XXVIII: Remember
"Hey kids!" Cid called as he saw the two couples emerge from the farplane gates.
"Uncle Cid!" Yuna yelled and ran over to give him a hug.
"I thought you guys might need a lift." He saw Tidus standing at Yuna's side. "Welcome back, kiddo. You had us worried." Cid said as he gave Tidus a forceful pat on the back.
They climbed aboard the airship and sailed back to Besaid. They were all so happy not to have to walk home through the cold highroad. "It's good to see them happy again." Tidus said to Yuna as they watched Wakka and Lulu kiss.
The trip home only took a couple of hours, as it would have taken a few days on foot. They were all happy to set foot on Besaid's sandy beach. Cid couldn't stay much longer. "Tell Rikku I said goodbye." He said as he waved.
The townspeople all gathered around them, welcoming them home. They were very glad to be home. Rikku saw the crowd gather. "They're home!" She yelled and ran to greet her friends. Zalitz followed closely behind.
"Zalitz!" Tidus said. "When did you get here?"
"It's been almost a week." Zalitz said. "My grandpa will be glad to see you again." Zalitz said as he dragged Tidus away. "Yuna, he wants to meet you too."
Zalitz led them to their hut, and Flitt was sitting outside in his rocking chair.
"Tidus, my boy!" He said as he saw them approach. Flitt slowly rose to his feet and gave Tidus a hug. "My Lady, Yuna." He bowed his head to the girl standing quietly behind Tidus.
"Yes'sir" She said smiling and shook his hand.
"Congratulations on your engagement. And let me add, what a pleasure it is to meet the woman who saved the world."
"Thank you, sir." Yuna blushed. "Actually, it was Tidus really." She said modestly and wrapped her arm around her fiancé's back. "He's the one who saved Spira." Yuna went on to describe how Tidus had come to Spira from Zanarkand, and without him, they never would have thought of a way to defeat Sin forever.
Flitt didn't hear a word she said. His face went blank as he remembered something an old prophet had said to him many years ago. Something he'd forgotten until Yuna's words brought the memory back. Flitt's face flushed white, and he stared at Tidus like he was looking into the face of a ghost. "Grandpa, are you okay?" Zalitz asked.
"Flitt?" Tidus said with concern.
Flitt sat back down in his chair. "I'm fine." He said as he regained his composure. "I'm fine." He muttered again, still lost in thought. Suddenly he snapped from his deep trance, and saw the worried faces watching. "Oh, my. I'm sorry. Just an old man's mind." Zalitz worried for his grandfather; what just happened had nothing to do with Flitt's mind. Zalitz knew that Flitt had a mind as sharp as a man half his age.
"Well then, Tidus. Introduce me to the rest of your friends." Tidus took Flitt to meet Lulu and Wakka, Rikku he already knew, and then they walked over to the temple where they showed him a statue of Auron. They also told him about Kimahri who had recently returned to Mt. Gagazet. All the while, Flitt was thinking about the memory... the memory that lay dormant in his mind for almost sixty years.
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Rikku sat next to Zalitz on the couch. He tickled her side... she laughed. Flitt watched them from his bedroom. He didn't want to end their night so early; they were having so much fun, but there was something he needed to tell Zalitz. "Zalitz, my son, will you come here for a moment." Flitt called from his bedroom.
Zalitz left Rikku and went to his grandfather. "What is it grandpa?" Zalitz asked.
"There is something we must talk about, my son. Will you please take Rikku home?" Zalitz's face filled with concern, sensing that what his grandfather had to say was very serious.
"Is everything okay?" He asked.
"Yes, we will talk when you get back."
Zalitz and Rikku walked to her hut together underneath the starry black sky. Rikku noticed his concern. "What's wrong?" She asked.
"Oh, it's nothing." Zalitz lied and then smiled to conceal his worry. He stopped at her door, and kissed her goodnight. He hurried back home; his grandfather was waiting when he walked through the door.
"Have a seat." Zalitz sat down on the couch, and Flitt moved his chair across from him. "There's something I should tell you... something I think you are now mature enough to understand." Flitt began to rock in his chair as Zalitz listened nervously. Flitt began to tell his story... "When I was a young boy, not much older than you are, I met a man... a prophet. I was in Luca, and an old blind man called out to me... "Boy! Come here, boy." I went to him and he said. "Your name is Flitt." I'd never seen this man before. I didn't know him. "Flitt," he said to me, "You will be bestowed with a great responsibility. You will meet a man in your lifetime... a brave young man who will save this land... a man who is not from this world. This young man will be the future of Spira." I listened to the old prophet ramble... I wasn't sure if I believed what he was saying. He said, "One day, you will find this man dying, and you will give him your life." I didn't want to hear his words. I didn't want to believe. I was young. I only cared about girls, and sports, and my friends... It was too much. But then he said to me, "You have the power within you. When the time is right, you will know."
Zalitz couldn't say anything. He sank back into the couch. "So this power... it will kill you." Zalitz asked.
"Yes, my son. It will." Flitt said seeing the tears build up in his grandson's eyes. "I don't want you to worry. I am an old man. I've lived a full life. When it is time, I will be honored." Flitt didn't tell Zalitz that he thought the man could be Tidus. He didn't want to sever the friendship between them. "I have one more thing to ask of you... when it is time, I will need you to tell this story. You must be strong; you are the only one who knows. You must tell this man not to pity me... tell him not to blame himself... tell him that I am very honored."
"I will." Zalitz promised.
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Ch. 29 coming soon...
