~Chapter 19~
Auron started going across the plains fearlessly, but the rest of the group was a little more hesitant. There were lightning towers scattered across the field, which was mostly rock and loose soil. Auron stopped beneath one of the towers, and when the group finally made it to him, a bolt of lightning struck the tower, scaring Rikku out of her wits. To everyone's surprise, Auron was smiling.
"When Jecht, Braska, and I came out across these plains," he started, "Jecht was struck."
"Figures," Tidus said.
"However, he stood, and said, 'Hey, guys. Let's make a game outta this. The person who gets struck the least wins!' And I said, 'But there are towers all over, we could hide under those. You'll lose.' But he said, 'They don't count. We make a mad dash. We'll get across faster.' In the end, I lost. Braska won."
"So?" Rikku asked. Auron grinned.
"The person who gets struck the least," he said, "loses. Go!"
With that, he shot off, leaving the rest of the group behind. Tidus looked at Wakka and Yuna.
"Whatta you say?" he asked. "Let's do it!" He turned, and headed off after Auron. The rest of the group shrugged, and started off after them. They all had their fair share of strikes: Tidus was struck at least four times. Finally, they came to an Inn in the middle of the field.
"Who would be crazy enough to put an Inn up here?" Tidus asked in amusement.
"Rin," Rikku said. "I know him." She turned to Auron. "Can we please rest here for a while? Please?"
"Why? This storm never ends. The quicker we get across, the better," Auron said.
"Please?" she begged. She kept pestering Auron until he finally said, "Fine! We rest." He turned to Tidus, saying, "She's worse than the storm."
Inside the Inn, Yuna turned to the others and said, "I am. rather tired. I think I'll go lie down." She turned to the woman at the counter. "Do you have a room available?"
"Hevek ti unna, qui?" she asked. Rikku shook her head, and walked over to the woman. "Gev tooka a gavi," she said. She turned to Yuna. "I told her you wanted a room."
The woman handed Yuna a key on a golden chain. "Thank you," Yuna said.
"Figje qui," Rikku translated. The woman smiled.
Yuna turned to the others. "Well. Good-night," she said, and she disappeared into the hallway leading to the rooms. Tidus found his way over to the bookshelf and was looking over the titles when he heard a familiar voice say, "Hali do saud qui."
Tidus turned and looked at the smiling face of Rin the Innkeeper. He bowed to him.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, sir," Rin said. "I hope your journey is faring well?"
"Well enough, I suppose," Tidus said. Rin nodded, and cast a look at Auron, who was standing by a window. "I wonder. Is that Sir Auron, by any chance?"
"Yeah," Tidus said. "That's him."
"Ah!" Rin said, brightening. "I thought so, but I wasn't sure." He turned and called out, "A pleasure to see you again, Sir Auron!"
Auron turned around and looked at Rin. "You as well," he said. "How have you been?"
"Good enough," Rin said. "I haven't seen you since Lord Braska defeated Sin. I remember you were quite wounded."
"That is correct," Auron said, sounding as though he wanted to change the subject.
"However, when I awoke the next morning, you were gone! It surprised me, to say the least. An ordinary man would not have survived such an injury."
"What injury?" Tidus asked. "It's only a scar," he added, referring to the large scar that ran through Auron's right eye.
"I do not mean that scar," Rin said. "I mean his chest wound."
"Well, I was a very tough young man," Auron said, with an air of annoyance. "I was well enough to get back to Bevelle."
"I see," Rin said, very bright now. "Well, make yourselves at home here. for, as the old saying goes, my house is your house." With that, Rin bowed himself out of the room, leaving the Guardians alone. One by one, they made their ways back into the rooms Rin had set aside for them. First Rikku went out, then a yawning Auron followed suit. Lulu left next, leaving Wakka, Kimarhi, and Tidus alone in the main room. Tidus finally felt sleep overtaking him, and made his way back to a room, where he wanted nothing more than to flop down on the comfy bed inside the room and drift into a peaceful slumber. However, he heard and witnessed something very peculiar on his way back.
Outside of Yuna's room, he heard an unfamiliar voice saying something. He couldn't quite hear it as well as he wanted to, because it was behind the door, but he thought it sounded like it had been recorded, like a cassette tape or something like that.
Tidus leaned over to the door, keeping his ear close. He still couldn't hear what the voice was saying, so he leaned against the door, pressing his ear to the surface, and that was when it unexpectedly came unlatched and Tidus tumbled into the room.
He was face down on the floor; he didn't see Yuna at first, who had shrieked slightly as he made his entrance. He stood, and saw her standing next to a table in a blue nightdress, her face flushed from fright. "I-uh- I didn't-" Tidus sputtered, unable to finish his sentences. Slowly, his gaze shifted from Yuna to a small, blue semi-sphere surrounded by a gold ring on the table. It had the image of a person Tidus was sure he had seen before, but before he could get a closer look at it, Yuna had snatched it out of sight.
