Much Needed Closure
Chapter Four - Sin Begins To Disapate...
By: Digi-Esca Girl
Disclaimer: I don't own anything I write about from here on out. How's that?
*********************************************************************
Rikku was in a dream.....yet it wasn't really a dream. She was just standing there, surrounded by nothing
but black emptyness. It was as if she was waiting for something...
She started to take a couple of steps forward, but decided against continuing. seeing as it didn't look like she'd
gone anywhere anyway.
Then suddenly, a tiny light began to shimmer in front of her, and it grew in size and intensity until it began to
take form and color. It turned red, and continued to shift and turn until it finally took the shape of a tall
human form. Rikku gasped as the form cleared and settled into a flawlessly familiar image.
"Auron!"She gasped, taking a few steps towards him.
"Hello Rikku. This isn't a social visit, but rather a wake up call."
"What....do you mean?"
"You know who he is Rikku, Sin just isn't letting you see that...."
"What do you mean Sin? Sin is destroyed."
"Now it is, but it wasn't before. A single cell remained, and it used the last of it's power to erase yours, Yuna's
Wakka's and Lulu's memory of Tidus before sucking him back into this world. It knew that this would be what
would cause the most pain to those who destroyed it, so that's why it did this. But for some reason, Lulu wasn't
affected, which is why she recognized him when Wakka brought him into Besaid. The cell self-destructed after
it's work was complete, it not having enough power to even sustain itself."Auron explained slowly, watching
carefully as Rikku took in the information.
"So.....can you get everyone else's memory back?"She asked after several minutes, her memory having returned
to her fully.
"No. I have only enough power for one visit, and I chose you."
"Oh. I see...."Rikku wanted to ask why, but decided against it.
"I...wanted to see you again."He said suddenly, placing a hand on her cheek. Rikku could barely feel it, but
she knew it was there, not just by sight, but by feel. It was there, lingering on her skin like a cool mist, somehow
feeling warm to her nonetheless.
"Why can't you come back?"She whispered, watching with blurring eyes as his apparition began to disappear.
"I'm not allowed....But please Rikku, don't tell anyone but Lulu and Tidus that you remember him, alright? The others
must find out on their own...."
"Auron! Please stay......"Rikku begged quietly as he became increasingly more transparent.
"I'm sorry........."
And with that, his image was gone, and Rikku was standing alone in the black void once again.
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was staring at the sun-brightened walls of her hotel room...
************************************
'I have just enough time left to warn her...' Auron thought with urgency as he closed his eyes and focused on the dream
world Yuna was currently occupying...
************************************
Yuna couldn't have been more happy. She was standing in the Macalania Woods late at night, standing knee-deep
in the crystal blue water, watching the moon and stars come out. It was in this peaceful state and place that a
voice interrupted her crudely.
"Yuna...."
"Who's there?" She called out, looking around for the source of the voice.
"Listen to me carefully Yuna...."
"Alright I'm listening."She answered, deciding that this must be important if the voice seemed so urgent.
"Heed my words....If you do not realize him soon, he will be lost to you...forever this time....."
"Who? Who will be lost to me and when did I lose him before?"
"Heed my words...for they are all I can offer you...."
"But what do you mean?!?!" Yuna cried out, sitting straight up in her bed, looking around as the man's words till
rang out in her head.
"What do you mean...."She whispered to herself, getting out of bed slowly, pulling open her curtains to let in the sunlight.
They all met for breakfast half-an-hour later in the lobby, checking out of their rooms on the way down, for they would be heading
back to Besaid this afternoon. Rikku, not being able to wait any longer, pulled Lulu and Tidus aside when they came down.
"What is it Rikku?"Lulu asked, standing next to Tidus.
"I rememeber you!!"She shrieked.
"Shhhh!"Lulu hissed as Tidus grinned and hugged her.
"How?' He asked as they pulled away. Rikku's face suddenly got sad.
"Auron visited me in my dreams and made me remember. Apparently, it was a Sin cell that's making everyone forget you."
"Well, as long as someone else remembers me I'm cool. Now come on already I'm hungry!" Tidus whined, pulling the two
women in the direction on the tables. They just smiled and went with him.
Taking a seat beside Yuna, Tidus dug into his food right away. About halfway through his plate, he noticed that Yuna had simply
been poking at her food, as if deep in thought. Smiling, he waved a hand in front of her face. It took her a couple of seconds,
but she reacted, turning to him slowly with a half-smile.
"Hey. You look like you're a million miles away."
"I am...."
"Wanna tell me about it?" He offered quietly, placing a hand on her arm.
'There's that damned electricity again..' Yuna cursed in her mind, but maintaining her outward smile.
"How about....on the ship okay?"
"Okay then. Don't try to hide cause I'll find you!"He replied with a smirk before digging in again. Yuna stiffled a giggle and
began to eat her own food, suddenly feeling better knowing she had his support.
Lulu had watched the whole exchange, smiling inwardly at Tidus. She felt a kind of sisterly bond forming between them, which
was unusual seeing as when she'd first met him she'd had less than a positive inclination to be his friend, let alone sister.
