Disclaimer: Argh, I forgot it. Final Fantasy X belongs to Square-Enix.
Wow, there's currently more reviews for Dead Waters than this one ^^(and I never expected Dead Waters to be this good.). Perhaps because some people didn't catch this fic when they read Dead Waters? Some reviews came way after this fic was off the Just In section. Oh well ^^. But still, I enjoy the support and am one of those people who work faster with more feedback.
This is one of those rare times I answer some reviews..because they're answerable and this isn't the last chapter and I am too lazy to e-mail*sweatdrop*.
Jade Phoenix1 - But Seymour IS a pedophile! He married Yuna, who isn't even legal. Or maybe it's legal in Spira, I don't know. Spira's weird. And Ansem is a pedophile because he's taking advantage of Riku, and that's already illegal because I love Riku XD.
wally - But..Seymour's already dead ^^;;!
Kia - If you mean the Esuna spell, it doesn't work. I found out the hard way ¬¬. Though, Zombie seems to be ineffective to Esuna in all the FFs I've played so far. Huh.
whatever - Just called me Yami-deprived XP.
Kyd - I don't wanna have hurtsies *tears*.
As White As Snow
by Sakura Blackwolf
-----------------
"All right!" Auron looked up as a boy of sixteen burst through the front door of their boathouse. Sunlight kissed his golden crown of hair and created sparks of light within those bright, blue eyes. Tidus grinned down at him and stepped down the short steps to the lower level. The guardian merely raised a questioning eyebrow.
Reflexsively, the blond reached up to scratch his head nervously, but that grin just stayed. He would never know it, but the man clad in red always admired that smile. So honest, and pure. Compared to the smiles of the deathly Spira he once knew, it was something else entirely. A picture's worth a thousand words, but surely that many was not enough for this boy in front of him. Simply not enough.
"We won, Auron! We did it! We won the championship! This is so great! Come on, we got to celebrate!" Auron watched as Tidus did a few cheers and punches in the air, before calming down. The blond then just plopped down next to the guardian on the couch quite suddenly out of the blue. The cryptic man wanted to laugh at it.
"Hey, aren't you happy?"
"Perhaps I am, in my own way." The blitz star shook his head.
"Yeah, I guess. You want to go out?" The older man merely shrugged, watching from the corner of his eye as the athlete stretched his arms, faintly catching sounds of bones cracking.
"It's okay if you don't want to. I'm kind of tired anyway." Auron just sounded a confirmation. Time passed uncomfortablely, and the man then noticed that the blond seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Slightly, his eyebrows furrowed as he turned his head a short distance to look at the boy. Tidus's mouth was drawn tight, his eyes narrowed just a bit. Out of frustration? How? He just won a blitzball championship. There was no way he could be frustrated. Then, the blond turned to look back and faintly smiled. Auron could note the strain tipping the edges.
"Auron, you said you weren't from here, right? You weren't from Zanarkand and someplace far away?"
"I've been living with you for nearly ten years, and you ask me this now?" Tidus waved it off, and the older man had to chuckle at that.
"Yes. The place I come from is called Spira." The blond nodded slowly, looking away for a minute or two. Then, he hurriedly turned back.
"You ever want to go back?"
Auron smirked, "You want to get rid of me?" Tidus shook his head, mumuring a few 'no's. This time, Auron shook his head, laughing just slightly.
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to go back." Though, he knew this place was merely a dream while others didn't. Even so, it seemed so alive that he was losing his sense of reality within its beautiful illusions. Auron mildly feared he would forget the cold truths of the world here, but it simply did not matter. Tidus was here, happiness was here. He should enjoy the peace while he can. Away from pilgrimages and summoners, those disgusting scriptures of Yevon. The Yevonites, the Al Bhed, the Crusaders. Sin.
Yes, he could not face Sin. Not now at least, knowing it was Jecht within that creature. It could've been him, and Jecht would've been here with his wife and son instead. They would've been happy. Tidus's mother would not have died in sorrow, waiting for her missing husband to return. Perhaps Auron still felt he could have done more to save Braska and Jecht from their disasterous fate. Something, anything. All he could do was plead though, just beg for their understanding and hope their thoughts around. It made him feel so weak and vunerable.
Well, it was all in the past. Spending the Calm here in Zanarkand wasn't so bad. Being dead wasn't so awful either.
