IX: Sir Tidus
It was after dark by the time Zalitz returned home to the cabin. He swung open the door and tossed his bags down to the side. He immediately ran to his bedroom to see how their guest was doing. When he lifted the curtain that closed his small room from the rest of the house, he saw his grandfather and their mysterious visitor talking. Tidus and Flitt both looked up to see Zalitz standing in the doorway.
Flitt slowly rose from his chair beside the bed and walked over to Zalitz. "Tidus. This is my grandson Zalitz, and Zalitz, our visitor here, his name is Tidus." Flitt gave his grandson a little nudge to send him over. Zalitz had so many questions while Tidus was sleeping, but now he felt a little shy. Zalitz sat in the chair beside the bed. "Hi."
"Hi." Tidus answered. He was still sitting in bed, but he felt much stronger after Flitt's hearty meal. Flitt looked at his grandson, "Zalitz, Tidus is from Besaid. If he's feeling well in the morning, you may take the boat, and sail him back there." Zalitz grew a huge grin on his face. He loved to sail, but had never been allowed to go any farther than Luca.
"Really?" Zalitz asked. His grandfather nodded and then left the two young men alone to talk. "I've never been to Besaid before." Zalitz said. Tidus sat quietly. "So, what happened to you?" Zalitz saw that Tidus was a little uneasy. "Oh, you don't want to talk?"
"No, it's okay." Tidus pulled his covers up around his waist, and situated himself in the bed. Tidus could tell that Zalitz was a fiend for information. He was a very curious boy. "Well, my friends and I, we were fighting sin. I'm a guardian, of a summoner named Yuna." Zalitz sank back into the chair; he was shocked. He knew exactly who Yuna was. Everyone in Spira knew Yuna.
Zalitz began to rise from his chair. "I have to tell Grandpa, I knew you were someone important."
Tidus smiled. "Zalitz, I already told your grandpa." Zalitz sat back down and decided what to ask next. He had a list of questions a mile long.
"Wait a minute. You're Sir Tidus!" Zalitz saw that Tidus looked confused so he explained. "Lady Yuna! At the assembly! She said that all of Spira should honor you… and another guy too… Sir Auron… they should honor you for your bravery. She said you died in battle."
Tidus didn't know that he was famous too. Yuna told the people of Spira that he and Auron died while fighting Sin. 'I guess that makes sense.' Tidus thought. 'Spira would never understand the real story.' He wondered if Yuna ever told Wakka, Lulu, Rikku and Kimahri the real story. They must have been curious. They watched his body flicker and fade away before their eyes.
"She doesn't know that your alive, does she?" Zalitz asked.
"No, she doesn't. That's why I have to find her."
"We'll find her." Zalitz reassured him.
Zalitz and Tidus talked long into the night. Tidus told him stories about their journey… about the temples… and the summonings… and the fiends... and defeating Sin. Zalitz listened, on the edge of his seat the whole time. Zalitz once dreamed of becoming a guardian, but now that Sin was gone for good, he would never get that chance. Zalitz told Tidus about his mother, who was killed by sin, and how he wanted to play blitzball. The two young men had a lot in common. Tidus liked him, and perhaps they would become good friends.
Flitt entered the room and found them still talking. "Come now, Zalitz. You both need to rest. You leave early in the morning." They both nodded and said goodnight. After they were gone, Tidus blew out the candle that sat on a table near the bed. Moonlight shone onto the foot of his bed. He was happy to have a chance to live. He was glad to know that he wasn't just a dream anymore.
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It was after dark by the time Zalitz returned home to the cabin. He swung open the door and tossed his bags down to the side. He immediately ran to his bedroom to see how their guest was doing. When he lifted the curtain that closed his small room from the rest of the house, he saw his grandfather and their mysterious visitor talking. Tidus and Flitt both looked up to see Zalitz standing in the doorway.
Flitt slowly rose from his chair beside the bed and walked over to Zalitz. "Tidus. This is my grandson Zalitz, and Zalitz, our visitor here, his name is Tidus." Flitt gave his grandson a little nudge to send him over. Zalitz had so many questions while Tidus was sleeping, but now he felt a little shy. Zalitz sat in the chair beside the bed. "Hi."
"Hi." Tidus answered. He was still sitting in bed, but he felt much stronger after Flitt's hearty meal. Flitt looked at his grandson, "Zalitz, Tidus is from Besaid. If he's feeling well in the morning, you may take the boat, and sail him back there." Zalitz grew a huge grin on his face. He loved to sail, but had never been allowed to go any farther than Luca.
"Really?" Zalitz asked. His grandfather nodded and then left the two young men alone to talk. "I've never been to Besaid before." Zalitz said. Tidus sat quietly. "So, what happened to you?" Zalitz saw that Tidus was a little uneasy. "Oh, you don't want to talk?"
"No, it's okay." Tidus pulled his covers up around his waist, and situated himself in the bed. Tidus could tell that Zalitz was a fiend for information. He was a very curious boy. "Well, my friends and I, we were fighting sin. I'm a guardian, of a summoner named Yuna." Zalitz sank back into the chair; he was shocked. He knew exactly who Yuna was. Everyone in Spira knew Yuna.
Zalitz began to rise from his chair. "I have to tell Grandpa, I knew you were someone important."
Tidus smiled. "Zalitz, I already told your grandpa." Zalitz sat back down and decided what to ask next. He had a list of questions a mile long.
"Wait a minute. You're Sir Tidus!" Zalitz saw that Tidus looked confused so he explained. "Lady Yuna! At the assembly! She said that all of Spira should honor you… and another guy too… Sir Auron… they should honor you for your bravery. She said you died in battle."
Tidus didn't know that he was famous too. Yuna told the people of Spira that he and Auron died while fighting Sin. 'I guess that makes sense.' Tidus thought. 'Spira would never understand the real story.' He wondered if Yuna ever told Wakka, Lulu, Rikku and Kimahri the real story. They must have been curious. They watched his body flicker and fade away before their eyes.
"She doesn't know that your alive, does she?" Zalitz asked.
"No, she doesn't. That's why I have to find her."
"We'll find her." Zalitz reassured him.
Zalitz and Tidus talked long into the night. Tidus told him stories about their journey… about the temples… and the summonings… and the fiends... and defeating Sin. Zalitz listened, on the edge of his seat the whole time. Zalitz once dreamed of becoming a guardian, but now that Sin was gone for good, he would never get that chance. Zalitz told Tidus about his mother, who was killed by sin, and how he wanted to play blitzball. The two young men had a lot in common. Tidus liked him, and perhaps they would become good friends.
Flitt entered the room and found them still talking. "Come now, Zalitz. You both need to rest. You leave early in the morning." They both nodded and said goodnight. After they were gone, Tidus blew out the candle that sat on a table near the bed. Moonlight shone onto the foot of his bed. He was happy to have a chance to live. He was glad to know that he wasn't just a dream anymore.
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