~Chapter 17~
She slowly opened her eyes, looking at Tidus in disbelief. "Hey," she said, and she stood on her own legs.
"Hey," Tidus said to her, still dumbstruck. He watched her carefully. "I though you guys had died that night."
"Nope!" Rikku said cheerfully, removing her swimming suit and revealing a brown sleeveless shirt and green shorts beneath. "You big meanie!"
Rikku lashed out and punched Tidus on the arm. "That hurt earlier!"
"What-that was you?!" Tidus asked, rubbing his arm.
"Yes. Why'd you have to go and beat me up? I wasn't attacking you," she said.
"You were attacking Yuna. I had to protect her!" Tidus said to her, still not believing he was seeing her.
"Hey!" Wakka's voice called. "Who's your friend here?"
The group converged around Tidus and Rikku and Tidus said, "Hey, Wakka! Everyone! This is Rikku, you know, the one I told you about? She's an Al Bhe-"
Tidus cut his sentence short and trailed off, no longer meeting Wakka's eyes. Auron, behind his back, arched an eyebrow. He's trying to figure it out, Tidus thought. At the same Time, Yuna hurriedly whispered something in Lulu's ear. Lulu stepped forward.
"Listen, we need to talk," she said in a strange voice.
"Yes. I must speak with Rikku," Yuna said, stepping up next to her.
"OK." Wakka said, crossing his arms.
"Uh, girls only!" Rikku called cheerfully. Lulu smiled.
"Sorry, Wakka, but Rikku's right. You'll have to sit this one out."
The three girls walked past Wakka, leaving him looking stupid. Tidus laughed.
"Don't worry, Wakka. Some of the smartest people can't figure women out," he said, smiling at his friend's obvious confusion.
For the most part, Auron and Kimarhi could have cared less about the girls' little pow-wow off to the side. Tidus didn't particularly care, either; he had been raised in Chicago, so he saw that kind of thing all the time in school. Only Wakka was really trying to hear what was going on, leaning over towards the girls, concentration written on his face.
Finally, after a bit, the girls all came back. "Sir Auron!" Yuna called. "Could you come here for a moment?"
"Why does he get to go over there?" Wakka cried. Auron brushed past him towards Yuna, who was standing next to Rikku.
"Yes?" Auron asked.
"Sir Auron, I would like Rikku to be one of my Guardians." Yuna said doggedly. Auron stepped forward.
"Let me see your face," He said to Rikku.
Rikku looked up at him, keeping her eyes shut.
"Open your eyes. Look at me," Auron commanded. She reluctantly opened her eyes, revealing her emerald green eyes: they were spiraled around her black pupils. Auron nodded.
"As I thought," he said, looking up in amusement.
"No good, huh?" Rikku asked, looking dejected.
Auron looked over at Wakka. Yuna could tell he was doing some serious thinking. Finally, he said, "The decision is Yuna's."
"Thank you," Yuna said. They all walked back to where the others stood waiting. "I have decided to have Rikku join our group as one of my Guardians."
Tidus shot a quick look at Wakka, who simply smiled and said, "Well, the more, the merrier!"
"Well," Rikku said happily, "I'll just have to be the merriest. Rikku, at your service!" she said, jumping into the middle of the group and bowing energetically to all of them.
The rest of the Highroad was wooded over, leading in a winding trail until it finally ended in a large, wooden tunnel-like structure. Auron nodded.
"Guadosalam," he murmured.
The others looked on in apprehension. The towering structure gave a foreboding appearance to the Summoner party, with the exception of Auron. He turned to the others.
"Let's go," he said.
They all walked into the tunnel, which descended into the earth until they finally emerged into a bedrock chamber. Tidus gasped.
It was nothing short of a small town underneath the Spiran soil. Street lanterns lit the small town, which was connected by stone bridges with no guardrails. The group looked around in amazement, again with the exception of Auron. As they watched, a figure emerged from the shadows in front of them, saying "Welcome to Guadosalam."