She began picking at her food as she silently prayed to...whatever god was around now that Yuna would remember soon...
Up in the Farplane, Auron heard her prayer, and his lips turned up ever-so-slightly at the corners.
'I'm trying Lulu...'He thought as he watched them eat in silence....that is, silence until some of Rikku's eggs accidentally went flying
into Wakka's hair, and stuck there.
Thinking she did it on purpose, the flame-haired Besaidian chucked some of his own breakfast at her,
missing by about a foot and hitting Tidus, which was the downfall of them all. He picked up his remaining food and threw it
in all directions, hitting everyone, even Yuna. She wasn't too happy, and, when he stood up to get better throwing leverage,
pushed him over, landing on top of him on the ground.
Everyone stopped, leaning over the table's edge to see what would happen.
"Food Fight!!"She yelled, smashing some eggs into Tidus' face with a laugh. That laugh turned into a shriek when he picked her
up effortlessly, swinging her over his shoulder and walking outside. They all knew where this was going, and they were right...
He walked out onto the deck, and stopped at the edge of the pool, still from lack of activity. That was changed in a split second as Tidus
dropped the young summoner into the water.
Lulu ran out, stopping near the water's edge to look at her friend, just resurfacing.
"After you Lu..."She heard a voice whisper in her ear as she was pushed into the water. When she surfaced beside Yuna, she saw
Wakka and Tidus hi-fiving each other and knew what had transpired. She looked to Yuna, who smirked in return, and they
grabbed the men's legs, yanking them in the water with them.
'Perfect...' Tidus thought, opening his eyes under the water. Once he did, it was hard to keep them focused on anything besides
Yuna's legs. Shaking his head, he too decided surfacing was a good idea. He came up right behind Yuna, blowing in her ear before diving again.
She whirled around right as his feet went under, and she laughed, diving in herself to chase him.
"What are they doing...?"Lulu muttered, watching the two as they swam around, occasionally coming up for a quick breath.
"Having fun, ya?" Wakka replied.
"She was....a little preoccupied at breakfast. Did you notice that?" She asked, turning to him for an answer.
"Ya...she seemed like she was thinkin bout somethin else all togeter you know?"
"By the way...."She said after a minute, dunking his head underwater and swimming away. He came up sputtering, smiling at
the attitude she had. At this rate they were going to miss the boat...
Meanwhile, Yuna had given up on chasing Tidus, remembering too late that water seemed to be his element. She simply treaded water
and soon enough he joined her.
"Come on!!!"He whined, swimming in circles around her,"Why'd you stop chasing me? That was fun."
"Only because you were winning,"She replied, reaching out an arm to stop him from circling. Her hand landed on his chest,
which stopped him abruptly. He swam closer to her, not removing her hand.
"Am I making you dizzy?" He asked quietly, getting even closer to her. Neither of them made any effort to move her hand.
'You always make me dizzy...'She thought, but instead settled for,"You're starting to."
"Oh...sorry...."The distance between them was closing even more and this time, Tidus knew he wouldn't be able to control
himself if they got any closer. It had just been too long...
"Come on guys!! The Taxi's here!!!"Rikku yelled from inside, jolting the two back to reality and making them pull apart.
As they exited the pool to dry off, Tidus and Yuna were having the same thought:
'I don't know whether to thank Rikku or kill her...'
Thirty minutes later saw the group boarding the S.S Liki, ready to head back to Besaid.
After the boat was on it's way and moving, Lulu got an idea. Heading swiftly for the captain's quarters, she
couldn't help but smirk to herself at her thoughts...
"Yuna?" Tidus asked quietly, approaching the girl at the rear of the ship just after the sun had set.
"Hm?" She replied, turning slightly to smile at him.
"You...said you'd tell me about...that whole million miles away thing from breakfast, remember?" He said, turning
around and sitting on the ship's railing, his back to the dark waters.
"Okay..."She took in a slow breath and stepped directly in front of him to tell her story, "I had this dream last night..."
She paused, and Tidus just about cried with joy.
'Maybe she had the same dream as Rikku!' He thought, concealing his emotion.
"This unfamiliar voice talked to me... I was standing in a peaceful place, and suddenly, he spoke."
"He?" Tidus asked, his hopes crushed, yet still curious.
"It was definatly a man's voice, it was rough and...throaty almost." Yuna supplied.
'Auron!' Tidus decided. He could think of no one else, but maybe it was just him...
"Anyways...he told me, 'If you don't realize him soon, he will be lost to you... forever this time...' or something to
that effect. I don't know who he's talking about..." She continued, leaning against the rail with her back to the ocean.
'Me....' Tidus thought glumly, 'So I'm going to disappear again huh? Great...just great...'
"Maybe it's just a wacky one-time thing, you know?"He offered, smiling slightly. She returned the gesture slowly.
"Perhaps you're right....Well, I had better turn in. Goodnight Tidus."
