I wiped my face and wrapped one of my fingers with a loose strand of
Wakka's hair. He didn't say anything for a while. The only sound was
Parathion's husky breathing.
"You okay?" I said.
"Yeah. Better." He sniffed loudly and I presented a tissue. He blew and it sounded like a trumpet. I laughed and he smiled.
"You'd better go." I patted his back and we both stood up, Wakka balancing Parathion in his arms. "Don't wanna keep the boys waiting for practise, do ya?" Wakka smiled and then it reversed.
"Practise?" He slapped his head and handed Parathion to me. "I completely forgot! Bye Lu, Parathion. I'll be checking on Yuna later."
"Not if I beat you to it!" I smiled and tried to hide my true feelings. Parathion woke up and waved lazily. Wakka laughed and ran to the beach. My house was on the hill, near the waterfalls so he didn't have to run too far. I crept back into my room and put Parathion into his basket. He was jumping up and down again, beeping with that annoying 'meep' sound. I tapped him on his ball above his head and it bounced happily.
As I was getting ready, I could feel the pain Yuna was in; she had been praying to the Fayth for more than a day now. She was tired but determined. Valefor was a mighty aeon, no doubt, but could Yuna hold his power in her grasp? It hit me then, right at that moment, that once Yuna had got this first aeon, she couldn't go back. Not without a lot of stress and abuse thrown at her like tomatoes hurled at a thief at market. I started to cry. Quickly, I pulled up my dress, kissed Parathion on the cheek, brushed my hair and locked the door. I ran up the hill, across the bridge and into the village. I slowed myself down, dried my tears and entered the temple. I nodded at the High Priest and he walked over.
"Please tell Lady Yuna we wish her the best."
"I will." I felt the stinging in my eyes and hurried past him, up the steps and almost tripping on the heavy carpet. Past the completed trials, I found myself in the small Cloister. A big blue cat had curled up in the corner. I was about to shoo it away when I realised it was Kimahri.
"Psst! Kimahri!" Kimahri woke up and yawned. He walked over to me and crossed his arms.
"Yuna gone long time." He growled.
"I know. Have you been here all night?" He gave a quick sharp nod and guilt struck me like a string of a lute. "I'm sorry. I should have been here."
"No, Lulu. It is fine. Yuna fine." I breathed a sigh of relief. It cleansed my body.
"Good. How much longer do you think she'll be in there?" Kimahri seemed a little pissed off at that and showed his claws.
"Yuna take as long as she needs." Kimahri turned round to the door and I just stood there, speechless. In the dim candlelight I applied my make-up and waited. Then Wakka walked in.
"Wakka! You're here." I said, grumpier than ever. Then Wakka whispered to someone I hadn't noticed. It was a young boy, blonde, tanned and wearing an old Blitzball outfit. He looked like.. Chappu.
"I told you she was grumpy." I said something but I wasn't listening. Finally the door opened and a weight was lifted off my heart. Yuna appeared, resting on the door frame and about to faint. She started to fall forwards and everybody jerked towards her but Kimhari caught her. She steadied herself and threw back her head.
"I've done it! I've become.. a summoner!"
*** Wakka said the boy's name was Tidus. It reminded me of the sea, where Wakka found him. I argued with him. He kept saying about Chappu and I couldn't stand it. The whole day had been too stressful. Earlier on, Yuna summoned Valefor and I rushed over, telling her how proud I was of her, stroking her hair like I used to. Wakka punched the air and smiled but I caught his eye. We both screamed "NO!"
"Enough, Wakka!" I ended the row and stormed off. He shook his head and sighed. Tidus was watching. I knew it.
That was then. This is now. I wait with Wakka and Tidus for Yuna to arrive.
"What's taking her so long?" Wakka said. I shrugged and a silver glint caught my eye. It was Tidus, playing with CHAPPU'S SWORD. I grabbed Wakka by the shoulder and pushed him in the gap between the Inn and the shop.
"You gave him his sword!" I shouted. Wakka shushed me.
"Don't let him hear." He pointed to Tidus.