He had a large, round belly under his dark purple robes. His hair was bright green, and it was grown into a beard that was unnaturally square. He bowed deeply to them, displaying the same type of claw-like hands that Seymour had. "Lord Seymour has been expecting you, Lady Yuna," he said, attempting to take Yuna's hand. She drew back.
"Ah, but your Guardians are welcomed as well," he added.
"And who might you be?" Auron asked, stepping forward.
"I am called Tromell Guado. I am in the service of Lord Seymour, as I was for his father Lord Jyscal. Please, if you'll follow me to the manor."
The group followed Tromell deeper into the caverns, looking around as they did so. He eventually led them to a large, ornate doorway that seemed to be carved into the very stone. Tromell led them into a spacious chamber with double stairways and told them, "Please wait here. I'll inform the Maester that you have arrived." With that, he departed into a set of double doors in the center of the opposite wall. Tidus stood next Auron for a bit, but eventually he found himself wandering up to where Wakka and Lulu stood on the staircase. They were looking at a painting of Seymour.
"This painting of Seymour looks different from the others, doesn't it?" Lulu asked Tidus.
"Yeah, it is, isn't it," Tidus said, looking from Seymour to the Guado next to him. Seymour's face was much smoother, and he didn't seem to have the elegant lines caressing his face like the others did.
"That's because his father, Lord Jyscal, wed a human wife," Lulu said. Wakka nodded in agreement.
"That's right. He was the one who brought Yevon to the Guado, and that was the reason why," he said. He looked admiringly at the painting next to Seymour's. "He was truly a great man."
Suddenly, the chamber doors opened, and Tromell reappeared. "Lord Seymour will be with you momentarily, but he has asked me to take you into his dining chamber. Please follow me."
The Summoner party walked through the doors and went through a short hallway before emerging into a room that looked like it had been prepared for a banquet. Tidus looked around at the tables, lined with food and drink. Rikku bounced over to a table that held nothing but huge, delicious- looking apples. She snatched one and took a huge bite out of it. "Mmm!" she said in a muffled voice. "This is good!"
Auron leaned against the wall and was, as usual, keeping his distance from the rest of the group. Ever since he had joined the group, he seemed more aloof than ever before. Tidus made his way over to Lulu, who had spotted him out of the corner of her eye.
"There is no temple in Guadosalam," she said to him. "Summoners usually pass through on their pilgrimage, unless they wish to visit the Farplane."
Tidus chuckled. "What?" Lulu asked.
"I didn't even ask a question, and you're telling me all about Spira," he said. In a lower voice, he added, "Maybe you finally believe me about Chica-I mean, Zanarkand."
Lulu bowed her head. "There are many things I do not know in this world," she said, "and your Zanarkand is one of them. Perhaps there is a great city there, perhaps."
"Perhaps it's just ruins," Tidus finished for her.
Just then, Tromell emerged out of a side door. "Lord Seymour will see you now."
"Did he say what he wanted to see us about?" Yuna asked.
"I'm afraid he did not, Lady Summoner," Tromell said. "Whatever the reason, I'm sure it is a good one. Lord Seymour is a wise leader, much like his father. He not only a Maester of Yevon, but he is the leader of our very society."
"Please, Tromell," said a soft, slightly high pitched voice. "Must I always endure such praise?"
Maester Seymour entered the room and Tromell bowed deeply to him, as did Yuna and Wakka. Tromell bowed himself out of the room after that, leaving the Maester alone with the Summoner party. Seymour smiled.
"Please, make yourselves at home. There is no need to rush."
"Make this quick. Yuna must rush," Auron said flatly.
"Of course," Seymour said softly, bowing. "I hoped I could speak to Lady Yuna." He locked eyes with her. "Please," he said, "come with me."
He took her hand and closed his eyes. Instantly, the room they were in seemed to dissolve into nothing but pure darkness, yet they were still illuminated. Suddenly, the room erupted in color, springing up into a darkened night's sky over the skyline of a metropolitan city. They seemed to be flying above it, looking around in wonder. Suddenly, they were on the ground, amidst people who didn't even notice they were there. Tidus' heart stopped.