"Sweet dreams!" He called after her after she started to walk towards the cabins.
"...You too." She replied softly, turning around to offer him another smile and walking off.
After she was out of sight, Tidus let out a sigh, turning to lean on the rail, staring into the water.
"Sweet dreams?" Came a voice from behind him, "She has anything but those. She just told you that, didn't she?"
"Yes Lulu, she just told me that." Tidus answered, not even turning around to face the mage.
"So what's the problem?"
"I can't stand it anymore! I love her so much and I......" The frustrated blitzer was at a loss for words.
"Don't know what to do?" Lulu supplied, standing next to him. Tidus only nodded.
"Well...I believe I have a solution."She said with a light smile, turning to face the now curious young blonde.
We're going to be making a stop in the morning. We'll already be docked by the time everyone wakes up, so
no worries in that department..."She paused, and Tidus raised an eyebrow.
"Where are we stopping? Shouldn't we just head back to Besaid as soon as we can?"
"We're going to Lake Macalania, Tidus."
The words made Tidus freeze as the memories of that one night flashed through his mind in vivid detail. After a few
seconds, he shook his head and re-focused on Lulu.
"Maybe if you waited at the lake, and I sent Yuna there....she might remember."
"But even if we do, we'll still have Wakka to worry about..."
Not having any solution to that particular problem, Lulu simply stared out at the water.
"You don't haveta worry bout me, ya?" Came a voice from the shadowed cabin area.
"How could we not Wakka." Lulu replied, not even turning to acknowledge him.
"Listen," Wakka started, walking right up to Tidus before continuing, "I remember everything, ya!!!"
Tidus' face broke out into a grin and he drew Wakka into a bear hug, squeezing him fiercely.
"Really?? This is...this is...wow!!" Tidus laughed as he withdrew from the embrace.
"That leaves one person now..." Lulu interrupted, gazing at the wooden hull of the ship.
"What about Kimahri?" Tidus asked, suddenly remembering the Ronso warrior.
"He's been up at Mount Gagazet since Sin was defeated." Lulu supplied.
"He probly wasn't affected, ya?"
"Most likely not..." Lulu replied. She explained her plan to Wakka, and he was supportive of it, hoping
that Yuna would remember soon so the two of them could be happy again. He knew just by looking
at him that Tidus was in pain everyday because of her memory loss, and he probably wouldn't be
able to keep smiling for much longer around her.
"I'm going to turn in, alright?"Tidus said after a minute, turning to walk into the cabins.
"G'night man."Called Wakka.
"See you in Macalania."Lulu said, watching the weary blonde disappear into the shadows.
"That is a good idea you got Lu."Wakka said after a few seconds, breaking the short silence.
"I just hope it works." She replied, turning to leave. She paused, placing a hand lightly on Wakka's
shoulder, "I'm...glad you got your memory back Wakka. Good night."
"Night Lu." He replied after a second, noticing that her hand lingered on his shoulder a little
longer than it probably should have. He smiled and followed her towards the cabin area.
Yuna emerged from her cabin, stretching quickly before walking out onto the deck of the ship.
Her eyes widened as she was met with the icy-looking trees of the Macalania Woods in front of
the ship's bow instead of the warm waters of Besaid. She walked off the ship, seeking out Lulu,
who was currently leaning against a nearby tree, waiting for her.
"Why are we in Macalania?" Yuna asked, slightly puzzled at the detour.
"Wakka and I decided that we needed a little...vacation of sorts. The lake area is beautiful this time of year,
so we figured that spending a few days camped there would be a good R and R oppurtunity." The mage
explained, hoping Yuna would take the bait.
"Oh good! I actually wanted to see the Lake at night sometime in my life. I heard it was really beautiful,
especially with the pyreflies."
'Yes! That was easier than I thought...' Lulu thought, saying instead, "Well let's go to the camp then.
The others are already set up."
A few hours later, shortly after sunset, the group had just finished dinner and were currently in relax mode.
Rikku was reading an Al Bhed journal up in a tree, and Wakka was helping Lulu clean up. Yuna was bored, and she could find
no one to talk to. She wanted to talk to Tidus, but she didn't know where he went. She approached Lulu and tapped her
shoulder.
"Where's Tidus?"
"At the Lake. Just follow that path South for a few meters and you'll find it." Lulu directed. Yuna smiled and nodded,
walking off slowly.
"I see she took da "bait"?"Wakka asked, leaning slightly towards Lulu as the two watched Yuna disappear around the corner.
"Hook, Line and Sinker." Lulu replied with a smirk.
'I can't stand this anymore!!' Tidus screamed in his mind. He was floating in Macalania Lake on his back, staring blankly
up at the winking stars, wanting badly to scream to relieve his frustrations, but deciding against it. All he could think
about was that night at this very Lake, where he and Yuna had first truly acknowledged their feelings for each other.....
In the form of a kiss, that is.
He remembered every detail, like the exact way she'd been surprised at first when his lips met hers, but then
responded with equal passion after a second's hesitation. He could recall the exact way her crystal tears had
slipped down her cheeks, mingling with a few droplets of water and falling into the clear lake.
