Chapter Twelve
Messages
That same morning, though at an earlier hour, a messenger dressed in the uniform of the Crusaders arrived in Besaid with urgent news. The community was normally under the kindly rule of Lady Yuna, who had wielded greater power as a maestress, but loved no duty so well as that of governing her childhood home. When she was in Bevelle, attending to weightier matters, Wakka and Lulu governed jointly because it was their home as well. Suffice it to say that seldom were all the great persons of the village away and for that very reason the messenger, Miro the messenger found himself at the home of Maroda and Lulu where the historian was reviewing his notes on Sir Jecht.
Maroda had no great love of the Crusaders, often the trouble-makers of Spira, which was obvious enough when he opened the door, saw the man in Crusader uniform, and closed the door again. But Miro would not be put off so easily. He had a message to deliver, after all. His persistence paid off as Maroda was finally willing to listen to him after his third attempt.
"I must get news to Lady Yuna." Miro explained.
"She is in Bevelle."
"That may prove grievous for us all, for the Guado are planning something."
"This is not news. Yuna departed on an errand regarding the Guado and their movements some days ago. A party of ... adventurers ... left to follow soon thereafter, apprehensive about the situation."
"For good reason! Our sources say that the Guado have a hostage, possibly a summoner, for whom they will wish Lady Yuna to bargain."
"That is news. Have you the summoner's name?" questioned Maroda, wondering if it were perhaps the aging Lady Dona. He harbored no particular ill will toward the woman, but he was momentarily concerned for her husband Bartello. If she were taken, then he was certainly dead. And would be a great shame.
"No, but they to refer to the summoner as 'he' and there have been no male summoners since the untimely and most unfortunate death of the Lord Isaaru."
"That is a riddle, for who summons in these days when there are no Fayth?"
"Perhaps they mean to say a priest qualified to perform a sending, but they seemed sure of their words."
"Too much secrecy, if you ask me. Can you tell me anything plain?"
"Only that the Guado are planning something and her ladyship seems to be caught in the middle."
Tidus stood over the statue in the floor, staring at it in silence and wondering what had really brought him to that shrouded and lifeless chamber. Bahamut, as he had always thought of both boy and aeon, had provided so many answers in the past. Questions too, of course. He had hoped that coming to the temple and seeing what remained of the Fayth's statue would help him make sense of everything somehow. But the aged piece of rock housed beneath his feet did not seem very forthcoming at the moment.
Tida edged forward, watching Tidus stare at the ground, and her initial nervousness began to fade. This room, that statue, they meant something to him. That was quite apparent. The form of stone appeared to be that of a small boy. The robes make him look Zanarkandian, but that couldn't right. He was in Bevelle, and the two places had never been friends.
"Did you know him?"
"Hmmm?" Tidus questioned, brought out of his thoughts by her words.
"Did you know him?" she repeated.
"He ... appeared to me a couple of times."
"Who was he?" she asked, glancing emphatically at the statue under their feet.
"Oh, him, well. He was a Fayth ... one that dreamed of Bahamut the dragon ... and of Zanarkand, my Zanarkand." he explained.
There was a brief flash of light and the world around them seemed to grow still and quiet as a form descended from the dome of the chamber. It was that of a boy in purple robes that hid his face from view and displayed the wide wheel of fate upon his back. He raised his head and chuckled as he looked first at Tidus and then at Tida.
"I knew you would come." he said.
"This isn't possible!" exclaimed Tidus, his voice echoing through the enclosed chamber. "Yuna performed a sending!" he added.
"Tell that to Auron and Jecht." commented the Fayth.
"What do you want? How did you get here?"
"I thought you'd be pleased to see me."
"It's not that." said Tidus. "I am, but I came here looking for answers."
"You will have them ... in time."
"Just tell me this then: why am I here?"
"To save, to protect Yuna and her guardians, to help us, to help the Fayth, rest more peacefully."
"What do I have to do?" asked Tidus, glancing at Tida, who had moved slightly behind him. She seemed afraid.
"That remains to seen."
"Am I ... here for real, for keeps or am I just another one of your dreams?"
The Fayth chuckled again and replied, "You are a real, live boy this time, Tidus, and you can stay that way. Everything can be as it should be." "It all depends on you." he added.
"And you won't tell me how I got here?"
"When the Fayth were alive, we were powerful. When we dreamed, doubly so. In death our power has multiplied again. And ..."
"And?"
"She has dreamed of you, of all four of you, ever since she was a child. And Tida would have been an extremely powerful summoner in our time."
"Wait a minute! Four? Summoner? My daughter?" asked Tidus, raising his voice as the boy Bahamut drifted upward to the ceiling before vanishing and leaving many questions unanswered. Turning to Tida, he simply said, "Try getting a straight answer from a Fayth sometime. Yeesh!" And said no more on the matter while the stood in the chamber.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews, Summoner Cynthia, Natgoldie, Shido21, Auron_Tidus, Bunny, and sulou! Auron_Tidus: Bahamut was my favorite too, but I don't think there will be any summonings per se ... Bunny: Thanks for your comment about Auron! I'm glad to know that I'm not writing the guy wrong. sulou: Good luck with the exams!
The next update will be late. My computer is showing signs of breaking down and will be going to the shop tomorrow evening. I am uploading via another computer and a diskette because the DSL is on the fritz.
