XXXII: It Was You...
After the sending, one by one, people retreated from the forest. Yuna held on to Tidus like she never had before. Tidus reached his hand underneath the torn and bloodstained shirt to feel his skin once again. Still, it was flawless. It didn't make sense.
Rikku walked up to Tidus, visibly upset. "I tried to make him feel better... but... he says he wants to talk to you." Rikku pointed to the beach with a rejected look in her eyes. Yuna squeezed Tidus's arm and kissed him before she let go. She and Rikku walked back to town together.
Tidus was apprehensive about seeing Zalitz. He didn't understand how it happened, or why, but he thought it was his fault that Flitt was dead. 'What will I say?' Tidus thought as he made his way to the beach.
Zalitz sat alone in the sand, the waves crashing near his feet. He watched the powder blue sky slowly fade to pink. It was late afternoon, and the yellow sun had turned orange. 'Tidus...' He thought. 'So, it was you...' Zalitz slumped forward, his legs crossed over each other, his elbows resting on his knees. His distraught mind was being pulled in a million directions at once.
Zalitz saw Tidus in the corner of his eye. Tidus couldn't bring himself any closer. Zalitz let out half of a smile, and then motioned for Tidus to come sit down. For a long time, they didn't say anything. Tidus stared down at his torn and bloodstained shirt. He took it off, wadded it into a ball and threw it into the ocean. Finally, Tidus looked at him. "I'm so sorry..." Tidus hung his head in shame. "...but, I don't even know how... or why..."
"I'm glad it was you." Zalitz said as he stared into the ocean, the golden sun skipping over the waves. "He was very proud to be the one." Zalitz looked at Tidus. "I know you don't understand..." Zalitz turned back to the ocean, a sort of abandoned look in his eyes. "Grandpa told me that long ago, a prophet told him that he would meet you. He said that you were the future of Spira, and that Grandpa would give his life so that you could live."
"The future of Spira?" Tidus muttered, possibly more confused now than he was before. "The future... what does that mean?" Even Zalitz couldn't answer that question for him.
Zalitz released a broken laugh. "I was hoping you knew." They were silent again for a while as they watched the seagulls zip through the sky. "He wanted me to tell you not to blame yourself... and that he was honored."
Tidus nodded. Zalitz didn't seem sad anymore. Maybe telling the story helped him cope... and knowing that his grandfather died a hero. He stared into the ocean, the waves twinkled underneath a golden sunset. "Hey, there's a girl back there who's pretty worried about you." Tidus said. "Why don't we head home?"
Zalitz smiled. Just the thought of Rikku was enough to bring a smile to his face. "I think I'm gonna take a few more minutes. I'll be right behind you."
~
~
~
Rikku pulled the covers over Zalitz; he was breathing softly beside her. They lay together in her bed. She didn't want him to be alone. His face was peaceful for the moment... his eyes closed, a hand tucked under his cheek. She stayed awake a little bit after he fell asleep, just watching him, making sure he would be alright. Eventually her tired eyes closed too.
Most of Besaid had gone to bed early that night, having been witness to a traumatic event that could only be described as amazing. Wakka, Lulu, Tidus, and Yuna were still awake, sitting by a small fire. Tidus described the cryptic prophecy that Zalitz had told him earlier, "What could it possibly mean?" He asked his friends.
They had no idea. "Is that all he told you?" Lulu asked, unable to decipher the vague puzzle. Tidus nodded.
Tidus watched Yuna staring absently into the fire. Her eyes were drowsy, her arms raised as she arched her back in a long stretch and yawned. They were all exhausted.
The two couples extinguished the fire and said goodnight. Tidus led Yuna to their hut and closed the door behind them.
Yuna watched as Tidus pulled his shirt off his broad shoulders, the muscles in his back rippled as he maneuvered the shirt over his head. He sat with her on the bed, taking her hands in his. She looked into his crystal blue eyes as yellow candlelight bounced off the walls. She still seemed somewhat troubled, a feeling only his touch could cure. He leaned forward and kissed her lips; they fell back into the pillows.
The love they made that night was different from usual. Tonight, they cherished every moment, every touch... every kiss. They were grateful to be together. She cried afterwards as she lay in his warm arms. She cried because she hoped to never feel as lonely as she felt when his eyes closed... to never be as lost as she was when he took his last breath.
Their love was no ordinary love; he felt her soul with every kiss... her dreams with every touch. He held her body close to his, breathing her in. His strong hands wiped the tears from her cheeks, as her head lie on his chest. She couldn't see that he was crying too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The end draws near... only a few more chapters...
