound of the shower. It was difficult not being able to touch anything to guide her. "Tidus?"

"'Tisu, Tidus is showering," the warrior reminded her. "He can't hear you from in there, but he'll be back out in a minute."

The child made a face and headed toward the water anyway.

"Ack! No, no, no! 'Tisu! Don't go in there!" Rikku made a grab for the child, but her hands went right through her before the child's spirit walked through the door. "Gaaaah! Arantisu! You come back out here this instant, young lady!"

Arantisu followed the sound of water until she walked right into the shower. "Tidus?"

Beyond the door, everyone in the cabin heard the startled curse, followed by several bottles falling from the shower shelf and the jerk of a shower curtain. Then, they heard the echo of forced conversation over the running water.

"'What are you doing in here!"

"I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"I'm okay! Get out!"

Paine looked to Rikku with growing amusement and tried not to laugh, but Rikku's giggles were contagious.

"I'm glad that you're back, but you shouldn't have eaten my ice cream," the child scolded him. I've never had any before, and I didn't even get to taste it. Yuna promised to summon me right after she summoned you so I could try some ice cream."

"I'm sorry about the ice cream, okay? Get out!"

"Tidus? I have a question."

The water was turned off. There was a long pause followed by a resigned sigh of surrender.

"When we were in the tower that night with Yuna, how come—"

The door suddenly banged open, and Tidus stormed out wearing a towel.

Everyone at the bar laughed.

"It's not funny! How would you like to be in the shower and suddenly find yourself facing a ghost?" he complained. "Can't you put a leash on her or something?"

"Well, at least she wasn't in dragon form," Paine quipped as she walked to the dartboard and removed a handful of the sharp playing pieces. "Otherwise, she might have knocked you flat in the shower like she does on the beach."

Tidus frowned and faced the blind child as she tried to feel her way out of the bathroom. "'Tisu, come here." He leaned forward, hands on knees, to speak with her. "I'm over here. Look, you gotta stop following me around so much, okay? If you let me shower and go see my hut, later tonight, when Yuna summons you, we'll go for a swim, alright?"

"Okay!" She grinned and walked through his body, then stopped behind him and reached forward, wondering where he went.

Tidus dropped his head and snorted in mild humor at her misjudgment. "Good. Stay out here."

As he straightened to return to the shower, though, Paine caught sight of something black between his shoulders. "Tidus?" She reached for his arm and turned him around to see his back. "When did you get a tattoo?"

"Huh? Where?" He tried to see over his shoulder and turned in a circle like a dog chasing its tail.

Paine took him into the bathroom and turned his back to the mirror. "There."

Curious, Rikku, Brother, and Buddy all followed to see what she was talking about, as Tidus discovered, to his surprise, that he now bore the mark on his back that his father had on his chest. It was smaller but unmistakable.

"Woah ... How the heck did that get there?" he wondered aloud.

"I'll bet it happened when you became real," Rikku theorized. "Your aeon had that mark."

"Did Shuyin have a tattoo like that?" Buddy asked. "Maybe it transferred to you when you joined to make the aeon."

"I don't know. He might have." Tidus reached to the awkward position between his shoulder blades to try to smudge it, but the mark was obviously permanent. "I never saw his back."

Rikku laughed with a snort. "Gee, Tidus, I hope nothing else of Shuyin's got stuck on you."

He frowned at her joke but then reconsidered, faced the mirror with uncertainty, and touched his nose. "Did I get Shuyin's body when I got his life? Do I look different in any other way?"

"You know, I could recommend a good color artist to spice up that ink a little," Brother offered.

The small room suddenly seemed very crowded to Tidus. "Do you people mind? A little privacy to finish my shower?"

"Has Yunie seen it?" Rikku asked. "She'll probably really like it." She giggled, winked, and elbowed his ribs.

Brother snorted. "If Yuna likes that little ink spot, then I am a masterpiece." He struck a pose to show off his large blue flames.

"No, you're more like a doodle," Paine answered.

Tidus became irritated at their delay. "Get out."

"How rude," Rikku grumbled, turned on her heel, and left.

"Yeah, lighten up," Paine followed her out. "Your shower was interrupted by a ghost who can't see anything, and you're not the first person to wake up with an unexpected tattoo. Of course, most people in your situation would blame one too many drinks instead of the whole death-cloned-twin-souls-resurrected thing."

"You didn't even endure the pain of a needle." Brother got in his face. "Wimp." He walked away, admiring his own body art once more.

Tidus snorted. "No, I was just sucked into a dead man's body and turned into a freakin' aeon!"

Buddy chuckled as he reached for the door handle. "It's good to have things back to normal, man," he commented as he pulled the door shut behind him.

))((

Alone in the bathroom once more, Tidus took one more look in the mirror at the mysterious new mark on his back, then sighed. If his body wasn't made of dream magic now, perhaps it did come from Shuyin. "Great. Now I feel like a zombie. And I can't even take a shower in peace. This is why I wanted my own hut."

But what had they done to his new home in his absence? After a moment of shaking his head at the interrupted shower, he snorted in amusement. Life with his assortment of strange friends was never dull … and with renewed appreciation, he realized he wouldn't have it any other way.