"Why?"
"Let's just say I left behind some bad memories, and don't feel like returning to them right now." Tidus nodded, and looked away again for a second, before suddenly finding the coffee table in front more interesting than the window at his side. Auron could see the smile falter, just a bit.
"Well, I just thought that you were getting tired of taking care of me. I mean, with mom and all gone and-"
"I don't mind, Tidus." An amber eye met surprised blue eyes, before they turned away again.
"Oh." Auron was tempted to shake his head again. The blond was always awkward when it came to deep conversation, but it was amusing to say the least. Very amusing. If Tidus was standing, he'd be walking all over the place, scratching his head, looking in nine other directions, absolutely not standing still at all. Instead-
"Well, I think I'm going to hit the hay! Good night!" Auron was then tempted to correct the blond, nearly saying that it was still day. Not night. But the blitz player had already ran off down the hall, and was in his room with the door already locked up before Auron could fully look at the corridor. An amber eye laughed to himself.
Life was just a dream here. It has to end someday, right? But somehow, the guardian never wanted this to end. This perfect dream. A thousand words, surely not enough.
Tidus was just a dream too, a beautiful illusion. But Auron just couldn't bring himself to care. He just didn't care.
-----------------
The cryptic man quietly clutched Tidus's silver bracelet in his hand, the one he had left behind in order to escape. Auron always knew Tidus to take the initative when the opportunity for battle arose. So why now? Why did he stop in his tracks and turn around? Of course, the blond knew they had wasted their last supplies of remedies on the way up to this dark cave of Gagazet. He knew they had no defense against Zombie unless one of them died and was revived through Phoenix Downs. There was the chance they weren't even prepared for a high level spell such as that and died all together. Should he blame it upon himself? No, he was only a mere guardian, with the order to protect the summoner. Yuna was the one who had to make the decisions, but then she also relied on his experience to guide them through the difficulties of the pilgrimage. He sighed to himself, and looked out to the water where Rikku and Wakka had disappeared off into.
It was so beautiful. Tidus would've loved to swim within its glory.
Even after the ordeal with Seymour, Auron had told Yuna to go on anyway. Was it right? After all, he was hurting as well. No one had said anything, but their shuffling had said their reluctance. Especially Rikku. It was her and Tidus who stayed behind to plan, as Auron had overheard from the Al Bhed's conversation with Yuna along the way. She was blaming herself for halting the blitzer in his tracks, but how could anyone have known Seymour would come back? Nobody wished it on the group. Seymour was supposed to be a thing of the past.
He discarded the bracelet within his coat the minute he heard the tap of boots behind him.
"Sir Auron..." The aforementioned man could feel the gaze of blue and green eyes upon his back. Yuna carefully walked over to his side and seated herself down politely on the stone-plated floors. Though, Auron was so used to lazy plops that he nearly snickered. It made him a little sad. After the guardian's fit outside of the cave, and after his explanation(which was brought out after Rikku demanded it) of the situation, no one dared approach him for fear they'd make him upset. It was quite amusing.
Yuna took it the hardest when the man had explained everything. The incident in Bevelle, he had hoped to put it behind him and go on. Tidus wanted to too. Auron could see it the second the blond had returned from Seymour's office. That pained look, hoping it could pull happiness out of a hat. He couldn't just erase that look from his mind. And yet, he never wanted to speak or think of Bevelle again.
"Sir Auron..I don't know what I should do now." Ah yes, the pilgrimage. That filthy tradition.
"What I mean is, I know I must go on and obtain the Final Aeon. However, I don't want to just leave Tidus with Seymour. I know you're worried too." Auron turned his head at that. "I know you want to find him too. But, the pilgrimage- I want to go on but...I'm so confused." The girl shook her head, wispy brown hair brushing against her shoulders and neck.
"Yuna, it's your decision. I am not here to tell you what to do. I am here to protect you and help you get through the struggles of this journey. So, if you wish to turn around, it's fine." And he was hoping she would say 'yes'.
The summoner looked down, catching sight of the rainbow rocks beneath the water's surface. Glowing without a care in the world. She remained silent in thought and they just sat there. The shifting of water and scuttling of fiends were the only sounds that embraced them. Then Rikku swam up to them, Wakka not far behind. But the two noted that Rikku seemed to want to say something to them. Especially to Yuna.
