XIX: Farewell
Tidus opened his eyes to see Yuna sleeping in his arms; her beautiful face was only inches from his. Carefully, he rose to his feet, trying not to wake her, and scooped her up in his arms. He carried her through the forest and back to the quiet village. She stirred a little, nuzzling her face into the bend of his neck.
As Tidus came out of the woods, he saw Wakka and Lulu sleeping by the dying embers of the bonfire. Wakka slept sitting with his back against a tree stump, and Lulu was lying up against him. It was the first time Tidus saw them like that... very much more than friends. He always knew it was only a matter of time; the chemistry between them was undeniable. The rustling of Tidus' footsteps on the ground woke Wakka. "Hey, man. Is she alright?" Tidus nodded and took Yuna into her hut.
He tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead, her soft brown hair brushed his nose. Yuna looked at him as he knelt beside her bed. She was exhausted and let out a long tired yawn. "Shhh... go to sleep." Tidus whispered affectionately. He stayed with her until she slept peacefully.
Tidus joined Wakka by the dying fire. Lulu snuggled her face into Wakka's chest as she slept. Her arms were wrapped around his torso. Tidus smiled. "It's about time," he whispered.
Wakka blushed and then nodded. "Me and Lu. You knew it, brudda. You tried to tell us before." Wakka brushed one of her long braids out of her face and held her more closely. "How's Yuna."
"She's amazing." Tidus grinned from ear to ear. Then Tidus remembered Zalitz, a stranger that he left all alone in an unfamiliar place. He didn't even introduce him to anyone. "Hey. Have you seen Zalitz?" Tidus felt horrible as he scanned the village looking for his young friend.
"Yeah. I let him sleep in my hut." Wakka said. "He's a pretty cool kid."
Tidus nodded. "Thanks. I probably shouldn't have run off on him like that." Tidus looked around at the remnants of the celebration. Some people were still awake, and they saw Tidus walking back into the village with Yuna in his arms. The people of Besaid were so glad to see Yuna happy again.
"Hey, what was the party for?" Tidus asked curiously.
"Oh! Kimahri's leaving this morning. Yuna didn't tell you?" Wakka explained that Kimahri was returning to Mt. Gagazet, and that the night before had been a going-away party. Wakka and Tidus spoke in hushed voices as Lulu slept in Wakka's arms.
A strange man approached them as they talked. "Excuse me... and welcome home Sir Tidus." Tidus was shocked that the man knew his name. He kept forgetting that all of Spira knew them now. "Will one of you please wake Kimahri... his ship has arrived."
Tidus rose to his feet. "I'll do it." He said to Wakka. Tidus walked to Kimahri's hut and knocked on the door. The tall blue Ronso was already awake. He left his hut and closed the door behind him. "Kimahri, I didn't know you were leaving."
"Kimahri goes to Mt. Gagazet. Tidus and Yuna visit Kimahri there."
Tidus nodded. "Yeah, we'll visit." Tidus helped Kimahri with his bags. He didn't have much: his spears, and some potions. He had no personal belongings; no family pictures, but he did have one framed photo protruding from the bag Tidus was holding. It was a picture of Yuna when she was a very little girl. That's how he found her so many years ago.
"Tidus bring everyone here. Kimahri says goodbye." Kimahri took his bag from Tidus' hands and sent him to gather their friends.
Tidus woke Yuna first. He sat beside her on the bed and gently stroked her arm. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "It's time for Kimahri to leave."
Next Tidus went to Wakka's hut to wake up Zalitz. Yuna went to wake up Rikku.
Zalitz woke when the door opened, letting the bright sunlight pour into Wakka's unusually dark room. Wakka didn't have windows in his hut. Zalitz yawned and stretched. "Hey man, I'm sorry about running off like that last night." Tidus said.
"No, it's okay. I understand." Zalitz said as he remembered the little escapade Rikku dragged him into. He remembered the humiliated face of his pretty new friend, and he kept his promise; he didn't say a word. He noticed the ring was still around Tidus' neck. "You didn't do it?"
"Not yet." Tidus said as he removed the ring from the chain. "Soon." He placed it in his pocket so he could pull it out when the time was right.
They all met in the center of town and walked together to the dock. The ship was waiting. They all hugged Kimahri; saying their goodbyes.
"Everyone takes care of Yuna." Kimahri said. Yuna embraced the large Ronso with tears welling in her eyes, her arms not even long enough to wrap around his waist. Kimahri had been like a father to her.
"I'll miss you, Kimahri." Yuna finished saying goodbye, and let Kimahri climb aboard the ship. They all waved to him as the ship sailed off into the ocean. "Goodbye!" They all called into the air.
Tidus held Yuna's hand as they stood on the wooden dock. Zalitz noticed that Tidus had his other hand in his pocket; he fidgeted with the ring. Tidus smiled at Zalitz. Zalitz knew exactly what he was thinking, and Tidus nodded to confirm his suspicions.
With that, Zalitz decided that the young couple needed some privacy. "Come on everyone, let's go." Zalitz said as he led the group away from the dock. They left Tidus and Yuna alone, holding hands in the morning sun.
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Please let me know what you think so far...