"Chicago?!" he asked wildly.
They were indeed standing in central Chicago, right outside the basketball stadium. Seymour looked at him.
"Yes. This is Zanarkand," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "as it looked 1,000 years ago. This room we are in is a giant sphere that has recorded the memories of the dead who lived in Zanarkand. Just look at it," he said, marveling at the illusion before him. "Zanarkand was the first city to be destroyed by Sin. Ever since then, Summoners have been going on a pilgrimage to Zanarkand to defeat it."
The image shifted again, and Tidus was suddenly inside an L-Train, winding its way through the night sky. Seymour looked out of the window.
"She once lived here, you know," he said quietly. Auron scowled.
"Who?" Yuna asked. Seymour smiled, and the room shifted again this time back into Seymour's dining room. As the group watched, Seymour led Yuna over to the other side of the room. An image appeared in the center, that of a beautiful woman sitting on a bed.
"Lady Yunalesca!" Yuna cried.
"Yes. The first Summoner to defeat Sin," Seymour acknowledged. "You carry her namesake. In doing so, your father Braska entrusted you with a great legacy." "However," he continued, "Lady Yunalesca did not defeat Sin on her own."
Suddenly, the image of a powerfully built man slowly swam into view. The ghostly image walked right through Yuna to get to Lady Yunalesca. Yunalesca, seeing him, jumped off of the bed and embraced him.
"It took a strong bond of love, the kind that binds two hearts forever. Lady Yunalesca and her husband, Lord Zaon, for instance."
The image started to fade in a flash of brilliant white light. As it did so, Seymour slowly walked up next to Yuna, and leaned over to whisper something in her ear. Yuna's expression turned from curiosity to shock faster than light.
When the light finally did fade, Yuna quickly left Seymour's side. She rushed over to a table that held seven glasses of water. She grabbed one and drank it quickly, bewilderment written all over her face. The guardians rushed forward. "What is it?" Wakka asked.
Yuna looked up at them, surprise written all over her face. "He just asked me. To marry him!"
She slowly opened her eyes, looking at Tidus in disbelief. "Hey," she said, and she stood on her own legs.
"Hey," Tidus said to her, still dumbstruck. He watched her carefully. "I though you guys had died that night."
"Nope!" Rikku said cheerfully, removing her swimming suit and revealing a brown sleeveless shirt and green shorts beneath. "You big meanie!"
Rikku lashed out and punched Tidus on the arm. "That hurt earlier!"
"What-that was you?!" Tidus asked, rubbing his arm.
"Yes. Why'd you have to go and beat me up? I wasn't attacking you," she said.
"You were attacking Yuna. I had to protect her!" Tidus said to her, still not believing he was seeing her.
"Hey!" Wakka's voice called. "Who's your friend here?"
The group converged around Tidus and Rikku and Tidus said, "Hey, Wakka! Everyone! This is Rikku, you know, the one I told you about? She's an Al Bhe-"
Tidus cut his sentence short and trailed off, no longer meeting Wakka's eyes. Auron, behind his back, arched an eyebrow. He's trying to figure it out, Tidus thought. At the same Time, Yuna hurriedly whispered something in Lulu's ear. Lulu stepped forward.
"Listen, we need to talk," she said in a strange voice.
"Yes. I must speak with Rikku," Yuna said, stepping up next to her.
"OK." Wakka said, crossing his arms.
"Uh, girls only!" Rikku called cheerfully. Lulu smiled.
"Sorry, Wakka, but Rikku's right. You'll have to sit this one out."
The three girls walked past Wakka, leaving him looking stupid. Tidus laughed.
"Don't worry, Wakka. Some of the smartest people can't figure women out," he said, smiling at his friend's obvious confusion.
For the most part, Auron and Kimarhi could have cared less about the girls' little pow-wow off to the side. Tidus didn't particularly care, either; he had been raised in Chicago, so he saw that kind of thing all the time in school. Only Wakka was really trying to hear what was going on, leaning over towards the girls, concentration written on his face.