He turned around and dove under the water, revelling in the feeling of being at home that he felt when surrounded by
the overly-abundant liquid. It was his second home and he was perfectly comfortable in it.
He had held his breath for just under a minute when his acute underwater sight picked up two objects entering the water.
His mind registered them as feet two seconds later, and another couple of seconds passed before he realized that
the feet belonged to a certain Summoner he'd fallen head-over-heels in love with.
He surfaced immediatly, opening his eyes to find that she was about half-a-foot in front of him.
"Uhh...hiya!" Tidus said after a minute, breaking the silence.
"Hi...gosh it's beautiful out here..."Yuna replied, lifting her gaze from his perfect eyes to the night sky and the effect it's
eerie light made the lake look more peaceful.
"You've never seen the Lake at night?" Tidus inquired, floating on his back in circles in front of her.
"No...." His swimming was interrupted as he heard giggles begin to flow from Yuna's lips.
"What's so funny?" He asked, planting his feet on the lake bottom and standing upright.
"You...looked like a seal just now." She stated bluntly, still laughing quietly.
"Oh thanks. I'm glad you find my appearence amusing." He replied, pretending to be hurt.
"Oh...I didn't mean to insult you..."Yuna's laughter stopped, and her voice grew quiet and serious.
Tidus sighed lightly, swimming over to her and lifting her chin so she met his gaze. He didn't remove his
finger right away, leaving it to linger on her skin for a moment longer than he knew he should have. He
had taken off his gloves upon entering the lake, secretly loving the feeling of her skin touching his.
"I was just kidding." He said simply, flashing her the smile that haunted her dreams.
'What is it about that smile.....that seems to make all my fears go away?' Yuna asked herself, allowing
time for her to momentarily become lost in his cerulean gaze. She cleared her throat quietly, and turned
her gaze to an area just behind Tidus where pyreflies were currently creating quite a light show.
The two stood side by side for a minute, watching the insects as they swirled and danced, looking like
lost souls departing for the Farplane. Their light faded after several more minutes, and they resumed their
normal habits, buzzing quietly at the water's edge.
Yuna smiled to herself, and closed her eyes. Suddenly an image rushed to the forefront of her mind.
It was night, on this very lake, she noticed, and someone was crying. Her vision panned over to the
source of the sound, which was her! There was another person with her, but a strange black mist
concealed his image and contorted his voice when he spoke. That person, obviously a man, placed his
hands lightly on her shoulders, lowering his head and slowly capturning her lips with his own.
Yuna gasped aloud, fainting suddenly as that black mist enveloped her conscious mind as well.
"Yuna!" Tidus exclaimed, reaching over to catch her before her head went under the water. He lifted her
into his arms with little effort, carrying her out of the lake and back towards camp.
"Lulu! Wakka!" He called out, reaching his tent just as they saw Yuna in his arms.
"What happened?" Lulu asked, checking her over quickly.
"I-I don't know she just, just fainted!" Tidus explained, calming down a little when Wakka placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Well luckily there's nothing wrong with her. She must be tired, that's all." Lulu concluded after a moment. Wakka had made
a circle of large rocks near Yuna's head on the dirt floor of the tent. Lulu then cast a Fira spell, creating a fire that would keep Yuna
warm for the night.
"What happened to Yunie?" Rikku asked as she rushed inside the tent.
"She's okay, ya? Nothin to worry about." Wakka replied, obviously relieving the young Al Bhed.
Her eyes then widened as she looked at Tidus' right hand, currently draped lazily on his knee.
"Rikku?" Lulu inquired, raisning an eyebrow at the girl.
She raised a shaky hand, pointing to Tidus' hand before whispering, "T-Tidus....your hand...look...."
Tidus moved his gaze to the aforementioned limb, perfect cerulean eyes becoming dark and sad as he noticed the problem.
"You're...you can't be..." Wakka was at a loss for words as well, but Tidus knew all too well what was happening.
"Yes Wakka. I'm disappearing again........."
****************************************************
Well? What did ya think? Please R+R and I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter.
Here's a preview for next time:
Upon reaching the shores of Besaid, Tidus was the first off the boat. Yuna came after him, and she held out a hand
for him to help her, since she was still a little disoriented from her fainting spell. Momentarily forgetting about his
"situation" Tidus reached out his right hand. Yuna put her hand in his and was surprised when she felt nothing but air!
She just about fell, but Tidus caught her, supporting her with his left arm.
"Sorry about that. I wasn't watching and you.....you missed my hand." He explained quietly.
"Oh, alright." Yuna replied, smiling warmly at him before slowly walking up the path to Besaid Village.
After she went around the corner, Tidus' head dropped and he felt tears coming to her normally sparkling eyes.
"It'll be alright, ya?" Wakka offered quietly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "We won't let you leave us again...."
Well, I hope you' re intrigued now!
Till next time,
Digi-Esca Girl
laurie_22@hotmail.com
Chapter Four - Sin Begins To Disapate...