Darcee :)
Tidus opened his eyes to see Yuna sleeping in his arms; her beautiful face was only inches from his. Carefully, he rose to his feet, trying not to wake her, and scooped her up in his arms. He carried her through the forest and back to the quiet village. She stirred a little, nuzzling her face into the bend of his neck.
As Tidus came out of the woods, he saw Wakka and Lulu sleeping by the dying embers of the bonfire. Wakka slept sitting with his back against a tree stump, and Lulu was lying up against him. It was the first time Tidus saw them like that... very much more than friends. He always knew it was only a matter of time; the chemistry between them was undeniable. The rustling of Tidus' footsteps on the ground woke Wakka. "Hey, man. Is she alright?" Tidus nodded and took Yuna into her hut.
He tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead, her soft brown hair brushed his nose. Yuna looked at him as he knelt beside her bed. She was exhausted and let out a long tired yawn. "Shhh... go to sleep." Tidus whispered affectionately. He stayed with her until she slept peacefully.
Tidus joined Wakka by the dying fire. Lulu snuggled her face into Wakka's chest as she slept. Her arms were wrapped around his torso. Tidus smiled. "It's about time," he whispered.
Wakka blushed and then nodded. "Me and Lu. You knew it, brudda. You tried to tell us before." Wakka brushed one of her long braids out of her face and held her more closely. "How's Yuna."
"She's amazing." Tidus grinned from ear to ear. Then Tidus remembered Zalitz, a stranger that he left all alone in an unfamiliar place. He didn't even introduce him to anyone. "Hey. Have you seen Zalitz?" Tidus felt horrible as he scanned the village looking for his young friend.
"Yeah. I let him sleep in my hut." Wakka said. "He's a pretty cool kid."
Tidus nodded. "Thanks. I probably shouldn't have run off on him like that." Tidus looked around at the remnants of the celebration. Some people were still awake, and they saw Tidus walking back into the village with Yuna in his arms. The people of Besaid were so glad to see Yuna happy again.
"Hey, what was the party for?" Tidus asked curiously.
"Oh! Kimahri's leaving this morning. Yuna didn't tell you?" Wakka explained that Kimahri was returning to Mt. Gagazet, and that the night before had been a going-away party. Wakka and Tidus spoke in hushed voices as Lulu slept in Wakka's arms.
A strange man approached them as they talked. "Excuse me... and welcome home Sir Tidus." Tidus was shocked that the man knew his name. He kept forgetting that all of Spira knew them now. "Will one of you please wake Kimahri... his ship has arrived."
Tidus rose to his feet. "I'll do it." He said to Wakka. Tidus walked to Kimahri's hut and knocked on the door. The tall blue Ronso was already awake. He left his hut and closed the door behind him. "Kimahri, I didn't know you were leaving."
"Kimahri goes to Mt. Gagazet. Tidus and Yuna visit Kimahri there."
Tidus nodded. "Yeah, we'll visit." Tidus helped Kimahri with his bags. He didn't have much: his spears, and some potions. He had no personal belongings; no family pictures, but he did have one framed photo protruding from the bag Tidus was holding. It was a picture of Yuna when she was a very little girl. That's how he found her so many years ago.
"Tidus bring everyone here. Kimahri says goodbye." Kimahri took his bag from Tidus' hands and sent him to gather their friends.
Tidus woke Yuna first. He sat beside her on the bed and gently stroked her arm. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "It's time for Kimahri to leave."
Next Tidus went to Wakka's hut to wake up Zalitz. Yuna went to wake up Rikku.
Zalitz woke when the door opened, letting the bright sunlight pour into Wakka's unusually dark room. Wakka didn't have windows in his hut. Zalitz yawned and stretched. "Hey man, I'm sorry about running off like that last night." Tidus said.
"No, it's okay. I understand." Zalitz said as he remembered the little escapade Rikku dragged him into. He remembered the humiliated face of his pretty new friend, and he kept his promise; he didn't say a word. He noticed the ring was still around Tidus' neck. "You didn't do it?"
"Not yet." Tidus said as he removed the ring from the chain. "Soon." He placed it in his pocket so he could pull it out when the time was right.
They all met in the center of town and walked together to the dock. The ship was waiting. They all hugged Kimahri; saying their goodbyes.
"Everyone takes care of Yuna." Kimahri said. Yuna embraced the large Ronso with tears welling in her eyes, her arms not even long enough to wrap around his waist. Kimahri had been like a father to her.
"I'll miss you, Kimahri." Yuna finished saying goodbye, and let Kimahri climb aboard the ship. They all waved to him as the ship sailed off into the ocean. "Goodbye!" They all called into the air.
Tidus held Yuna's hand as they stood on the wooden dock. Zalitz noticed that Tidus had his other hand in his pocket; he fidgeted with the ring. Tidus smiled at Zalitz. Zalitz knew exactly what he was thinking, and Tidus nodded to confirm his suspicions.
With that, Zalitz decided that the young couple needed some privacy. "Come on everyone, let's go." Zalitz said as he led the group away from the dock. They left Tidus and Yuna alone, holding hands in the morning sun.
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Please let me know what you think so far...
Darcee :)