Welcome back to the story! Here's Chapter 4 of Waking Dreams for your reading enjoyment. I'm happy to see that the same faces are still reading (and reviewing, that's always a plus). ^_^ It makes me so happy to know that people like the story enough to stick with it. I shall try to make it as good as I possibly can.
Oh, and Galaxy Girl- I'll consider your request. ^_~
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Chapter 4
The Lord of the Mountain
Tidus's feet were frozen. He cursed the snow that lay ankle deep over the rocky terrain of Mount Gagazet, hiding loose stones and other dangers. Tidus had already slipped four times since beginning the ascent with Auron and Jecht.
Jecht, hopping from foot to foot in the snow, did not look happy. "S-stupid snow," he muttered, teeth chattering. "I h-hate this m-mountain."
"Maybe you should have thought about wearing something warmer," Tidus remarked unsympathetically. No wonder Jecht was cold, in only slacks and a sash around his waist and his stupid red bandana. No shirt, not even proper shoes- just a pair of flimsy sandals.
Jecht glared at him. "Wearin' what, I'd like to know? If you happened t' bring an extra outfit back from the Farplane I'd love to have it!"
"I never went to the Farplane," Tidus said irritably. He didn't like thinking about the time he'd been gone. He didn't understand it, the feeling of nothingness, of not-being.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tidus saw Auron handing Jecht his red jacket.
He would never understand it. How could Auron, a man respected for strength, intelligence, courage and compassion, be good friends with a crude, obnoxious coward like Jecht? Although, he supposed that a pilgrimage was enough to bind anyone together, no matter how different they were. Tidus himself wasn't the smartest guy around, but within Yuna's circle he had a place.
Even in Auron's eyes I had my place, Tidus thought triumphantly, watching Auron and Jecht out of the corner of his eye. It was my story. You know that, Dad? My story, and not yours.
Jecht said something to Auron that he couldn't hear, and the big man chuckled quietly. Tidus looked bitterly to the ground.
He's a charismatic person. Everyone he knew took to him, even Yuna. I'm the only one who ever hated my old man. Tidus stubbornly kicked at a pile of snow, sending white dust flying in all directions. I'm still better than him. He left Mom and me and became Sin...I helped rid Spira of Sin forever...
You're no different from him at all, whispered a treacherous part of his mind. You left Yuna. You did exactly the same.
It wasn't my fault, Tidus protested.
You left her.
But I've come back for her.
As he did for you, the voice replied, and it sounded like Auron.
"Get out of my head, Auron," Tidus muttered. He turned back abruptly to face his companions.
The two men looked at him, waiting. Tidus met Jecht's eyes and they gazed at each other in silence. It was on the tip of his tongue, yet impossible to say.
But Auron, as usual, read his mind. "Something you want to get off your chest?" he inquired mildly.
Tidus hesitated, but before he could answer there was a ferocious roar from a cliff above and a heavy thump behind him. He barely had time to tense before the tip of something sharp was pressed against the back of his neck.
A fierce voice snarled, "Who disturbs sanctity of mountain?"
* * *
On the beach at Mushroom Rock, Yuna stood in the wet sand and let the water wash over her toes. Five years ago Operation Mi'ihen had taken place here, a valiant effort on the part of the Crusaders and Al Bhed to rid Spira of Sin. Grave markers of the dead littered the rocky coast, but all was quiet and peaceful. No vengeful souls wandered this beach- Yuna had Sent them all herself.
"Yunie, are you almost done?" Rikku called from the shore. She didn't like this place any better than those who had witnessed the catastrophic operation. Too many of her people had died here.
Not wanting to make her friend uncomfortable, Yuna bowed to the sea -to the dead- and walked back up the shore where Lulu and Rikku were waiting, at the south end of the D'Jose Highroad. For a while the women walked in silence, but as they got farther from the beach Rikku returned to her old bubbly self.
"Isn't it great how much time we're making?" she said cheerfully. "We've been on the road for a day and a half and already we're nearly halfway to Guadosalam!"
"The absence of fiends greatly speeds up travel," Lulu murmured in reply. "The first time we came through this area, it took us more than twice this amount of time to get where we are."
Rikku laughed, baring her arm with its wicked claw attached. "Without any fiends to fight our skills will get rusty!"
Yuna smiled. "I don't mind." When her friends looked at her, she explained, "I want to live in a world where there's no need for weapons. Where no one fights or worries about being attacked. Where we can travel freely all over Spira, with no threats from fiends or humans."