-----------------
"Guadosalam? Isn't that a little obvious?" Tidus asked as Seymour opened the doors to his manor. The unsent just laughed and guided the blond toward his chamber. Seating the blitzer upon his mattress, he walked over to the table and shifted through its drawers.
"There's something I have to retrieve. We leave for Macalania Temple tomorrow. I am the High Priest there after all." The blond looked away, muttering under his breath.
"Don't seem priestly to me."
"There's a lot you don't know about me." Tidus was surprised when he glanced back to find that Seymour was serious. His mouth drawn tight, and icy eyes narrowed down. But then, he smiled and shrugged it off. The younger boy just watched at the blue-haired man held a small sphere within his grasp. Gently, the half-guado placed it in the blond's hands and sat down next to him.
"It's what you want to see right? Zanarkand?" Tidus stared at Seymour with wide blue eyes.
"But..how?"
"When I played that sphere for Lady Yuna, you seemed rather familar to seeing the former Zanarkand. I questioned Lady Yuna in Macalania about it, and she claimed that you said you were from that Metropolis." The blond looked away, gripping the circle of memories tightly.
"No one believes me though, because I got close to Sin. They think it's the toxin. They think I'm just confused and I don't know what I'm saying." Why was he telling this to Seymour anyway? He should just shut up about it. It was useless.
"You're just the same as me."
"Huh?" Tidus blinked wildly when Seymour touched his cold lips to his ear, and reached over to activate the sphere. Suddenly, they were no longer in Guadosalam, but in a place that he once knew. Zanarkand. The streaming water falling from the edges of lit-up bulidings. Bevelle was like that too. The large bulidings, and golden lights. The dark blue skies, with faint twinkling stars. He remembered that Auron told him, because the city was so full of lights, stars were rarely seen.
Tidus didn't resist when Seymour pinned him to the moving ground that floated above this former heaven, pressing kisses along his cheeks and lips.
The sphere gently rolled out his reach. Unconsciously, he reached out to it. That's right. His and Auron's boathouse should be here too. Where was it? It was around here. The ocean. The vast, vast ocean. He once believed the red-cladded guardian came from the water. Auron just told him he was from far away and that Tidus had a vivid imagination, but no one in Zanarkand thought there was anything past their home. They believed Auron was crazy like Spira thought of him. Just ocean was out there, supposedly. It was simple logic. However, he himself believed that Spira was out there beyond this city, somewhere. Otherwise, Auron didn't have a place he came from. And people need a home to go back to. The man told him one day, he may see Spira someday in his life. Tidus had been so excited, but when he got there he wasn't at all.
Because he was alone. He didn't want to be alone.
Perhaps he was being cowardly. Just afraid no one would accept him, and leave him in solitude. But he didn't stick around to find out. He was just scared of something that didn't even happen. Thinking like that, the blond wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh until he died. How shameful it was to be scared of solitude. He wanted to be strong so he could protect Yuna, and everybody else. To be like Auron, and perhaps be able to stay by his side without being weak. He told himself he would never cry again so Auron wouldn't have to fret. But it failed, numerous times.
Tidus just wanted to die, in that city that didn't exist anymore. He just wanted to die, so he'll never see those accusing faces. Those angry voices. Pain.
Never again.
The sphere shut off, and he wasn't aware of it. He wasn't even aware of the cold air against his naked flesh, or even the chilled touch. Dead lips kissed his tears away, and voiced out soothing words. The sphere, it was out of his reach. His memories, his former happiness.
Moonlilies were gathered in a vase on the table, but they seemed so out of place here. This room was a disgusting, ugly place for sinners. Sinners like him, who were willing to give their bodies away. How unlikely it seemed that he was achieving something good this way. Nothing came out of this.
"My lovely bird. You're in my cage now."
He just wanted to die.
-----------------
"Me and Wakka were talking about it..and well..." The Al Bhed looked at the other, before facing Auron and Yuna once again. "We wanna go find Tidus! I mean, I know you need to get to Zanarkand, but Yunie pleeeeease... Tidus is one of us! He's doing this for us! We gotta get him back!" Auron was faintly aware of Lulu and Kimahri coming up from behind.
"I second that agreement." Lulu added, having heard Rikku's statement.
"Kimahri agrees too."
