- Mending a broken heart-
Chapter 1
Tidus side of the Gil
It was a warm summers day, as everyday here in the farplane, here everyday was a perfect day, there was never a bad day, sure it rained, but just for the sake of once in a while have a good showering, there were never storms or a angered sea… This place was perfect, and even the people seemed to radiate just that.
A solemn soul walked by the streets of Zanarkand, his Chocobo-style hairdo was easily recognised, and people shouted salutes to this character, he smiled back and greeted them swiftly as he passed by, once in a while some children would stand before him and ask for maybe a autograph or even a picture, he complied to their requests as a good role model that he was according to the public opinion, but frankly he had never before listened to public opinion before, so why would he start now all of the sudden?
Suddenly a slender young woman with beautiful figure topped with a graceful bosom and dark shoulder long hair, and dressed in body tight white skirt and with a matching top, and high-heeled shoes approached him and stopped in front of him, arms crossed waiting to that his crowd dispersed before speaking:
-"So this is where you have been hiding Sir Tidus?"
The sarcasm in her voice was as evident as her figure was to the males that stood there glaring first at Tidus and then to her, many of them where almost crying for seeing such people at the same time, many of them received dirty looks from their dates, and some even a slap before they stormed away from them. Tidus gave the woman a weak apological smile.
-"Sorry! I forgot that I was supposed to meet you for lunch Lyll, I guess that I was somewhat sidetracked… Sorry!"
Lyll, daughter of a local politician just a little younger than Tidus, that somehow on the way claimed herself to be the lead contender for the title of Tidus girlfriend. Tidus himself have never even considered on taking on a girlfriend. That would be betraying his heart and his life-love Yuna. But after a year he slowly started to realised with a lot of help from Jecht, that maybe he wouldn't be able to see her at all again, and from there he started to open up himself to possibilities only to realise that his love to Yuna grew for every passing day, that it was almost painful to even take a breath of air. His mother that was utterly worried for his son of course noticed that fact; this however was totally ignored by Lyll whom started to pursue Tidus even more furiously than before.
Tidus looked towards a fast-food joint, he knew that she would never even consider touching food like that. Tidus found out that she was posh beyond anything that he had encountered before, which really made him appreciate the more mundane things, he and the others had to attend numerous dressed occasions and other formalities, an honestly he was fed up with it he remembered when he together with Yuna and the others. He shaked those thoughts out of his head quickly and looked at her with a glued-to-his-face smile.
-"Well then Lyll, how about this? My treat!"
Lyll looked first at the little food hut and then towards Tidus with utterly disgust, but tried hard to keep a front, something that resulted in utterly failure.
-"Well…Ok …Let's see what they got to offer"
Tidus smiled wickedly at this, they approached to the hut, where Tidus loudly asked for the attention of the keeper:
-"Hi there Poppa! How's business today?"
Poppa a middle-aged man, looked at the young couple with his good eye.
-"Ah! Hi there kiddo! Well I cannot complain after all I do what I want to do in, so no complaining from me! So waddaya want?"
Tidus liked this man, mostly because he was a simple character and then to the fact that he treated Tidus like he would treats all the other customers, no silk gloves here, no just down-to-earth, and that was exactly what he needed.
-"Well Poppa, I want two Poppa's special!"
Poppa looked at the young lady, and was about to say something when he caught the pleading eyes of Tidus, he just decided to leave things at that, not wanting to Argue with the young hero. After a little while Poppa came out of the kitchen with two plates of something that to put it mildly looked like scarred catfish, which some parts been processed already, Tidus smiled widely as the dish was presented to them as they sat on the unpretentious chairs that Poppa's provided. The Aroma of the "Dish" Lyll examined her portion and slowly poked it with her fork, after what seemed an eternity Lyll decided to taste it, at first her face became pensive, savouring the flavour then her eyes shot up in wild surprise.
-"Hey, Tidus this was great! What is it?"
Tidus smiled, he liked to surprise her, somehow he did he just couldn't say why exactly but he did.