By: Digi-Esca Girl
Disclaimer: I don't own anything I write about from here on out. How's that?
*********************************************************************
Rikku was in a dream.....yet it wasn't really a dream. She was just standing there, surrounded by nothing
but black emptyness. It was as if she was waiting for something...
She started to take a couple of steps forward, but decided against continuing. seeing as it didn't look like she'd
gone anywhere anyway.
Then suddenly, a tiny light began to shimmer in front of her, and it grew in size and intensity until it began to
take form and color. It turned red, and continued to shift and turn until it finally took the shape of a tall
human form. Rikku gasped as the form cleared and settled into a flawlessly familiar image.
"Auron!"She gasped, taking a few steps towards him.
"Hello Rikku. This isn't a social visit, but rather a wake up call."
"What....do you mean?"
"You know who he is Rikku, Sin just isn't letting you see that...."
"What do you mean Sin? Sin is destroyed."
"Now it is, but it wasn't before. A single cell remained, and it used the last of it's power to erase yours, Yuna's
Wakka's and Lulu's memory of Tidus before sucking him back into this world. It knew that this would be what
would cause the most pain to those who destroyed it, so that's why it did this. But for some reason, Lulu wasn't
affected, which is why she recognized him when Wakka brought him into Besaid. The cell self-destructed after
it's work was complete, it not having enough power to even sustain itself."Auron explained slowly, watching
carefully as Rikku took in the information.
"So.....can you get everyone else's memory back?"She asked after several minutes, her memory having returned
to her fully.
"No. I have only enough power for one visit, and I chose you."
"Oh. I see...."Rikku wanted to ask why, but decided against it.
"I...wanted to see you again."He said suddenly, placing a hand on her cheek. Rikku could barely feel it, but
she knew it was there, not just by sight, but by feel. It was there, lingering on her skin like a cool mist, somehow
feeling warm to her nonetheless.
"Why can't you come back?"She whispered, watching with blurring eyes as his apparition began to disappear.
"I'm not allowed....But please Rikku, don't tell anyone but Lulu and Tidus that you remember him, alright? The others
must find out on their own...."
"Auron! Please stay......"Rikku begged quietly as he became increasingly more transparent.
"I'm sorry........."
And with that, his image was gone, and Rikku was standing alone in the black void once again.
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was staring at the sun-brightened walls of her hotel room...
************************************
'I have just enough time left to warn her...' Auron thought with urgency as he closed his eyes and focused on the dream
world Yuna was currently occupying...
************************************
Yuna couldn't have been more happy. She was standing in the Macalania Woods late at night, standing knee-deep
in the crystal blue water, watching the moon and stars come out. It was in this peaceful state and place that a
voice interrupted her crudely.
"Yuna...."
"Who's there?" She called out, looking around for the source of the voice.
"Listen to me carefully Yuna...."
"Alright I'm listening."She answered, deciding that this must be important if the voice seemed so urgent.
"Heed my words....If you do not realize him soon, he will be lost to you...forever this time....."
"Who? Who will be lost to me and when did I lose him before?"
"Heed my words...for they are all I can offer you...."
"But what do you mean?!?!" Yuna cried out, sitting straight up in her bed, looking around as the man's words till
rang out in her head.
"What do you mean...."She whispered to herself, getting out of bed slowly, pulling open her curtains to let in the sunlight.
They all met for breakfast half-an-hour later in the lobby, checking out of their rooms on the way down, for they would be heading
back to Besaid this afternoon. Rikku, not being able to wait any longer, pulled Lulu and Tidus aside when they came down.
"What is it Rikku?"Lulu asked, standing next to Tidus.
"I rememeber you!!"She shrieked.
"Shhhh!"Lulu hissed as Tidus grinned and hugged her.
"How?' He asked as they pulled away. Rikku's face suddenly got sad.
"Auron visited me in my dreams and made me remember. Apparently, it was a Sin cell that's making everyone forget you."
"Well, as long as someone else remembers me I'm cool. Now come on already I'm hungry!" Tidus whined, pulling the two
women in the direction on the tables. They just smiled and went with him.
Taking a seat beside Yuna, Tidus dug into his food right away. About halfway through his plate, he noticed that Yuna had simply
been poking at her food, as if deep in thought. Smiling, he waved a hand in front of her face. It took her a couple of seconds,
but she reacted, turning to him slowly with a half-smile.
"Hey. You look like you're a million miles away."
"I am...."
"Wanna tell me about it?" He offered quietly, placing a hand on her arm.
'There's that damned electricity again..' Yuna cursed in her mind, but maintaining her outward smile.
"How about....on the ship okay?"
"Okay then. Don't try to hide cause I'll find you!"He replied with a smirk before digging in again. Yuna stiffled a giggle and
began to eat her own food, suddenly feeling better knowing she had his support.
Lulu had watched the whole exchange, smiling inwardly at Tidus. She felt a kind of sisterly bond forming between them, which
was unusual seeing as when she'd first met him she'd had less than a positive inclination to be his friend, let alone sister.