"That would be nice," Lulu said quietly.
Yuna nodded. "I have a favor to ask of you two. I'd like...I'd like to go to Guadosalam," she said haltingly. "I know it isn't our favorite place in the world, but I want to visit the Farplane."
"Why?" Rikku asked curiously, but Lulu gave Yuna a knowing glance.
Yuna nodded to her. "I want to look for Tidus," she explained to Rikku. "I have to know if he's alive or not."
"There is one problem," Lulu began.
"You always have a problem," Rikku muttered.
Lulu merely smiled faintly. "We don't know if he even went to the Farplane. He was a dream. Where do dreams go when the dreamers stop dreaming?"
"I don't know," Yuna admitted. "But if he's not in the Farplane, that means he's not dead. And that means that there's hope."
Rikku sighed. "Okay, fine. But I won't go in the Farplane. You know I don't like that place."
"I know," Yuna replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I understand."
As the sun set the travelers drew near D'Jose Temple and passed it. There was an inn beside the temple, but they all agreed it would be best to avoid any place dedicated to Yevon. Instead they entered the woods, and camped on the path beside the Moonflow River.
After Lulu and Rikku fell asleep, Yuna took a lantern and went to the edge of the water. There were no pyreflies to be seen, but plenty of regular fireflies, skimming over the surface of the dark water like dozens of yellow stars. Yuna watched the river sadly.
"You wanted to see the Moonflow at night, remember, Tidus?" she whispered.
"Yeah." She felt his presence at her side, warm and comforting. "It would have been nice."
As if on cue the fireflies rose from the river and went to swirl around them, some landing in Yuna's hair, illuminating her face. She met Tidus's eyes and saw him watch her with a great sadness, as if she were something he could never reach.
"The pyreflies went away," she said regretfully, as if apologizing for their absence.
"Maybe it's better that way." He walked backwards away from her, wading into the river, and his movement created no ripples in the murky water.
"Is this your dream or mine?" Yuna asked him with a wry smile.
He laughed quietly. "You got me. Maybe it's both of ours."
Yuna smiled sadly. "Do dreams dream?"
"Yeah, they do." His eyes never left hers. "They dream about the girls they love."
Yuna stretched out a hand to him. "Come back to me, Tidus."
He smiled faintly. "Working on it."
"Work faster," she ordered, which made him chuckle.
"Anything for you." Tidus reached his hand to hers, but faded away before he touched her.
Alone, Yuna knelt on the shore of the river and let the fireflies surround her with their glow.
* * *
Tidus winced as the sharp thing, whatever it was, pressed a bit harder against the back of his neck. "Hey, you mind moving that thing?" he said to the person behind him. "It's a bit uncomfortable."
No one replied. Jecht was shifting into a fighting stance, groping at his side for a weapon that wasn't there. Auron, however, remained motionless, staring at their attacker with only the slightest bit of surprise showing in his face. "You?" he demanded.
The weapon was slowly lowered. "You Auron. And you-" A hand grabbed Tidus's shoulder and whirled him roughly around. Tidus blinked and looked up, and up, and up into the gleaming yellow eyes of a blue-furred Ronso.
"K-Kimahri!" he cried in amazement.
"Who?" Jecht asked, confused.
Kimahri stared down at Tidus, the astonishment showing in his ferocious face. "You not dead?"
"Uh...no," Tidus said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Guess not. What I mean is, I came back. From death, or whatever it was. So how've you-"
Kimahri suddenly grabbed him none-too-gently by the throat, cutting him off. "Kimahri!" Auron snapped.
The Ronso ignored him, glaring into Tidus's eyes. "How dare you go," he snarled, his fur rising in anger. "Yuna cry for days. Yuna feel sad for months. Kimahri can do nothing. All because you leave her."
"I didn't mean to," Tidus choked as Kimahri squeezed his neck just a bit harder. "You don't understand...I would've given anything to stay!"
Kimahri stared at him for a moment longer, then released him. "You find her. Now."
"What d'ya think we've been doin'?" Jecht intervened suddenly, sounding cross. "And while we're at it, what the hell right d'ya have to grab my son like that?"
Tidus blinked and looked at him, surprised. Jecht gazed defiantly up at Kimahri, arms folded over his chest. "There's only one guy who can beat up Tidus, and that's me!"
Tidus rolled his eyes. "That's my old man," he muttered.
Hearing him, Kimahri blinked at Jecht. "You Tidus father? Who is Sin?"
