XI: Coming Home
Tidus woke up before dawn. He uncovered his legs and swung his bare feet on to the cold floor. The last time he tried to stand, he didn't get very far. He slowly tried to put some weight on his flimsy legs, and used the chair beside the bed for support. He felt okay. Much stronger than the night before.
Zalitz and Flitt were still asleep. Zalitz had made a bed of blankets on the floor in the main room. Tidus stepped over him and went outside. The sand outside the cabin was wet with dew, and the only sound to be heard was the lapping of the waves on the beach. It was the time of morning when the sun hasn't yet risen, but the sky is a bright sapphire blue and the horizon glows like a blue flame. Tidus stood facing south as the waves rushed up against his feet. Besaid was to the south. He closed his eyes and spoke to her; like a telepathic message from his mind to hers. 'Yuna, I'm coming home.'
"Hey, Tidus." A voice spoke from behind him. It was Zalitz. His young friend startled him and brought him out of the deep trance. "How do you feel?"
"I feel pretty good." Tidus said as he stretched out his arms and legs.
"You're up pretty early." Zalitz said to him as they both sat down in the sand, still facing south where Besaid lied.
Tidus nodded. "I couldn't sleep."
"Me either." Zalitz added. They were both anxious to start their journey. "We'll leave as soon as my Grandpa wakes up."
Tidus and Zalitz fixed their gaze on the south horizon, watching the sun peek out from its slumber. They continued their conversation from the night before, and Tidus told Zalitz about what he remembered of Besaid. Tidus didn't spend much time on the quiet little island, but it's beauty left a permanent impression in his mind... the cascading waterfalls, the sandy beaches, and the lush green forest. It was an ideal place to call home.
"Are you boys ready?" They turned around to see Flitt. He had some bags packed, and resting on the ground by his feet.
"Ready!" Tidus said. Tidus helped Zalitz with the bags. They walked down the beach to a long wooden dock with a small ship at the end.
"Are you sure you feel well?" Flitt asked Tidus.
"Never better," Tidus answered. They loaded their supplies onto the ship, and the boys climbed aboard. "Thank you," Tidus said to Flitt who was still standing on the dock. The old man nodded, "Send my regards to Lady Yuna." The boys waved to Flitt as the boat launched into the ocean.
They began their journey, sailing south to Besaid. As they continued, the sphere of water that was Luca Stadium became smaller and smaller, until it was like a marble on the horizon, and then it disappeared all together.
The ship was very small, and didn't provide for much shade. By mid-day, both of them had removed their shirts to keep cool. The sun was unrelenting. Tidus ran his fingers through his platinum hair, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"You'll introduce me to Lady Yuna when we get there, won't you?" Zalitz asked him. "Sure." Tidus answered.
"I've never met someone famous before." Zalitz said. Tidus laughed because he was still getting used to the idea of Yuna being famous. Yuna was just the pretty young summoner that he taught to whistle… and the girl he kissed under the moonlight in the Macalania Woods… the one that he fell in love with.
"Will you tell me about her?"
Tidus gazed off into the sea, and thought about Yuna. "She's the most beautiful woman in the world… she's so gentle and sweet… she loves to laugh- she's got a beautiful smile… she has one blue eye and one green; it's really cute…"
"Wow, sounds like you're more than just her guardian." Zalitz said.
Tidus laughed. "You could say that." Tidus picked up the ring on his chain and walked over to Zalitz. "See this?" Tidus said holding up the silver band. Zalitz looked at the ring as a small diamond caught the bright sun. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me." Tidus didn't know why he was telling Zalitz about his plans to propose to Yuna. He'd never mentioned anything to Wakka or Rikku, but he felt comfortable with Zalitz, like an older brother. Tidus trusted him. He gazed back into the endless sea. Zalitz watched as the smile on his face faded. "I miss her."
"You're lucky." Zalitz said. "Someday I hope I meet a girl that wonderful."
"You're right. I am lucky, and she is wonderful… I can't wait to see her again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please let me know what you think...
