XXVII: Saying Goodbye
Rikku sat with Zalitz on the sandy beach. Her boots were lying in the sand beside her as she stretched out her bare sun-kissed legs. The rain clouds from the night before had vanished revealing a crystal clear blue sky, and the hot afternoon sun. They watched some of the Aurochs throwing a ball around in the water. There was no official practice today since Wakka was out of town. Zalitz leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder. She smiled and kissed his lips.
"Hey man! You're back!" One of the Aurochs called, breaking the lip lock between them. A few of the athletes ran out of the water and onto the beach.
"Yeah, I got here yesterday." Zalitz said.
"Wanna play?" One of them asked.
Zalitz looked to Rikku. He was enjoying being with her, but he really did want to play. Rikku noticed him eyeing that ball nearly as much as he was eyeing her. She nodded to him, suggesting that he go. Knowing how shy he was, this would be a good opportunity to get to know the team. "I'll be here cheering for you." She said. He kissed her cheek and ran off with the guys into the ocean.
Rikku laid in the sand, letting the sun tan her skin. After a while, she heard a low humming sound. She looked up to see a very familiar pink and white airship floating on the horizon. She jumped to her feet. "Vydran!" She called out in her native tongue, jumping and waving her arms so he would see her.
The ship landed on the beach, and Cid came running out. "How's my girl." He asked in his gruff smoker's voice as he hugged his daughter.
"I'm great! Brother!" She said as she hugged the tall young man with the blonde mohawk.
"Hello Rikku." He said with a heavy Al Bhed accent.
"When did you learn that?" Rikku laughed. He had been studying the language for about a month now, but was still a little rusty.
"Where is everyone?" Cid asked scanning the faces on the beach.
"They all went to Guadosalam... to visit the farplane."
"They walked! It's freezing there this time of year. I'll go pick them up." Cid said.
"Wait! I want you to meet someone... my boyfriend." Rikku said as she ran off to drag Zalitz out of the ocean. She just hoped Cid would be more accepting than when he met Tidus for the first time, although the circumstances were different then. Zalitz was so shy, she didn't want him to feel intimidated.
"Boyfriend?" Cid said uneasily as he watched his little girl pull Zalitz out of the water. Cid saw Rikku leading the tall dark-haired young man by the hand.
"Father, this is Zalitz." Rikku said smiling at her dad.
Cid stood with his arms crossed for a moment, making Zalitz very nervous. Finally Cid extended his hand to Zalitz, and they shook. Cid smiled. "Hello Zalitz."
"Hi, Sir." Zalitz said with a shy smile.
"Hey, just call me Cid. So, you're a blitz player too?" Cid noticed his dripping wet clothes.
"Yeah. I just joined the Aurochs."
"Great! Hey, well, I'm gonna go snatch those kids out of Guadosalam. Take care of my girl, Zalitz." Cid called as he climbed back aboard the ship. Rikku and Zalitz waved from the beach as the ship sailed away.
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~
~
Lulu walked ahead of the others as they made their way though Guadosalam. She had a bright smile on her face; her tawny eyes twinkled. 'What's gotten into her?' They all thought, noticing her apparent happiness.
She felt free for the first time since Chappu died. She didn't tell anyone about her dream. She had one more thing to do before she could be absolutely sure.
The Guados all smiled as they walked through their town. They held no more grudges against Yuna and her friends. "Lady Yuna! Welcome." They called as she and her friends walked by.
Yuna bowed her head and smiled. They neared the end of the city, and found the path to the farplane. They paused on the stairs, looking at the multi-colored gate that separated the farplane from Guadosalam.
Lulu stopped and took a deep breath. Wakka stood beside her. "You ready?" He asked. He knew she was there to see Chappu. He wanted to see Chappu too. Lulu nodded and they entered together.
Tidus and Yuna both came to see their parents. They took a moment to summon the memories. Tidus thought of his parents, and they appeared. His mother and Jecht… finally together again after ten long years. Seconds later, Lord and Lady Braska appeared next to them. Tidus reached out and held Yuna's hand as they watched the images floating on the yellow mist.
"I miss them." Yuna whispered. Tidus squeezed her hand and pulled her close to give her a hug. He kissed her the top of her head as he held her close.
Lulu was looking at an image of Chappu. He looked just as he did in her dream. He was smiling. "I just wanted to say... goodbye... and thank you." Lulu said.
Wakka stood back, looking at the same image, giving Lulu some time alone. Chappu looked happy. After a few moments, Wakka approached the image of his younger brother. Lulu felt him standing beside her. "He's happy, Wakka." Lulu said as she watched Chappu's image float in the mist. Seeing him smile as they stood there together was what she needed to see. She reached out and laced her fingers through Wakka's. He felt something different in her voice... in her touch. It was the same love that was always there, only this time, unshielded. The wall between them had fallen, and now she could love him with her whole heart. "Do you need more time?" She asked.
"No." He smiled at her, feeling her delicate fingers intertwined in his. She was all he needed... all he would ever need.
"Let's go home." She said.
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Plenty more still to come...