"Ya, we can't move on without 'im! Come on, Yuna!" The red-clad guardian said nothing, but turned to Yuna who was clutching at her dress nervously. For support, she turned to look at him.
"It's your decision." Yuna nodded, and turned back to look at Rikku and Wakka, and then Kimahri and Lulu.
"Wakka, Rikku, Lulu, Kimahri...You all know I have my duty as a Summoner to obtain the Final Aeon and defeat Sin. You all know that it is my top priorty in this Pilgrimage." What was she saying? She's giving up? Surely, no! Surely Yuna wasn't thinking on moving on without him? But then, isn't that how Summoners are? They must reach their goal, no matter what. That was what was said. But still..she couldn't. Right?
"However, I agree with you all. We must go get him back." Tension was suddenly smoothed out by a giant iron.
Auron watched as Rikku and Wakka high-fived each other in cheer, and smiled slightly. Yuna looked at him, and smiled while nodding her head. He knew that was her way of saying, 'This is the right choice I've made.' Certainly, it was.
"I'll go contact Pops to see if the Airship's fixed yet!"
Eventually, everyone left and when they did...
"You really miss him, don't you?" Auron just silently nodded his head at Yuna's question. "I know, it's the same for me. I don't think I'd be able to go to Zanarkand without him."
Quietly clutching the silver bracelet within the safety of his coat, he told her before he stood to leave, "Stay by his side. He needs you to stay with him."
Because he couldn't any longer.
TBC
What is this, Auron? Feelings of guilt? Now you're giving Tidus to Yuna? But that's what most fans want(and got)! And when FFX-2 comes out, AuronxTidus will be forgotten(and SeymourxTidus as well). Oh nooooooooo~!*cries of anguish that hurt the ears* Well, I was kind of lazy with this chapter. Probably are a bunch of typos everywhere. I'm too lazy XP.
Also, I have a webcomic located on the link to my livejournal. I'd appreciate if people went(though, the art and handwriting doesn't get better until the end of page 8, which I believe isn't up yet XD. Lazy~.) I keep fanart there, so FFX stuff may make its way there.
No omake this time. I'm laz-*hit by heat-seeking birds, sponsored by Trainer's Heat-Seeking Bird Collection. Made especially to give you owies on a nice, peaceful Chocobo Racetrack* Ow.
Wow, there's currently more reviews for Dead Waters than this one ^^(and I never expected Dead Waters to be this good.). Perhaps because some people didn't catch this fic when they read Dead Waters? Some reviews came way after this fic was off the Just In section. Oh well ^^. But still, I enjoy the support and am one of those people who work faster with more feedback.
This is one of those rare times I answer some reviews..because they're answerable and this isn't the last chapter and I am too lazy to e-mail*sweatdrop*.
Jade Phoenix1 - But Seymour IS a pedophile! He married Yuna, who isn't even legal. Or maybe it's legal in Spira, I don't know. Spira's weird. And Ansem is a pedophile because he's taking advantage of Riku, and that's already illegal because I love Riku XD.
wally - But..Seymour's already dead ^^;;!
Kia - If you mean the Esuna spell, it doesn't work. I found out the hard way ¬¬. Though, Zombie seems to be ineffective to Esuna in all the FFs I've played so far. Huh.
whatever - Just called me Yami-deprived XP.
Kyd - I don't wanna have hurtsies *tears*.
As White As Snow
by Sakura Blackwolf
-----------------
"All right!" Auron looked up as a boy of sixteen burst through the front door of their boathouse. Sunlight kissed his golden crown of hair and created sparks of light within those bright, blue eyes. Tidus grinned down at him and stepped down the short steps to the lower level. The guardian merely raised a questioning eyebrow.
Reflexsively, the blond reached up to scratch his head nervously, but that grin just stayed. He would never know it, but the man clad in red always admired that smile. So honest, and pure. Compared to the smiles of the deathly Spira he once knew, it was something else entirely. A picture's worth a thousand words, but surely that many was not enough for this boy in front of him. Simply not enough.
"We won, Auron! We did it! We won the championship! This is so great! Come on, we got to celebrate!" Auron watched as Tidus did a few cheers and punches in the air, before calming down. The blond then just plopped down next to the guardian on the couch quite suddenly out of the blue. The cryptic man wanted to laugh at it.
"Hey, aren't you happy?"
"Perhaps I am, in my own way." The blitz star shook his head.