Thanx, Darcee :)
Tidus woke up before dawn. He uncovered his legs and swung his bare feet on to the cold floor. The last time he tried to stand, he didn't get very far. He slowly tried to put some weight on his flimsy legs, and used the chair beside the bed for support. He felt okay. Much stronger than the night before.
Zalitz and Flitt were still asleep. Zalitz had made a bed of blankets on the floor in the main room. Tidus stepped over him and went outside. The sand outside the cabin was wet with dew, and the only sound to be heard was the lapping of the waves on the beach. It was the time of morning when the sun hasn't yet risen, but the sky is a bright sapphire blue and the horizon glows like a blue flame. Tidus stood facing south as the waves rushed up against his feet. Besaid was to the south. He closed his eyes and spoke to her; like a telepathic message from his mind to hers. 'Yuna, I'm coming home.'
"Hey, Tidus." A voice spoke from behind him. It was Zalitz. His young friend startled him and brought him out of the deep trance. "How do you feel?"
"I feel pretty good." Tidus said as he stretched out his arms and legs.
"You're up pretty early." Zalitz said to him as they both sat down in the sand, still facing south where Besaid lied.
Tidus nodded. "I couldn't sleep."
"Me either." Zalitz added. They were both anxious to start their journey. "We'll leave as soon as my Grandpa wakes up."
Tidus and Zalitz fixed their gaze on the south horizon, watching the sun peek out from its slumber. They continued their conversation from the night before, and Tidus told Zalitz about what he remembered of Besaid. Tidus didn't spend much time on the quiet little island, but it's beauty left a permanent impression in his mind... the cascading waterfalls, the sandy beaches, and the lush green forest. It was an ideal place to call home.
"Are you boys ready?" They turned around to see Flitt. He had some bags packed, and resting on the ground by his feet.
"Ready!" Tidus said. Tidus helped Zalitz with the bags. They walked down the beach to a long wooden dock with a small ship at the end.
"Are you sure you feel well?" Flitt asked Tidus.
"Never better," Tidus answered. They loaded their supplies onto the ship, and the boys climbed aboard. "Thank you," Tidus said to Flitt who was still standing on the dock. The old man nodded, "Send my regards to Lady Yuna." The boys waved to Flitt as the boat launched into the ocean.
They began their journey, sailing south to Besaid. As they continued, the sphere of water that was Luca Stadium became smaller and smaller, until it was like a marble on the horizon, and then it disappeared all together.
The ship was very small, and didn't provide for much shade. By mid-day, both of them had removed their shirts to keep cool. The sun was unrelenting. Tidus ran his fingers through his platinum hair, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"You'll introduce me to Lady Yuna when we get there, won't you?" Zalitz asked him. "Sure." Tidus answered.
"I've never met someone famous before." Zalitz said. Tidus laughed because he was still getting used to the idea of Yuna being famous. Yuna was just the pretty young summoner that he taught to whistle… and the girl he kissed under the moonlight in the Macalania Woods… the one that he fell in love with.
"Will you tell me about her?"
Tidus gazed off into the sea, and thought about Yuna. "She's the most beautiful woman in the world… she's so gentle and sweet… she loves to laugh- she's got a beautiful smile… she has one blue eye and one green; it's really cute…"
"Wow, sounds like you're more than just her guardian." Zalitz said.
Tidus laughed. "You could say that." Tidus picked up the ring on his chain and walked over to Zalitz. "See this?" Tidus said holding up the silver band. Zalitz looked at the ring as a small diamond caught the bright sun. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me." Tidus didn't know why he was telling Zalitz about his plans to propose to Yuna. He'd never mentioned anything to Wakka or Rikku, but he felt comfortable with Zalitz, like an older brother. Tidus trusted him. He gazed back into the endless sea. Zalitz watched as the smile on his face faded. "I miss her."
"You're lucky." Zalitz said. "Someday I hope I meet a girl that wonderful."
"You're right. I am lucky, and she is wonderful… I can't wait to see her again."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please let me know what you think...
Thanx, Darcee :)