-" Actually it is the intestines of the Bellevian squid…"
As soon as Lyll heard that her fork dropped from her hand and she took the tissue at her side and wiped her tongue furiously with it after that she spat the pieces that she was now chewing. She stood up and looked at her clock, and then to Tidus, giving him for a second a dark look, before trying to act normal.
-"Well I just remembered that I need to be elsewhere right now, I just forgot and I have to be there…yes! So see you around I will contact you later!"
Tidus waved her goodbye, he was not going to stop her from leaving, in the contrary he welcomed his solitude. *If I had never met Yuna… My old self would have had found her attractive…* Those thoughts followed for the remainder of his stay in at Poppa's.
On the other side of town another character made his way trough the streets apparently looking for something or rather someone. Sir Jecht mumbled something in his breath, as he looked further:
-"Now where is that kid at?"
Jecht had under the two years that they been here become more at home since he was from the beginning accustomed to all the commotion being the greatest blitzball player of all time and all. He greeted his fans but pushed forward, still no sight of what he was looking after, frustrated he continued his search, and he knew where to go next…
As Tidus walked out of Poppa's and started to immediately walk towards his 'spot' as he walked by the seashore Tidus thought about his days here in the farplane, sure the serenity here was great beyond anything, you found peace in everything that you did. Almost everybody found what he or she was looking for Poppa being one of him or her. Tidus was happy for just that fact, but it did not ease his pain, not one bit. He was bored, bored beyond comprehension, the Blitzball here was great and he got to spend time with his family, he even started to enjoy the company of Jec….dad he quickly changed. During his stay here a kind of bond grew between them heck, they even played blitzball in the same team the Zanarkand Abes destroying the competition.
Tidus was here now, but like a knife in his guts he felt the loneliness, his soul was here, but his heart was still in Spira…With her.
He arrived to the small pier that was only for use by small boats, he sat at the edge of it one knee to his chest, and gave away a heavy sigh, after some minutes Tidus stood up and drew his fingers towards his lips and blew hard resulting in a banshee that swept through the open sea onto oblivion. He gazed with great anticipation waiting for an answer, that expression soon turns to gloominess as he realises that no answer would come.
A small tear then found his way from his eye, soon to be followed by a free shower that did not want to stop, his shoulders shaked he did not put any efforts to stop the tears, after a while he managed to inhale enough to utter:
-"Yuna…Where are you?"
Jecht finally arrived at the 'spot' as he saw a lonely figure standing on the pier, he slowly approached still with his annoyed look on his face, but that expression took a weird turn as he observed his son crying, he didn't knew what to do. All this parenting stuff still 'Puzzled' him as Braska more than once called him, much to the others delight and approval. He turned around to leave, but decided that he rather not, he was not going to solve things they way that he used to, he owned him that much at least.
Unsure of what to do he walked towards Tidus, him not having heard or sensed some others presence felt a firm hand on his shoulder. Tidus jumped in utter surprise and quickly turned around, wiping off the tears from his face, he looked at his father.
-"Oh hi dad!"
Jecht looked at him unsure what to say, he opted for a winning tactic:
-"Oh, so this is where you have been hiding? And crying your head off to boot!"
Tidus was a little annoyed, why couldn't his father sometimes try and not to mock him at every chance that he would get?
-"Oh leave me alone dad!"
-"Well I could do that, specially since you are crying like a baby as always…"
-"So why don't you?"
-"You see there is this thing called parenthood, and somehow I believe that I am supposed to talk to you"
Tidus looked at him with a weird look as he sat back on the piers edge.
-"So why are you here really?"
Jecht looked at his son from behind before joining him at the edge, gazing at the sea in the same fashion as Tidus did. He just ignored his son's last question and pressed forward with his own *When you got the ball you gotta score*.
-"You miss her…don't you?"
Tidus was take aback anew from this side that his father now showed.