"Yeah, I guess. You want to go out?" The older man merely shrugged, watching from the corner of his eye as the athlete stretched his arms, faintly catching sounds of bones cracking.
"It's okay if you don't want to. I'm kind of tired anyway." Auron just sounded a confirmation. Time passed uncomfortablely, and the man then noticed that the blond seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Slightly, his eyebrows furrowed as he turned his head a short distance to look at the boy. Tidus's mouth was drawn tight, his eyes narrowed just a bit. Out of frustration? How? He just won a blitzball championship. There was no way he could be frustrated. Then, the blond turned to look back and faintly smiled. Auron could note the strain tipping the edges.
"Auron, you said you weren't from here, right? You weren't from Zanarkand and someplace far away?"
"I've been living with you for nearly ten years, and you ask me this now?" Tidus waved it off, and the older man had to chuckle at that.
"Yes. The place I come from is called Spira." The blond nodded slowly, looking away for a minute or two. Then, he hurriedly turned back.
"You ever want to go back?"
Auron smirked, "You want to get rid of me?" Tidus shook his head, mumuring a few 'no's. This time, Auron shook his head, laughing just slightly.
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to go back." Though, he knew this place was merely a dream while others didn't. Even so, it seemed so alive that he was losing his sense of reality within its beautiful illusions. Auron mildly feared he would forget the cold truths of the world here, but it simply did not matter. Tidus was here, happiness was here. He should enjoy the peace while he can. Away from pilgrimages and summoners, those disgusting scriptures of Yevon. The Yevonites, the Al Bhed, the Crusaders. Sin.
Yes, he could not face Sin. Not now at least, knowing it was Jecht within that creature. It could've been him, and Jecht would've been here with his wife and son instead. They would've been happy. Tidus's mother would not have died in sorrow, waiting for her missing husband to return. Perhaps Auron still felt he could have done more to save Braska and Jecht from their disasterous fate. Something, anything. All he could do was plead though, just beg for their understanding and hope their thoughts around. It made him feel so weak and vunerable.
Well, it was all in the past. Spending the Calm here in Zanarkand wasn't so bad. Being dead wasn't so awful either.
"Why?"
"Let's just say I left behind some bad memories, and don't feel like returning to them right now." Tidus nodded, and looked away again for a second, before suddenly finding the coffee table in front more interesting than the window at his side. Auron could see the smile falter, just a bit.
"Well, I just thought that you were getting tired of taking care of me. I mean, with mom and all gone and-"
"I don't mind, Tidus." An amber eye met surprised blue eyes, before they turned away again.
"Oh." Auron was tempted to shake his head again. The blond was always awkward when it came to deep conversation, but it was amusing to say the least. Very amusing. If Tidus was standing, he'd be walking all over the place, scratching his head, looking in nine other directions, absolutely not standing still at all. Instead-
"Well, I think I'm going to hit the hay! Good night!" Auron was then tempted to correct the blond, nearly saying that it was still day. Not night. But the blitz player had already ran off down the hall, and was in his room with the door already locked up before Auron could fully look at the corridor. An amber eye laughed to himself.
Life was just a dream here. It has to end someday, right? But somehow, the guardian never wanted this to end. This perfect dream. A thousand words, surely not enough.
Tidus was just a dream too, a beautiful illusion. But Auron just couldn't bring himself to care. He just didn't care.
-----------------
The cryptic man quietly clutched Tidus's silver bracelet in his hand, the one he had left behind in order to escape. Auron always knew Tidus to take the initative when the opportunity for battle arose. So why now? Why did he stop in his tracks and turn around? Of course, the blond knew they had wasted their last supplies of remedies on the way up to this dark cave of Gagazet. He knew they had no defense against Zombie unless one of them died and was revived through Phoenix Downs. There was the chance they weren't even prepared for a high level spell such as that and died all together. Should he blame it upon himself? No, he was only a mere guardian, with the order to protect the summoner. Yuna was the one who had to make the decisions, but then she also relied on his experience to guide them through the difficulties of the pilgrimage. He sighed to himself, and looked out to the water where Rikku and Wakka had disappeared off into.
It was so beautiful. Tidus would've loved to swim within its glory.