Darcee :)
"Hey kids!" Cid called as he saw the two couples emerge from the farplane gates.
"Uncle Cid!" Yuna yelled and ran over to give him a hug.
"I thought you guys might need a lift." He saw Tidus standing at Yuna's side. "Welcome back, kiddo. You had us worried." Cid said as he gave Tidus a forceful pat on the back.
They climbed aboard the airship and sailed back to Besaid. They were all so happy not to have to walk home through the cold highroad. "It's good to see them happy again." Tidus said to Yuna as they watched Wakka and Lulu kiss.
The trip home only took a couple of hours, as it would have taken a few days on foot. They were all happy to set foot on Besaid's sandy beach. Cid couldn't stay much longer. "Tell Rikku I said goodbye." He said as he waved.
The townspeople all gathered around them, welcoming them home. They were very glad to be home. Rikku saw the crowd gather. "They're home!" She yelled and ran to greet her friends. Zalitz followed closely behind.
"Zalitz!" Tidus said. "When did you get here?"
"It's been almost a week." Zalitz said. "My grandpa will be glad to see you again." Zalitz said as he dragged Tidus away. "Yuna, he wants to meet you too."
Zalitz led them to their hut, and Flitt was sitting outside in his rocking chair.
"Tidus, my boy!" He said as he saw them approach. Flitt slowly rose to his feet and gave Tidus a hug. "My Lady, Yuna." He bowed his head to the girl standing quietly behind Tidus.
"Yes'sir" She said smiling and shook his hand.
"Congratulations on your engagement. And let me add, what a pleasure it is to meet the woman who saved the world."
"Thank you, sir." Yuna blushed. "Actually, it was Tidus really." She said modestly and wrapped her arm around her fiancé's back. "He's the one who saved Spira." Yuna went on to describe how Tidus had come to Spira from Zanarkand, and without him, they never would have thought of a way to defeat Sin forever.
Flitt didn't hear a word she said. His face went blank as he remembered something an old prophet had said to him many years ago. Something he'd forgotten until Yuna's words brought the memory back. Flitt's face flushed white, and he stared at Tidus like he was looking into the face of a ghost. "Grandpa, are you okay?" Zalitz asked.
"Flitt?" Tidus said with concern.
Flitt sat back down in his chair. "I'm fine." He said as he regained his composure. "I'm fine." He muttered again, still lost in thought. Suddenly he snapped from his deep trance, and saw the worried faces watching. "Oh, my. I'm sorry. Just an old man's mind." Zalitz worried for his grandfather; what just happened had nothing to do with Flitt's mind. Zalitz knew that Flitt had a mind as sharp as a man half his age.
"Well then, Tidus. Introduce me to the rest of your friends." Tidus took Flitt to meet Lulu and Wakka, Rikku he already knew, and then they walked over to the temple where they showed him a statue of Auron. They also told him about Kimahri who had recently returned to Mt. Gagazet. All the while, Flitt was thinking about the memory... the memory that lay dormant in his mind for almost sixty years.
~
~
~
Rikku sat next to Zalitz on the couch. He tickled her side... she laughed. Flitt watched them from his bedroom. He didn't want to end their night so early; they were having so much fun, but there was something he needed to tell Zalitz. "Zalitz, my son, will you come here for a moment." Flitt called from his bedroom.
Zalitz left Rikku and went to his grandfather. "What is it grandpa?" Zalitz asked.
"There is something we must talk about, my son. Will you please take Rikku home?" Zalitz's face filled with concern, sensing that what his grandfather had to say was very serious.
"Is everything okay?" He asked.
"Yes, we will talk when you get back."
Zalitz and Rikku walked to her hut together underneath the starry black sky. Rikku noticed his concern. "What's wrong?" She asked.
"Oh, it's nothing." Zalitz lied and then smiled to conceal his worry. He stopped at her door, and kissed her goodnight. He hurried back home; his grandfather was waiting when he walked through the door.
"Have a seat." Zalitz sat down on the couch, and Flitt moved his chair across from him. "There's something I should tell you... something I think you are now mature enough to understand." Flitt began to rock in his chair as Zalitz listened nervously. Flitt began to tell his story... "When I was a young boy, not much older than you are, I met a man... a prophet. I was in Luca, and an old blind man called out to me... "Boy! Come here, boy." I went to him and he said. "Your name is Flitt." I'd never seen this man before. I didn't know him. "Flitt," he said to me, "You will be bestowed with a great responsibility. You will meet a man in your lifetime... a brave young man who will save this land... a man who is not from this world. This young man will be the future of Spira." I listened to the old prophet ramble... I wasn't sure if I believed what he was saying. He said, "One day, you will find this man dying, and you will give him your life." I didn't want to hear his words. I didn't want to believe. I was young. I only cared about girls, and sports, and my friends... It was too much. But then he said to me, "You have the power within you. When the time is right, you will know."
Zalitz couldn't say anything. He sank back into the couch. "So this power... it will kill you." Zalitz asked.
"Yes, my son. It will." Flitt said seeing the tears build up in his grandson's eyes. "I don't want you to worry. I am an old man. I've lived a full life. When it is time, I will be honored." Flitt didn't tell Zalitz that he thought the man could be Tidus. He didn't want to sever the friendship between them. "I have one more thing to ask of you... when it is time, I will need you to tell this story. You must be strong; you are the only one who knows. You must tell this man not to pity me... tell him not to blame himself... tell him that I am very honored."
"I will." Zalitz promised.
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Ch. 29 coming soon...
Darcee :)