-"Yeah…I don't know how long I can hold on, I want to see her and touch her once again"
Jecht looked at him with a sympathetic eye.
-"You know I hate to admit this but I was in the same situation as you are, but this was when I was in Spira, I was all depressed about leaving you and your mom behind in Zanarkand, I guess that it was why I followed Braska on his pilgrimage, so that I wouldn't have to keep feeling the loss, it helped me at first and the more time I spent with Braska and Auron I realised that I was a very lonely man, and once I found myself like you weeping. Braska always talked about little Yunie, all the things they have experienced, and the joy of being a parent. Frankly I was really envious, he had everything that I didn't have with you, and now he had to throw all of that away, all because of the greater good, it was so unfair, he was a great father, the kind of father I wouldn't become, and he was walking straight towards his death. Poor Yuna she was just a baby then, she didn't really understand why her father had to go, she was such a sweet child."
Tidus was now glaring at his father with big eyes; this was the first time that he had heard his father like this, and was at loss for words, the only thing that came to his head was:
-"Wow dad, I don't know what to say"
Jecht smiled at him, and put his arm around Tidus's shoulder:
-"Just don't say anything then, and don't tell about this to anybody, you know I've got a reputation to uphold chicken-head!"
He then let out a smile as he and his son watched the ocean in silence, after a while Tidus looked at him:
-"Dad, what did you looked me for?"
Jecht looked at him and burst out laughing
-"I can't remember…Hahahaha!"
They both started to laugh there on the pier unaware of the fact that Auron was looking at them in the distance, a warm smile painted on his face a sight that for two years ago would scare most of the others. Auron just watched and decided to just let them have this moment, for a little while before interrupting their father-son moment, but Braska had sent him out on a mission to get them. He had said that this was very important indeed, and Auron trough the years learned to take Braska to his word, especially when he was serious. Auron then approached them and spoke as his old self:
-"I hate to interrupt things, but Braska wants to see the both of you right now it is very important."
Tidus and Jecht both turned back to face the old guardian, Tidus took the initiative.
-"What is it about Auron?"
Auron looked Serious, looked at Jecht like he wanted some kind of authorisation from him, Jecht nodded to him.
-"It's about Spira, you better talk to Braska directly, but it has something to do with Yuna."
Tidus jumped up in a flash and grabbed Auron by the clothes almost lifting him.
-"What about her, is she in danger?! Tell me!"
A voice interrupted them before they could continue their talk.
-"She is completely out of outer danger…"
Braska just getting out of a kind of transport, he was alone except for the driver, he gave both Jecht and Auron some looks, before continuing facing the younger guardian, that now gave Braska his full attention, and cut him off.
-"Tidus dear lad I do not know where to begin… You see Yuna is a very important person in Spira right now, people that love her and respect her constantly surround her, but as these two years passed she has reserved herself more and more, and frankly I am very worried about her. I have talked to the keepers of the faith, and they say that, since you where able to end the dreaming you have been granted an opportunity to go back to Spira, well we all where given that chance actually, but I have my wife here, and Even Jecht and Auron have somebody here they can't really leave behind, and since you are not as happy here, and I know that you would take care of my little baby "
Tidus almost fainted by now, Jecht caught him jus as his knees gave to his bodyweight, Tidus found his way to the ground for a moments disarray, he looked dazed, and words where beyond him now. Braska took the opportunity to talk about the procedure.
"Tidus you have to understand that this is not going to be an easy task and there is a big problem with the procedure…"
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Author's notes: Well this is it for this time I will bring you the second chapter as soon as I can, in the meantime I would like for you that read this to please write a comment or two, come with suggestions, reflections…anything really…or this kitty get's it! Hehehe…only joking * And Please dear Squaresoft, do not sue me…yes I know that I do not own these characters, and I am just a poor student having a good time.
If you would like to get in touch with me please e-mail me at: Quinteros@hotmail.com
Next Episode preview:
Yuna is back to the scene, what makes her so miserable? And what is the danger about Tidus return?…please stay tuned as