Even after the ordeal with Seymour, Auron had told Yuna to go on anyway. Was it right? After all, he was hurting as well. No one had said anything, but their shuffling had said their reluctance. Especially Rikku. It was her and Tidus who stayed behind to plan, as Auron had overheard from the Al Bhed's conversation with Yuna along the way. She was blaming herself for halting the blitzer in his tracks, but how could anyone have known Seymour would come back? Nobody wished it on the group. Seymour was supposed to be a thing of the past.
He discarded the bracelet within his coat the minute he heard the tap of boots behind him.
"Sir Auron..." The aforementioned man could feel the gaze of blue and green eyes upon his back. Yuna carefully walked over to his side and seated herself down politely on the stone-plated floors. Though, Auron was so used to lazy plops that he nearly snickered. It made him a little sad. After the guardian's fit outside of the cave, and after his explanation(which was brought out after Rikku demanded it) of the situation, no one dared approach him for fear they'd make him upset. It was quite amusing.
Yuna took it the hardest when the man had explained everything. The incident in Bevelle, he had hoped to put it behind him and go on. Tidus wanted to too. Auron could see it the second the blond had returned from Seymour's office. That pained look, hoping it could pull happiness out of a hat. He couldn't just erase that look from his mind. And yet, he never wanted to speak or think of Bevelle again.
"Sir Auron..I don't know what I should do now." Ah yes, the pilgrimage. That filthy tradition.
"What I mean is, I know I must go on and obtain the Final Aeon. However, I don't want to just leave Tidus with Seymour. I know you're worried too." Auron turned his head at that. "I know you want to find him too. But, the pilgrimage- I want to go on but...I'm so confused." The girl shook her head, wispy brown hair brushing against her shoulders and neck.
"Yuna, it's your decision. I am not here to tell you what to do. I am here to protect you and help you get through the struggles of this journey. So, if you wish to turn around, it's fine." And he was hoping she would say 'yes'.
The summoner looked down, catching sight of the rainbow rocks beneath the water's surface. Glowing without a care in the world. She remained silent in thought and they just sat there. The shifting of water and scuttling of fiends were the only sounds that embraced them. Then Rikku swam up to them, Wakka not far behind. But the two noted that Rikku seemed to want to say something to them. Especially to Yuna.
-----------------
"Guadosalam? Isn't that a little obvious?" Tidus asked as Seymour opened the doors to his manor. The unsent just laughed and guided the blond toward his chamber. Seating the blitzer upon his mattress, he walked over to the table and shifted through its drawers.
"There's something I have to retrieve. We leave for Macalania Temple tomorrow. I am the High Priest there after all." The blond looked away, muttering under his breath.
"Don't seem priestly to me."
"There's a lot you don't know about me." Tidus was surprised when he glanced back to find that Seymour was serious. His mouth drawn tight, and icy eyes narrowed down. But then, he smiled and shrugged it off. The younger boy just watched at the blue-haired man held a small sphere within his grasp. Gently, the half-guado placed it in the blond's hands and sat down next to him.
"It's what you want to see right? Zanarkand?" Tidus stared at Seymour with wide blue eyes.
"But..how?"
"When I played that sphere for Lady Yuna, you seemed rather familar to seeing the former Zanarkand. I questioned Lady Yuna in Macalania about it, and she claimed that you said you were from that Metropolis." The blond looked away, gripping the circle of memories tightly.
"No one believes me though, because I got close to Sin. They think it's the toxin. They think I'm just confused and I don't know what I'm saying." Why was he telling this to Seymour anyway? He should just shut up about it. It was useless.
"You're just the same as me."
"Huh?" Tidus blinked wildly when Seymour touched his cold lips to his ear, and reached over to activate the sphere. Suddenly, they were no longer in Guadosalam, but in a place that he once knew. Zanarkand. The streaming water falling from the edges of lit-up bulidings. Bevelle was like that too. The large bulidings, and golden lights. The dark blue skies, with faint twinkling stars. He remembered that Auron told him, because the city was so full of lights, stars were rarely seen.
Tidus didn't resist when Seymour pinned him to the moving ground that floated above this former heaven, pressing kisses along his cheeks and lips.