Darcee :)
After the sending, one by one, people retreated from the forest. Yuna held on to Tidus like she never had before. Tidus reached his hand underneath the torn and bloodstained shirt to feel his skin once again. Still, it was flawless. It didn't make sense.
Rikku walked up to Tidus, visibly upset. "I tried to make him feel better... but... he says he wants to talk to you." Rikku pointed to the beach with a rejected look in her eyes. Yuna squeezed Tidus's arm and kissed him before she let go. She and Rikku walked back to town together.
Tidus was apprehensive about seeing Zalitz. He didn't understand how it happened, or why, but he thought it was his fault that Flitt was dead. 'What will I say?' Tidus thought as he made his way to the beach.
Zalitz sat alone in the sand, the waves crashing near his feet. He watched the powder blue sky slowly fade to pink. It was late afternoon, and the yellow sun had turned orange. 'Tidus...' He thought. 'So, it was you...' Zalitz slumped forward, his legs crossed over each other, his elbows resting on his knees. His distraught mind was being pulled in a million directions at once.
Zalitz saw Tidus in the corner of his eye. Tidus couldn't bring himself any closer. Zalitz let out half of a smile, and then motioned for Tidus to come sit down. For a long time, they didn't say anything. Tidus stared down at his torn and bloodstained shirt. He took it off, wadded it into a ball and threw it into the ocean. Finally, Tidus looked at him. "I'm so sorry..." Tidus hung his head in shame. "...but, I don't even know how... or why..."
"I'm glad it was you." Zalitz said as he stared into the ocean, the golden sun skipping over the waves. "He was very proud to be the one." Zalitz looked at Tidus. "I know you don't understand..." Zalitz turned back to the ocean, a sort of abandoned look in his eyes. "Grandpa told me that long ago, a prophet told him that he would meet you. He said that you were the future of Spira, and that Grandpa would give his life so that you could live."
"The future of Spira?" Tidus muttered, possibly more confused now than he was before. "The future... what does that mean?" Even Zalitz couldn't answer that question for him.
Zalitz released a broken laugh. "I was hoping you knew." They were silent again for a while as they watched the seagulls zip through the sky. "He wanted me to tell you not to blame yourself... and that he was honored."
Tidus nodded. Zalitz didn't seem sad anymore. Maybe telling the story helped him cope... and knowing that his grandfather died a hero. He stared into the ocean, the waves twinkled underneath a golden sunset. "Hey, there's a girl back there who's pretty worried about you." Tidus said. "Why don't we head home?"
Zalitz smiled. Just the thought of Rikku was enough to bring a smile to his face. "I think I'm gonna take a few more minutes. I'll be right behind you."
~
~
~
Rikku pulled the covers over Zalitz; he was breathing softly beside her. They lay together in her bed. She didn't want him to be alone. His face was peaceful for the moment... his eyes closed, a hand tucked under his cheek. She stayed awake a little bit after he fell asleep, just watching him, making sure he would be alright. Eventually her tired eyes closed too.
Most of Besaid had gone to bed early that night, having been witness to a traumatic event that could only be described as amazing. Wakka, Lulu, Tidus, and Yuna were still awake, sitting by a small fire. Tidus described the cryptic prophecy that Zalitz had told him earlier, "What could it possibly mean?" He asked his friends.
They had no idea. "Is that all he told you?" Lulu asked, unable to decipher the vague puzzle. Tidus nodded.
Tidus watched Yuna staring absently into the fire. Her eyes were drowsy, her arms raised as she arched her back in a long stretch and yawned. They were all exhausted.
The two couples extinguished the fire and said goodnight. Tidus led Yuna to their hut and closed the door behind them.
Yuna watched as Tidus pulled his shirt off his broad shoulders, the muscles in his back rippled as he maneuvered the shirt over his head. He sat with her on the bed, taking her hands in his. She looked into his crystal blue eyes as yellow candlelight bounced off the walls. She still seemed somewhat troubled, a feeling only his touch could cure. He leaned forward and kissed her lips; they fell back into the pillows.
The love they made that night was different from usual. Tonight, they cherished every moment, every touch... every kiss. They were grateful to be together. She cried afterwards as she lay in his warm arms. She cried because she hoped to never feel as lonely as she felt when his eyes closed... to never be as lost as she was when he took his last breath.
Their love was no ordinary love; he felt her soul with every kiss... her dreams with every touch. He held her body close to his, breathing her in. His strong hands wiped the tears from her cheeks, as her head lie on his chest. She couldn't see that he was crying too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The end draws near... only a few more chapters...
Darcee :)