Finally, after a bit, the girls all came back. "Sir Auron!" Yuna called. "Could you come here for a moment?"
"Why does he get to go over there?" Wakka cried. Auron brushed past him towards Yuna, who was standing next to Rikku.
"Yes?" Auron asked.
"Sir Auron, I would like Rikku to be one of my Guardians." Yuna said doggedly. Auron stepped forward.
"Let me see your face," He said to Rikku.
Rikku looked up at him, keeping her eyes shut.
"Open your eyes. Look at me," Auron commanded. She reluctantly opened her eyes, revealing her emerald green eyes: they were spiraled around her black pupils. Auron nodded.
"As I thought," he said, looking up in amusement.
"No good, huh?" Rikku asked, looking dejected.
Auron looked over at Wakka. Yuna could tell he was doing some serious thinking. Finally, he said, "The decision is Yuna's."
"Thank you," Yuna said. They all walked back to where the others stood waiting. "I have decided to have Rikku join our group as one of my Guardians."
Tidus shot a quick look at Wakka, who simply smiled and said, "Well, the more, the merrier!"
"Well," Rikku said happily, "I'll just have to be the merriest. Rikku, at your service!" she said, jumping into the middle of the group and bowing energetically to all of them.
The rest of the Highroad was wooded over, leading in a winding trail until it finally ended in a large, wooden tunnel-like structure. Auron nodded.
"Guadosalam," he murmured.
The others looked on in apprehension. The towering structure gave a foreboding appearance to the Summoner party, with the exception of Auron. He turned to the others.
"Let's go," he said.
They all walked into the tunnel, which descended into the earth until they finally emerged into a bedrock chamber. Tidus gasped.
It was nothing short of a small town underneath the Spiran soil. Street lanterns lit the small town, which was connected by stone bridges with no guardrails. The group looked around in amazement, again with the exception of Auron. As they watched, a figure emerged from the shadows in front of them, saying "Welcome to Guadosalam."
He had a large, round belly under his dark purple robes. His hair was bright green, and it was grown into a beard that was unnaturally square. He bowed deeply to them, displaying the same type of claw-like hands that Seymour had. "Lord Seymour has been expecting you, Lady Yuna," he said, attempting to take Yuna's hand. She drew back.
"Ah, but your Guardians are welcomed as well," he added.
"And who might you be?" Auron asked, stepping forward.
"I am called Tromell Guado. I am in the service of Lord Seymour, as I was for his father Lord Jyscal. Please, if you'll follow me to the manor."
The group followed Tromell deeper into the caverns, looking around as they did so. He eventually led them to a large, ornate doorway that seemed to be carved into the very stone. Tromell led them into a spacious chamber with double stairways and told them, "Please wait here. I'll inform the Maester that you have arrived." With that, he departed into a set of double doors in the center of the opposite wall. Tidus stood next Auron for a bit, but eventually he found himself wandering up to where Wakka and Lulu stood on the staircase. They were looking at a painting of Seymour.
"This painting of Seymour looks different from the others, doesn't it?" Lulu asked Tidus.
"Yeah, it is, isn't it," Tidus said, looking from Seymour to the Guado next to him. Seymour's face was much smoother, and he didn't seem to have the elegant lines caressing his face like the others did.
"That's because his father, Lord Jyscal, wed a human wife," Lulu said. Wakka nodded in agreement.
"That's right. He was the one who brought Yevon to the Guado, and that was the reason why," he said. He looked admiringly at the painting next to Seymour's. "He was truly a great man."
Suddenly, the chamber doors opened, and Tromell reappeared. "Lord Seymour will be with you momentarily, but he has asked me to take you into his dining chamber. Please follow me."
The Summoner party walked through the doors and went through a short hallway before emerging into a room that looked like it had been prepared for a banquet. Tidus looked around at the tables, lined with food and drink. Rikku bounced over to a table that held nothing but huge, delicious- looking apples. She snatched one and took a huge bite out of it. "Mmm!" she said in a muffled voice. "This is good!"