She began picking at her food as she silently prayed to...whatever god was around now that Yuna would remember soon...
Up in the Farplane, Auron heard her prayer, and his lips turned up ever-so-slightly at the corners.
'I'm trying Lulu...'He thought as he watched them eat in silence....that is, silence until some of Rikku's eggs accidentally went flying
into Wakka's hair, and stuck there.
Thinking she did it on purpose, the flame-haired Besaidian chucked some of his own breakfast at her,
missing by about a foot and hitting Tidus, which was the downfall of them all. He picked up his remaining food and threw it
in all directions, hitting everyone, even Yuna. She wasn't too happy, and, when he stood up to get better throwing leverage,
pushed him over, landing on top of him on the ground.
Everyone stopped, leaning over the table's edge to see what would happen.
"Food Fight!!"She yelled, smashing some eggs into Tidus' face with a laugh. That laugh turned into a shriek when he picked her
up effortlessly, swinging her over his shoulder and walking outside. They all knew where this was going, and they were right...
He walked out onto the deck, and stopped at the edge of the pool, still from lack of activity. That was changed in a split second as Tidus
dropped the young summoner into the water.
Lulu ran out, stopping near the water's edge to look at her friend, just resurfacing.
"After you Lu..."She heard a voice whisper in her ear as she was pushed into the water. When she surfaced beside Yuna, she saw
Wakka and Tidus hi-fiving each other and knew what had transpired. She looked to Yuna, who smirked in return, and they
grabbed the men's legs, yanking them in the water with them.
'Perfect...' Tidus thought, opening his eyes under the water. Once he did, it was hard to keep them focused on anything besides
Yuna's legs. Shaking his head, he too decided surfacing was a good idea. He came up right behind Yuna, blowing in her ear before diving again.
She whirled around right as his feet went under, and she laughed, diving in herself to chase him.
"What are they doing...?"Lulu muttered, watching the two as they swam around, occasionally coming up for a quick breath.
"Having fun, ya?" Wakka replied.
"She was....a little preoccupied at breakfast. Did you notice that?" She asked, turning to him for an answer.
"Ya...she seemed like she was thinkin bout somethin else all togeter you know?"
"By the way...."She said after a minute, dunking his head underwater and swimming away. He came up sputtering, smiling at
the attitude she had. At this rate they were going to miss the boat...
Meanwhile, Yuna had given up on chasing Tidus, remembering too late that water seemed to be his element. She simply treaded water
and soon enough he joined her.
"Come on!!!"He whined, swimming in circles around her,"Why'd you stop chasing me? That was fun."
"Only because you were winning,"She replied, reaching out an arm to stop him from circling. Her hand landed on his chest,
which stopped him abruptly. He swam closer to her, not removing her hand.
"Am I making you dizzy?" He asked quietly, getting even closer to her. Neither of them made any effort to move her hand.
'You always make me dizzy...'She thought, but instead settled for,"You're starting to."
"Oh...sorry...."The distance between them was closing even more and this time, Tidus knew he wouldn't be able to control
himself if they got any closer. It had just been too long...
"Come on guys!! The Taxi's here!!!"Rikku yelled from inside, jolting the two back to reality and making them pull apart.
As they exited the pool to dry off, Tidus and Yuna were having the same thought:
'I don't know whether to thank Rikku or kill her...'
Thirty minutes later saw the group boarding the S.S Liki, ready to head back to Besaid.
After the boat was on it's way and moving, Lulu got an idea. Heading swiftly for the captain's quarters, she
couldn't help but smirk to herself at her thoughts...
"Yuna?" Tidus asked quietly, approaching the girl at the rear of the ship just after the sun had set.
"Hm?" She replied, turning slightly to smile at him.
"You...said you'd tell me about...that whole million miles away thing from breakfast, remember?" He said, turning
around and sitting on the ship's railing, his back to the dark waters.
"Okay..."She took in a slow breath and stepped directly in front of him to tell her story, "I had this dream last night..."
She paused, and Tidus just about cried with joy.
'Maybe she had the same dream as Rikku!' He thought, concealing his emotion.
"This unfamiliar voice talked to me... I was standing in a peaceful place, and suddenly, he spoke."
"He?" Tidus asked, his hopes crushed, yet still curious.
"It was definatly a man's voice, it was rough and...throaty almost." Yuna supplied.
'Auron!' Tidus decided. He could think of no one else, but maybe it was just him...
"Anyways...he told me, 'If you don't realize him soon, he will be lost to you... forever this time...' or something to
that effect. I don't know who he's talking about..." She continued, leaning against the rail with her back to the ocean.
'Me....' Tidus thought glumly, 'So I'm going to disappear again huh? Great...just great...'
"Maybe it's just a wacky one-time thing, you know?"He offered, smiling slightly. She returned the gesture slowly.
"Perhaps you're right....Well, I had better turn in. Goodnight Tidus."
"Sweet dreams!" He called after her after she started to walk towards the cabins.