"I don't care!" I sounded cocky but I was whispering. "I know he looks like Chappu. You know he looks like Chappu. You gave him his sword, Wakka. You just want Chappu back."
"Like you don't." He said smugly. I let go of his shoulders and lent against the tent, shaking my head. "Sorry. I miss Chappu but I'm not that crazy."
"No?" I was close to clocking him. "You used to date an Al Bhed girl who your parents hated. What was her name? Ettique?" I poked his chest. "You never spoke to her again after what happened. She loved you Wakka. She told me."
"No she didn't." Wakka was acting so immaturely. I just wanted him to shut up and admit it - he wanted this new boy to replace Chappu. I was so angry with him.
"I'm fetching Parathion." I turned to leave but Wakka held out his arm.
"Wait till Yuna comes back." He bit his lip and opened his mouth. "Last night.." I growled like Kimahri, gritted my teeth and shook him off. Wakka ran after me and Tidus stopped me from telling Wakka to go and shove his bloody Blitzball somewhere where Yevon certainly don't shine.
"What you guys talk about?" Wakka didn't say anything, just made patterns in the sand and refused to make eye contact with anyone.
"Your sword." I skimmed my hand on the flat side of the blade. "It's a good sword. It belonged to someone very special. Take good care of it."
"Sure will!" Tidus yanked his hand down from the air in a way only a sportsman does. I heard panting and looked up. Yuna was pushing a heavy suitcase over the steps of the temple.
"Yuna!" I called out. "You don't need that much luggage!"
"No, they're gifts for the temple we're to visit." She replied.
"You gracing their temples is enough of a gift Yuna." Always a modest girl, Yuna left her suitcase and walked down the steps to us.
"Kilika, here we come!" shouted Tidus.
"You told him where we were going?" I angrily mouthed to Wakka.
"Where's Parathion, Lulu?" Yuna looked in the folds of my dress in case she'd missed him. I shook her off.
"He's back at my house. You don't mind if I..?"
Yuna shook her head. "Not at all." She smiled and I walked quickly, my back to them. I felt my eyes stinging again.
"You okay?" I said.
"Yeah. Better." He sniffed loudly and I presented a tissue. He blew and it sounded like a trumpet. I laughed and he smiled.
"You'd better go." I patted his back and we both stood up, Wakka balancing Parathion in his arms. "Don't wanna keep the boys waiting for practise, do ya?" Wakka smiled and then it reversed.
"Practise?" He slapped his head and handed Parathion to me. "I completely forgot! Bye Lu, Parathion. I'll be checking on Yuna later."
"Not if I beat you to it!" I smiled and tried to hide my true feelings. Parathion woke up and waved lazily. Wakka laughed and ran to the beach. My house was on the hill, near the waterfalls so he didn't have to run too far. I crept back into my room and put Parathion into his basket. He was jumping up and down again, beeping with that annoying 'meep' sound. I tapped him on his ball above his head and it bounced happily.
As I was getting ready, I could feel the pain Yuna was in; she had been praying to the Fayth for more than a day now. She was tired but determined. Valefor was a mighty aeon, no doubt, but could Yuna hold his power in her grasp? It hit me then, right at that moment, that once Yuna had got this first aeon, she couldn't go back. Not without a lot of stress and abuse thrown at her like tomatoes hurled at a thief at market. I started to cry. Quickly, I pulled up my dress, kissed Parathion on the cheek, brushed my hair and locked the door. I ran up the hill, across the bridge and into the village. I slowed myself down, dried my tears and entered the temple. I nodded at the High Priest and he walked over.
"Please tell Lady Yuna we wish her the best."
"I will." I felt the stinging in my eyes and hurried past him, up the steps and almost tripping on the heavy carpet. Past the completed trials, I found myself in the small Cloister. A big blue cat had curled up in the corner. I was about to shoo it away when I realised it was Kimahri.
"Psst! Kimahri!" Kimahri woke up and yawned. He walked over to me and crossed his arms.
"Yuna gone long time." He growled.