Auron leaned against the wall and was, as usual, keeping his distance from the rest of the group. Ever since he had joined the group, he seemed more aloof than ever before. Tidus made his way over to Lulu, who had spotted him out of the corner of her eye.
"There is no temple in Guadosalam," she said to him. "Summoners usually pass through on their pilgrimage, unless they wish to visit the Farplane."
Tidus chuckled. "What?" Lulu asked.
"I didn't even ask a question, and you're telling me all about Spira," he said. In a lower voice, he added, "Maybe you finally believe me about Chica-I mean, Zanarkand."
Lulu bowed her head. "There are many things I do not know in this world," she said, "and your Zanarkand is one of them. Perhaps there is a great city there, perhaps."
"Perhaps it's just ruins," Tidus finished for her.
Just then, Tromell emerged out of a side door. "Lord Seymour will see you now."
"Did he say what he wanted to see us about?" Yuna asked.
"I'm afraid he did not, Lady Summoner," Tromell said. "Whatever the reason, I'm sure it is a good one. Lord Seymour is a wise leader, much like his father. He not only a Maester of Yevon, but he is the leader of our very society."
"Please, Tromell," said a soft, slightly high pitched voice. "Must I always endure such praise?"
Maester Seymour entered the room and Tromell bowed deeply to him, as did Yuna and Wakka. Tromell bowed himself out of the room after that, leaving the Maester alone with the Summoner party. Seymour smiled.
"Please, make yourselves at home. There is no need to rush."
"Make this quick. Yuna must rush," Auron said flatly.
"Of course," Seymour said softly, bowing. "I hoped I could speak to Lady Yuna." He locked eyes with her. "Please," he said, "come with me."
He took her hand and closed his eyes. Instantly, the room they were in seemed to dissolve into nothing but pure darkness, yet they were still illuminated. Suddenly, the room erupted in color, springing up into a darkened night's sky over the skyline of a metropolitan city. They seemed to be flying above it, looking around in wonder. Suddenly, they were on the ground, amidst people who didn't even notice they were there. Tidus' heart stopped.
"Chicago?!" he asked wildly.
They were indeed standing in central Chicago, right outside the basketball stadium. Seymour looked at him.
"Yes. This is Zanarkand," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "as it looked 1,000 years ago. This room we are in is a giant sphere that has recorded the memories of the dead who lived in Zanarkand. Just look at it," he said, marveling at the illusion before him. "Zanarkand was the first city to be destroyed by Sin. Ever since then, Summoners have been going on a pilgrimage to Zanarkand to defeat it."
The image shifted again, and Tidus was suddenly inside an L-Train, winding its way through the night sky. Seymour looked out of the window.
"She once lived here, you know," he said quietly. Auron scowled.
"Who?" Yuna asked. Seymour smiled, and the room shifted again this time back into Seymour's dining room. As the group watched, Seymour led Yuna over to the other side of the room. An image appeared in the center, that of a beautiful woman sitting on a bed.
"Lady Yunalesca!" Yuna cried.
"Yes. The first Summoner to defeat Sin," Seymour acknowledged. "You carry her namesake. In doing so, your father Braska entrusted you with a great legacy." "However," he continued, "Lady Yunalesca did not defeat Sin on her own."
Suddenly, the image of a powerfully built man slowly swam into view. The ghostly image walked right through Yuna to get to Lady Yunalesca. Yunalesca, seeing him, jumped off of the bed and embraced him.
"It took a strong bond of love, the kind that binds two hearts forever. Lady Yunalesca and her husband, Lord Zaon, for instance."
The image started to fade in a flash of brilliant white light. As it did so, Seymour slowly walked up next to Yuna, and leaned over to whisper something in her ear. Yuna's expression turned from curiosity to shock faster than light.
When the light finally did fade, Yuna quickly left Seymour's side. She rushed over to a table that held seven glasses of water. She grabbed one and drank it quickly, bewilderment written all over her face. The guardians rushed forward. "What is it?" Wakka asked.
Yuna looked up at them, surprise written all over her face. "He just asked me. To marry him!"