The sphere gently rolled out his reach. Unconsciously, he reached out to it. That's right. His and Auron's boathouse should be here too. Where was it? It was around here. The ocean. The vast, vast ocean. He once believed the red-cladded guardian came from the water. Auron just told him he was from far away and that Tidus had a vivid imagination, but no one in Zanarkand thought there was anything past their home. They believed Auron was crazy like Spira thought of him. Just ocean was out there, supposedly. It was simple logic. However, he himself believed that Spira was out there beyond this city, somewhere. Otherwise, Auron didn't have a place he came from. And people need a home to go back to. The man told him one day, he may see Spira someday in his life. Tidus had been so excited, but when he got there he wasn't at all.
Because he was alone. He didn't want to be alone.
Perhaps he was being cowardly. Just afraid no one would accept him, and leave him in solitude. But he didn't stick around to find out. He was just scared of something that didn't even happen. Thinking like that, the blond wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh until he died. How shameful it was to be scared of solitude. He wanted to be strong so he could protect Yuna, and everybody else. To be like Auron, and perhaps be able to stay by his side without being weak. He told himself he would never cry again so Auron wouldn't have to fret. But it failed, numerous times.
Tidus just wanted to die, in that city that didn't exist anymore. He just wanted to die, so he'll never see those accusing faces. Those angry voices. Pain.
Never again.
The sphere shut off, and he wasn't aware of it. He wasn't even aware of the cold air against his naked flesh, or even the chilled touch. Dead lips kissed his tears away, and voiced out soothing words. The sphere, it was out of his reach. His memories, his former happiness.
Moonlilies were gathered in a vase on the table, but they seemed so out of place here. This room was a disgusting, ugly place for sinners. Sinners like him, who were willing to give their bodies away. How unlikely it seemed that he was achieving something good this way. Nothing came out of this.
"My lovely bird. You're in my cage now."
He just wanted to die.
-----------------
"Me and Wakka were talking about it..and well..." The Al Bhed looked at the other, before facing Auron and Yuna once again. "We wanna go find Tidus! I mean, I know you need to get to Zanarkand, but Yunie pleeeeease... Tidus is one of us! He's doing this for us! We gotta get him back!" Auron was faintly aware of Lulu and Kimahri coming up from behind.
"I second that agreement." Lulu added, having heard Rikku's statement.
"Kimahri agrees too."
"Ya, we can't move on without 'im! Come on, Yuna!" The red-clad guardian said nothing, but turned to Yuna who was clutching at her dress nervously. For support, she turned to look at him.
"It's your decision." Yuna nodded, and turned back to look at Rikku and Wakka, and then Kimahri and Lulu.
"Wakka, Rikku, Lulu, Kimahri...You all know I have my duty as a Summoner to obtain the Final Aeon and defeat Sin. You all know that it is my top priorty in this Pilgrimage." What was she saying? She's giving up? Surely, no! Surely Yuna wasn't thinking on moving on without him? But then, isn't that how Summoners are? They must reach their goal, no matter what. That was what was said. But still..she couldn't. Right?
"However, I agree with you all. We must go get him back." Tension was suddenly smoothed out by a giant iron.
Auron watched as Rikku and Wakka high-fived each other in cheer, and smiled slightly. Yuna looked at him, and smiled while nodding her head. He knew that was her way of saying, 'This is the right choice I've made.' Certainly, it was.
"I'll go contact Pops to see if the Airship's fixed yet!"
Eventually, everyone left and when they did...
"You really miss him, don't you?" Auron just silently nodded his head at Yuna's question. "I know, it's the same for me. I don't think I'd be able to go to Zanarkand without him."
Quietly clutching the silver bracelet within the safety of his coat, he told her before he stood to leave, "Stay by his side. He needs you to stay with him."
Because he couldn't any longer.
TBC
What is this, Auron? Feelings of guilt? Now you're giving Tidus to Yuna? But that's what most fans want(and got)! And when FFX-2 comes out, AuronxTidus will be forgotten(and SeymourxTidus as well). Oh nooooooooo~!*cries of anguish that hurt the ears* Well, I was kind of lazy with this chapter. Probably are a bunch of typos everywhere. I'm too lazy XP.
Also, I have a webcomic located on the link to my livejournal. I'd appreciate if people went(though, the art and handwriting doesn't get better until the end of page 8, which I believe isn't up yet XD. Lazy~.) I keep fanart there, so FFX stuff may make its way there.
No omake this time. I'm laz-*hit by heat-seeking birds, sponsored by Trainer's Heat-Seeking Bird Collection. Made especially to give you owies on a nice, peaceful Chocobo Racetrack* Ow.