"...You too." She replied softly, turning around to offer him another smile and walking off.
After she was out of sight, Tidus let out a sigh, turning to lean on the rail, staring into the water.
"Sweet dreams?" Came a voice from behind him, "She has anything but those. She just told you that, didn't she?"
"Yes Lulu, she just told me that." Tidus answered, not even turning around to face the mage.
"So what's the problem?"
"I can't stand it anymore! I love her so much and I......" The frustrated blitzer was at a loss for words.
"Don't know what to do?" Lulu supplied, standing next to him. Tidus only nodded.
"Well...I believe I have a solution."She said with a light smile, turning to face the now curious young blonde.
We're going to be making a stop in the morning. We'll already be docked by the time everyone wakes up, so
no worries in that department..."She paused, and Tidus raised an eyebrow.
"Where are we stopping? Shouldn't we just head back to Besaid as soon as we can?"
"We're going to Lake Macalania, Tidus."
The words made Tidus freeze as the memories of that one night flashed through his mind in vivid detail. After a few
seconds, he shook his head and re-focused on Lulu.
"Maybe if you waited at the lake, and I sent Yuna there....she might remember."
"But even if we do, we'll still have Wakka to worry about..."
Not having any solution to that particular problem, Lulu simply stared out at the water.
"You don't haveta worry bout me, ya?" Came a voice from the shadowed cabin area.
"How could we not Wakka." Lulu replied, not even turning to acknowledge him.
"Listen," Wakka started, walking right up to Tidus before continuing, "I remember everything, ya!!!"
Tidus' face broke out into a grin and he drew Wakka into a bear hug, squeezing him fiercely.
"Really?? This is...this is...wow!!" Tidus laughed as he withdrew from the embrace.
"That leaves one person now..." Lulu interrupted, gazing at the wooden hull of the ship.
"What about Kimahri?" Tidus asked, suddenly remembering the Ronso warrior.
"He's been up at Mount Gagazet since Sin was defeated." Lulu supplied.
"He probly wasn't affected, ya?"
"Most likely not..." Lulu replied. She explained her plan to Wakka, and he was supportive of it, hoping
that Yuna would remember soon so the two of them could be happy again. He knew just by looking
at him that Tidus was in pain everyday because of her memory loss, and he probably wouldn't be
able to keep smiling for much longer around her.
"I'm going to turn in, alright?"Tidus said after a minute, turning to walk into the cabins.
"G'night man."Called Wakka.
"See you in Macalania."Lulu said, watching the weary blonde disappear into the shadows.
"That is a good idea you got Lu."Wakka said after a few seconds, breaking the short silence.
"I just hope it works." She replied, turning to leave. She paused, placing a hand lightly on Wakka's
shoulder, "I'm...glad you got your memory back Wakka. Good night."
"Night Lu." He replied after a second, noticing that her hand lingered on his shoulder a little
longer than it probably should have. He smiled and followed her towards the cabin area.
Yuna emerged from her cabin, stretching quickly before walking out onto the deck of the ship.
Her eyes widened as she was met with the icy-looking trees of the Macalania Woods in front of
the ship's bow instead of the warm waters of Besaid. She walked off the ship, seeking out Lulu,
who was currently leaning against a nearby tree, waiting for her.
"Why are we in Macalania?" Yuna asked, slightly puzzled at the detour.
"Wakka and I decided that we needed a little...vacation of sorts. The lake area is beautiful this time of year,
so we figured that spending a few days camped there would be a good R and R oppurtunity." The mage
explained, hoping Yuna would take the bait.
"Oh good! I actually wanted to see the Lake at night sometime in my life. I heard it was really beautiful,
especially with the pyreflies."
'Yes! That was easier than I thought...' Lulu thought, saying instead, "Well let's go to the camp then.
The others are already set up."
A few hours later, shortly after sunset, the group had just finished dinner and were currently in relax mode.
Rikku was reading an Al Bhed journal up in a tree, and Wakka was helping Lulu clean up. Yuna was bored, and she could find
no one to talk to. She wanted to talk to Tidus, but she didn't know where he went. She approached Lulu and tapped her
shoulder.
"Where's Tidus?"
"At the Lake. Just follow that path South for a few meters and you'll find it." Lulu directed. Yuna smiled and nodded,
walking off slowly.
"I see she took da "bait"?"Wakka asked, leaning slightly towards Lulu as the two watched Yuna disappear around the corner.
"Hook, Line and Sinker." Lulu replied with a smirk.
'I can't stand this anymore!!' Tidus screamed in his mind. He was floating in Macalania Lake on his back, staring blankly
up at the winking stars, wanting badly to scream to relieve his frustrations, but deciding against it. All he could think
about was that night at this very Lake, where he and Yuna had first truly acknowledged their feelings for each other.....
In the form of a kiss, that is.
He remembered every detail, like the exact way she'd been surprised at first when his lips met hers, but then
responded with equal passion after a second's hesitation. He could recall the exact way her crystal tears had
slipped down her cheeks, mingling with a few droplets of water and falling into the clear lake.