Darcee :)
Rikku sat with Zalitz on the sandy beach. Her boots were lying in the sand beside her as she stretched out her bare sun-kissed legs. The rain clouds from the night before had vanished revealing a crystal clear blue sky, and the hot afternoon sun. They watched some of the Aurochs throwing a ball around in the water. There was no official practice today since Wakka was out of town. Zalitz leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder. She smiled and kissed his lips.
"Hey man! You're back!" One of the Aurochs called, breaking the lip lock between them. A few of the athletes ran out of the water and onto the beach.
"Yeah, I got here yesterday." Zalitz said.
"Wanna play?" One of them asked.
Zalitz looked to Rikku. He was enjoying being with her, but he really did want to play. Rikku noticed him eyeing that ball nearly as much as he was eyeing her. She nodded to him, suggesting that he go. Knowing how shy he was, this would be a good opportunity to get to know the team. "I'll be here cheering for you." She said. He kissed her cheek and ran off with the guys into the ocean.
Rikku laid in the sand, letting the sun tan her skin. After a while, she heard a low humming sound. She looked up to see a very familiar pink and white airship floating on the horizon. She jumped to her feet. "Vydran!" She called out in her native tongue, jumping and waving her arms so he would see her.
The ship landed on the beach, and Cid came running out. "How's my girl." He asked in his gruff smoker's voice as he hugged his daughter.
"I'm great! Brother!" She said as she hugged the tall young man with the blonde mohawk.
"Hello Rikku." He said with a heavy Al Bhed accent.
"When did you learn that?" Rikku laughed. He had been studying the language for about a month now, but was still a little rusty.
"Where is everyone?" Cid asked scanning the faces on the beach.
"They all went to Guadosalam... to visit the farplane."
"They walked! It's freezing there this time of year. I'll go pick them up." Cid said.
"Wait! I want you to meet someone... my boyfriend." Rikku said as she ran off to drag Zalitz out of the ocean. She just hoped Cid would be more accepting than when he met Tidus for the first time, although the circumstances were different then. Zalitz was so shy, she didn't want him to feel intimidated.
"Boyfriend?" Cid said uneasily as he watched his little girl pull Zalitz out of the water. Cid saw Rikku leading the tall dark-haired young man by the hand.
"Father, this is Zalitz." Rikku said smiling at her dad.
Cid stood with his arms crossed for a moment, making Zalitz very nervous. Finally Cid extended his hand to Zalitz, and they shook. Cid smiled. "Hello Zalitz."
"Hi, Sir." Zalitz said with a shy smile.
"Hey, just call me Cid. So, you're a blitz player too?" Cid noticed his dripping wet clothes.
"Yeah. I just joined the Aurochs."
"Great! Hey, well, I'm gonna go snatch those kids out of Guadosalam. Take care of my girl, Zalitz." Cid called as he climbed back aboard the ship. Rikku and Zalitz waved from the beach as the ship sailed away.
~
~
~
Lulu walked ahead of the others as they made their way though Guadosalam. She had a bright smile on her face; her tawny eyes twinkled. 'What's gotten into her?' They all thought, noticing her apparent happiness.
She felt free for the first time since Chappu died. She didn't tell anyone about her dream. She had one more thing to do before she could be absolutely sure.
The Guados all smiled as they walked through their town. They held no more grudges against Yuna and her friends. "Lady Yuna! Welcome." They called as she and her friends walked by.
Yuna bowed her head and smiled. They neared the end of the city, and found the path to the farplane. They paused on the stairs, looking at the multi-colored gate that separated the farplane from Guadosalam.
Lulu stopped and took a deep breath. Wakka stood beside her. "You ready?" He asked. He knew she was there to see Chappu. He wanted to see Chappu too. Lulu nodded and they entered together.
Tidus and Yuna both came to see their parents. They took a moment to summon the memories. Tidus thought of his parents, and they appeared. His mother and Jecht… finally together again after ten long years. Seconds later, Lord and Lady Braska appeared next to them. Tidus reached out and held Yuna's hand as they watched the images floating on the yellow mist.
"I miss them." Yuna whispered. Tidus squeezed her hand and pulled her close to give her a hug. He kissed her the top of her head as he held her close.
Lulu was looking at an image of Chappu. He looked just as he did in her dream. He was smiling. "I just wanted to say... goodbye... and thank you." Lulu said.
Wakka stood back, looking at the same image, giving Lulu some time alone. Chappu looked happy. After a few moments, Wakka approached the image of his younger brother. Lulu felt him standing beside her. "He's happy, Wakka." Lulu said as she watched Chappu's image float in the mist. Seeing him smile as they stood there together was what she needed to see. She reached out and laced her fingers through Wakka's. He felt something different in her voice... in her touch. It was the same love that was always there, only this time, unshielded. The wall between them had fallen, and now she could love him with her whole heart. "Do you need more time?" She asked.
"No." He smiled at her, feeling her delicate fingers intertwined in his. She was all he needed... all he would ever need.
"Let's go home." She said.
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Plenty more still to come...
Darcee :)