"I know. Have you been here all night?" He gave a quick sharp nod and guilt struck me like a string of a lute. "I'm sorry. I should have been here."
"No, Lulu. It is fine. Yuna fine." I breathed a sigh of relief. It cleansed my body.
"Good. How much longer do you think she'll be in there?" Kimahri seemed a little pissed off at that and showed his claws.
"Yuna take as long as she needs." Kimahri turned round to the door and I just stood there, speechless. In the dim candlelight I applied my make-up and waited. Then Wakka walked in.
"Wakka! You're here." I said, grumpier than ever. Then Wakka whispered to someone I hadn't noticed. It was a young boy, blonde, tanned and wearing an old Blitzball outfit. He looked like.. Chappu.
"I told you she was grumpy." I said something but I wasn't listening. Finally the door opened and a weight was lifted off my heart. Yuna appeared, resting on the door frame and about to faint. She started to fall forwards and everybody jerked towards her but Kimhari caught her. She steadied herself and threw back her head.
"I've done it! I've become.. a summoner!"
*** Wakka said the boy's name was Tidus. It reminded me of the sea, where Wakka found him. I argued with him. He kept saying about Chappu and I couldn't stand it. The whole day had been too stressful. Earlier on, Yuna summoned Valefor and I rushed over, telling her how proud I was of her, stroking her hair like I used to. Wakka punched the air and smiled but I caught his eye. We both screamed "NO!"
"Enough, Wakka!" I ended the row and stormed off. He shook his head and sighed. Tidus was watching. I knew it.
That was then. This is now. I wait with Wakka and Tidus for Yuna to arrive.
"What's taking her so long?" Wakka said. I shrugged and a silver glint caught my eye. It was Tidus, playing with CHAPPU'S SWORD. I grabbed Wakka by the shoulder and pushed him in the gap between the Inn and the shop.
"You gave him his sword!" I shouted. Wakka shushed me.
"Don't let him hear." He pointed to Tidus.
"I don't care!" I sounded cocky but I was whispering. "I know he looks like Chappu. You know he looks like Chappu. You gave him his sword, Wakka. You just want Chappu back."
"Like you don't." He said smugly. I let go of his shoulders and lent against the tent, shaking my head. "Sorry. I miss Chappu but I'm not that crazy."
"No?" I was close to clocking him. "You used to date an Al Bhed girl who your parents hated. What was her name? Ettique?" I poked his chest. "You never spoke to her again after what happened. She loved you Wakka. She told me."
"No she didn't." Wakka was acting so immaturely. I just wanted him to shut up and admit it - he wanted this new boy to replace Chappu. I was so angry with him.
"I'm fetching Parathion." I turned to leave but Wakka held out his arm.
"Wait till Yuna comes back." He bit his lip and opened his mouth. "Last night.." I growled like Kimahri, gritted my teeth and shook him off. Wakka ran after me and Tidus stopped me from telling Wakka to go and shove his bloody Blitzball somewhere where Yevon certainly don't shine.
"What you guys talk about?" Wakka didn't say anything, just made patterns in the sand and refused to make eye contact with anyone.
"Your sword." I skimmed my hand on the flat side of the blade. "It's a good sword. It belonged to someone very special. Take good care of it."
"Sure will!" Tidus yanked his hand down from the air in a way only a sportsman does. I heard panting and looked up. Yuna was pushing a heavy suitcase over the steps of the temple.
"Yuna!" I called out. "You don't need that much luggage!"
"No, they're gifts for the temple we're to visit." She replied.
"You gracing their temples is enough of a gift Yuna." Always a modest girl, Yuna left her suitcase and walked down the steps to us.
"Kilika, here we come!" shouted Tidus.
"You told him where we were going?" I angrily mouthed to Wakka.
"Where's Parathion, Lulu?" Yuna looked in the folds of my dress in case she'd missed him. I shook her off.
"He's back at my house. You don't mind if I..?"
Yuna shook her head. "Not at all." She smiled and I walked quickly, my back to them. I felt my eyes stinging again.