"Was Sin, thanks," Jecht said peevishly. "And just who're you?"
"This is Kimahri," Tidus explained, waving a hand at the giant Ronso. "He was one of Yuna's guardians. Don't you remember? He was there in the end."
Jecht shook his head. "Don't remember much 'bout that," he muttered. "Don't care to. But anyway-" He shrugged and offered Kimahri a hand. "Nice t' meet you an' all."
Kimahri looked at him for a minute longer, then grasped his hand and grinned, showing all his teeth. "You bigger before. Kimahri remember. Kimahri scared, but still fight."
"Kimahri, do you know where Yuna is?" Tidus demanded.
Kimahri shook his head, causing his white braids to sway. "Kimahri not know. Kimahri come here alone to honor Ronso. Is anniversary of clan death," he added sadly.
Tidus exchanged a grim look with Auron. They both remembered all too well the day Yuna's company had come to Mount Gagazet. They'd befriended the Ronso, who alone believed that they were not traitors to Spira, and Kimahri had resolved his differences with his clan. Only later, on their way through the mountain, they met Seymour and learned that all of the Ronso were dead by his hand.
Auron clapped Kimahri on the shoulder in sympathy. "We're sorry to have disturbed you."
Kimahri shook his head. "Kimahri not mind. You friends. You not disturb sleeping Ronso." He looked at Tidus. "Yuna in Besaid, maybe, or Luca. Kimahri not know. Leave her weeks ago. Is long way here."
Tidus sighed. "Which means we have a long way to go to find her."
Kimahri nodded. "Long way, yes. You go. Kimahri come with you."
Tidus brightened at that. "Cool! It'll just be like old time, 'cept without Wakka and the girls."
"Not like old times." Kimahri pointed to Jecht. "He not here before. Now here."
"I dunno," Jecht said dubiously. "Sometimes I get the feelin' that everyone's pretendin' I ain't."
"Only because we wish you weren't," Tidus said brightly, earning him a glare from Jecht and a blow on the shoulder from Auron.
"Mind your manners," the man ordered. "That's your father you're talking to."
"Damn right," Jecht said triumphantly.
"Hn."
Kimahri appeared amused. "Come. We have long journey." He started up the trail, his long tail swaying behind him. The men followed after him.
"What about your clan?" Tidus demanded, panting as they attempted to keep up with the Ronso. "Didn't you say you needed to honor them or something?"
"Kimahri honor already. Kimahri build new statue of Ronso. Have five now, one for each year."
Auron grabbed his shoulder to stop him. "Does that mean it's been five years since we left?"
Kimahri glanced down at him and nodded. "Yuna bring Eternal Calm five years ago. Spira change. Kimahri pray Tidus come back, for Yuna's sake."
"Pray?" Auron remarked, a brow rising. "Whom do you pray to?"
Kimahri seemed to consider that. "To Fayth, maybe," he said at last. "To anyone who listen. When Yuna die, Kimahri will pray to her. She is like goddess herself."
Tidus nodded, understanding. "Let's not sit around," he said impatiently, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Yuna's waiting for me."
"You not change, young cub," Kimahri said, amused. "Friends will be glad you back." He paused for a moment, then added, "Kimahri glad, too."
That made Tidus smile is his natural, boyish way as he patted Kimahri on the back. The two of them started up the mountain trail, leaving Auron and Jecht to follow behind.
When Jecht lagged behind, Auron turned to glance at him, eyebrows raised. "What's the matter? Having difficulty seeing your son in the spotlight instead of you?"
Jecht glared at him. "No."
"Well?"
"It's nothin'." Auron continued to stare at him, and Jecht sighed. "Feels like when I first came t' Spira, y'know? I'm all outta place."
Auron patted him on the shoulder. "They just need to get used to you. It would be difficult for any person in Spira to accept someone who was Sin-"
"Which we don't need t'be spreadin' around, right?" Jecht asked bluntly.
"Of course not. But Tidus's friends will know." Auron shrugged. "You'll be fine. Just turn on the old Jecht charm." He grinned under his jacket collar. "If, of course, there's any left."
"Hey, I'm the most charmin' guy around!" Jecht declared, thumping a fist against his chest.
"Sure, if you count crudeness and vulgarity as charm-"
"Aw, shaddup!" Jecht took a swing at Auron and missed. Down they went in the snow, wrestling and exchanging blows, and Tidus, walking ahead with Kimahri, looked back in amazement at the sound of Auron's laughter.
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To be continued.