He turned around and dove under the water, revelling in the feeling of being at home that he felt when surrounded by
the overly-abundant liquid. It was his second home and he was perfectly comfortable in it.
He had held his breath for just under a minute when his acute underwater sight picked up two objects entering the water.
His mind registered them as feet two seconds later, and another couple of seconds passed before he realized that
the feet belonged to a certain Summoner he'd fallen head-over-heels in love with.
He surfaced immediatly, opening his eyes to find that she was about half-a-foot in front of him.
"Uhh...hiya!" Tidus said after a minute, breaking the silence.
"Hi...gosh it's beautiful out here..."Yuna replied, lifting her gaze from his perfect eyes to the night sky and the effect it's
eerie light made the lake look more peaceful.
"You've never seen the Lake at night?" Tidus inquired, floating on his back in circles in front of her.
"No...." His swimming was interrupted as he heard giggles begin to flow from Yuna's lips.
"What's so funny?" He asked, planting his feet on the lake bottom and standing upright.
"You...looked like a seal just now." She stated bluntly, still laughing quietly.
"Oh thanks. I'm glad you find my appearence amusing." He replied, pretending to be hurt.
"Oh...I didn't mean to insult you..."Yuna's laughter stopped, and her voice grew quiet and serious.
Tidus sighed lightly, swimming over to her and lifting her chin so she met his gaze. He didn't remove his
finger right away, leaving it to linger on her skin for a moment longer than he knew he should have. He
had taken off his gloves upon entering the lake, secretly loving the feeling of her skin touching his.
"I was just kidding." He said simply, flashing her the smile that haunted her dreams.
'What is it about that smile.....that seems to make all my fears go away?' Yuna asked herself, allowing
time for her to momentarily become lost in his cerulean gaze. She cleared her throat quietly, and turned
her gaze to an area just behind Tidus where pyreflies were currently creating quite a light show.
The two stood side by side for a minute, watching the insects as they swirled and danced, looking like
lost souls departing for the Farplane. Their light faded after several more minutes, and they resumed their
normal habits, buzzing quietly at the water's edge.
Yuna smiled to herself, and closed her eyes. Suddenly an image rushed to the forefront of her mind.
It was night, on this very lake, she noticed, and someone was crying. Her vision panned over to the
source of the sound, which was her! There was another person with her, but a strange black mist
concealed his image and contorted his voice when he spoke. That person, obviously a man, placed his
hands lightly on her shoulders, lowering his head and slowly capturning her lips with his own.
Yuna gasped aloud, fainting suddenly as that black mist enveloped her conscious mind as well.
"Yuna!" Tidus exclaimed, reaching over to catch her before her head went under the water. He lifted her
into his arms with little effort, carrying her out of the lake and back towards camp.
"Lulu! Wakka!" He called out, reaching his tent just as they saw Yuna in his arms.
"What happened?" Lulu asked, checking her over quickly.
"I-I don't know she just, just fainted!" Tidus explained, calming down a little when Wakka placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Well luckily there's nothing wrong with her. She must be tired, that's all." Lulu concluded after a moment. Wakka had made
a circle of large rocks near Yuna's head on the dirt floor of the tent. Lulu then cast a Fira spell, creating a fire that would keep Yuna
warm for the night.
"What happened to Yunie?" Rikku asked as she rushed inside the tent.
"She's okay, ya? Nothin to worry about." Wakka replied, obviously relieving the young Al Bhed.
Her eyes then widened as she looked at Tidus' right hand, currently draped lazily on his knee.
"Rikku?" Lulu inquired, raisning an eyebrow at the girl.
She raised a shaky hand, pointing to Tidus' hand before whispering, "T-Tidus....your hand...look...."
Tidus moved his gaze to the aforementioned limb, perfect cerulean eyes becoming dark and sad as he noticed the problem.
"You're...you can't be..." Wakka was at a loss for words as well, but Tidus knew all too well what was happening.
"Yes Wakka. I'm disappearing again........."
****************************************************
Well? What did ya think? Please R+R and I'm sorry about the wait for this chapter.
Here's a preview for next time:
Upon reaching the shores of Besaid, Tidus was the first off the boat. Yuna came after him, and she held out a hand
for him to help her, since she was still a little disoriented from her fainting spell. Momentarily forgetting about his
"situation" Tidus reached out his right hand. Yuna put her hand in his and was surprised when she felt nothing but air!
She just about fell, but Tidus caught her, supporting her with his left arm.
"Sorry about that. I wasn't watching and you.....you missed my hand." He explained quietly.
"Oh, alright." Yuna replied, smiling warmly at him before slowly walking up the path to Besaid Village.
After she went around the corner, Tidus' head dropped and he felt tears coming to her normally sparkling eyes.
"It'll be alright, ya?" Wakka offered quietly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "We won't let you leave us again...."
Well, I hope you' re intrigued now!
Till next time,
Digi-Esca Girl
laurie_22@hotmail.com