Messages
That same morning, though at an earlier hour, a messenger dressed in the uniform of the Crusaders arrived in Besaid with urgent news. The community was normally under the kindly rule of Lady Yuna, who had wielded greater power as a maestress, but loved no duty so well as that of governing her childhood home. When she was in Bevelle, attending to weightier matters, Wakka and Lulu governed jointly because it was their home as well. Suffice it to say that seldom were all the great persons of the village away and for that very reason the messenger, Miro the messenger found himself at the home of Maroda and Lulu where the historian was reviewing his notes on Sir Jecht.
Maroda had no great love of the Crusaders, often the trouble-makers of Spira, which was obvious enough when he opened the door, saw the man in Crusader uniform, and closed the door again. But Miro would not be put off so easily. He had a message to deliver, after all. His persistence paid off as Maroda was finally willing to listen to him after his third attempt.
"I must get news to Lady Yuna." Miro explained.
"She is in Bevelle."
"That may prove grievous for us all, for the Guado are planning something."
"This is not news. Yuna departed on an errand regarding the Guado and their movements some days ago. A party of ... adventurers ... left to follow soon thereafter, apprehensive about the situation."
"For good reason! Our sources say that the Guado have a hostage, possibly a summoner, for whom they will wish Lady Yuna to bargain."
"That is news. Have you the summoner's name?" questioned Maroda, wondering if it were perhaps the aging Lady Dona. He harbored no particular ill will toward the woman, but he was momentarily concerned for her husband Bartello. If she were taken, then he was certainly dead. And would be a great shame.
"No, but they to refer to the summoner as 'he' and there have been no male summoners since the untimely and most unfortunate death of the Lord Isaaru."
"That is a riddle, for who summons in these days when there are no Fayth?"
"Perhaps they mean to say a priest qualified to perform a sending, but they seemed sure of their words."
"Too much secrecy, if you ask me. Can you tell me anything plain?"
"Only that the Guado are planning something and her ladyship seems to be caught in the middle."
Tidus stood over the statue in the floor, staring at it in silence and wondering what had really brought him to that shrouded and lifeless chamber. Bahamut, as he had always thought of both boy and aeon, had provided so many answers in the past. Questions too, of course. He had hoped that coming to the temple and seeing what remained of the Fayth's statue would help him make sense of everything somehow. But the aged piece of rock housed beneath his feet did not seem very forthcoming at the moment.
Tida edged forward, watching Tidus stare at the ground, and her initial nervousness began to fade. This room, that statue, they meant something to him. That was quite apparent. The form of stone appeared to be that of a small boy. The robes make him look Zanarkandian, but that couldn't right. He was in Bevelle, and the two places had never been friends.
"Did you know him?"
"Hmmm?" Tidus questioned, brought out of his thoughts by her words.
"Did you know him?" she repeated.
"He ... appeared to me a couple of times."
"Who was he?" she asked, glancing emphatically at the statue under their feet.
"Oh, him, well. He was a Fayth ... one that dreamed of Bahamut the dragon ... and of Zanarkand, my Zanarkand." he explained.
There was a brief flash of light and the world around them seemed to grow still and quiet as a form descended from the dome of the chamber. It was that of a boy in purple robes that hid his face from view and displayed the wide wheel of fate upon his back. He raised his head and chuckled as he looked first at Tidus and then at Tida.
"I knew you would come." he said.
"This isn't possible!" exclaimed Tidus, his voice echoing through the enclosed chamber. "Yuna performed a sending!" he added.
"Tell that to Auron and Jecht." commented the Fayth.
"What do you want? How did you get here?"
"I thought you'd be pleased to see me."
"It's not that." said Tidus. "I am, but I came here looking for answers."
"You will have them ... in time."
"Just tell me this then: why am I here?"
"To save, to protect Yuna and her guardians, to help us, to help the Fayth, rest more peacefully."
"What do I have to do?" asked Tidus, glancing at Tida, who had moved slightly behind him. She seemed afraid.
"That remains to seen."
"Am I ... here for real, for keeps or am I just another one of your dreams?"
The Fayth chuckled again and replied, "You are a real, live boy this time, Tidus, and you can stay that way. Everything can be as it should be." "It all depends on you." he added.
"And you won't tell me how I got here?"
"When the Fayth were alive, we were powerful. When we dreamed, doubly so. In death our power has multiplied again. And ..."
"And?"
"She has dreamed of you, of all four of you, ever since she was a child. And Tida would have been an extremely powerful summoner in our time."
"Wait a minute! Four? Summoner? My daughter?" asked Tidus, raising his voice as the boy Bahamut drifted upward to the ceiling before vanishing and leaving many questions unanswered. Turning to Tida, he simply said, "Try getting a straight answer from a Fayth sometime. Yeesh!" And said no more on the matter while the stood in the chamber.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews, Summoner Cynthia, Natgoldie, Shido21, Auron_Tidus, Bunny, and sulou! Auron_Tidus: Bahamut was my favorite too, but I don't think there will be any summonings per se ... Bunny: Thanks for your comment about Auron! I'm glad to know that I'm not writing the guy wrong. sulou: Good luck with the exams!
The next update will be late. My computer is showing signs of breaking down and will be going to the shop tomorrow evening. I am uploading via another computer and a diskette because the DSL is on the fritz.