"Hey, I'm sorry, really-" Tidus started, but Yuna had hurried out of the room before he could finish. Tidus was left alone in there, scratching the back of his head, and wracking his brains to try to remember where he had seen the person in the sphere before.
The next morning, Tidus, who was again the last person out of bed, found everyone else waiting in the main room. Rikku was fearfully looking out the rain-lashed windows while everyone stood behind them. Finally, Auron got tired of standing around, and walked outside. Everyone, even Rikku, followed suit. The group was asked by Yuna to stay a ways back while she discussed something with Auron. While the two of them stood off to the side, the rest of the Summoner party just stood in front of the Inn. Then, completely out of nowhere, a man ran up to them, took a picture with a high flash camera, and ran off.
"Well, this is probably gonna be a good day," Tidus muttered. "It's already started off weird."
Auron was waving for them to follow Yuna and him, so they obliged, making their way carefully across the Thunder Plains, until Yuna said quietly, "I have something to say, everyone."
The group stopped. Auron spotted a covered shelter not too far away. "Over there," he said, and the group thankfully retreated to the dry area underneath. Surrounded by her Guardians, Yuna dropped the bombshell that Tidus had been waiting for.
"I. I have decided to marry Maester Seymour," she said quietly. "What?" Tidus asked. "Why?"
Yuna hesitated. "I found a sphere with Lord Jyscal saying. something about Seymour.
"Auron stepped forward. "Show me," he said. Yuna backed away.
"I can't," she said. Auron looked on in contempt.
"If. I can give Spira something cheerful to talk about," she said slowly, "then I will do so."
"It is nothing but an extravagant play," Auron said. "Even though we get this brief intermission, the next act always starts, and the play goes on."
"Yunie," Rikku said in a small voice, "If you marry Maester Seymour. You could give up your pilgrimage."
Auron laughed rudely. "That's not an option," he said.
Yuna looked at Rikku and the rest of the group afterwards. "I love you all, but this is my decision. I shall give the Maester my answer in Macalania."
Tidus looked away in disgust. Seymour and Yuna. He couldn't bear the though of losing her.
Wait.
Had Tidus gone and broken a rule somewhere? The feelings he felt, or thought he felt; were they natural between a Summoner and Guardian?
"Macalania is just ahead," Auron's voice said, breaking into Tidus' thoughts. "We should get moving."
The trudged on, and Tidus felt as though the day couldn't possibly get worse.
He was very, very wrong.
Auron started going across the plains fearlessly, but the rest of the group was a little more hesitant. There were lightning towers scattered across the field, which was mostly rock and loose soil. Auron stopped beneath one of the towers, and when the group finally made it to him, a bolt of lightning struck the tower, scaring Rikku out of her wits. To everyone's surprise, Auron was smiling.
"When Jecht, Braska, and I came out across these plains," he started, "Jecht was struck."
"Figures," Tidus said.
"However, he stood, and said, 'Hey, guys. Let's make a game outta this. The person who gets struck the least wins!' And I said, 'But there are towers all over, we could hide under those. You'll lose.' But he said, 'They don't count. We make a mad dash. We'll get across faster.' In the end, I lost. Braska won."
"So?" Rikku asked. Auron grinned.
"The person who gets struck the least," he said, "loses. Go!"
With that, he shot off, leaving the rest of the group behind. Tidus looked at Wakka and Yuna.
"Whatta you say?" he asked. "Let's do it!" He turned, and headed off after Auron. The rest of the group shrugged, and started off after them. They all had their fair share of strikes: Tidus was struck at least four times. Finally, they came to an Inn in the middle of the field.
"Who would be crazy enough to put an Inn up here?" Tidus asked in amusement.
"Rin," Rikku said. "I know him." She turned to Auron. "Can we please rest here for a while? Please?"
"Why? This storm never ends. The quicker we get across, the better," Auron said.
"Please?" she begged. She kept pestering Auron until he finally said, "Fine! We rest." He turned to Tidus, saying, "She's worse than the storm."
Inside the Inn, Yuna turned to the others and said, "I am. rather tired. I think I'll go lie down." She turned to the woman at the counter. "Do you have a room available?"
"Hevek ti unna, qui?" she asked. Rikku shook her head, and walked over to the woman. "Gev tooka a gavi," she said. She turned to Yuna. "I told her you wanted a room."
The woman handed Yuna a key on a golden chain. "Thank you," Yuna said.
"Figje qui," Rikku translated. The woman smiled.
Yuna turned to the others. "Well. Good-night," she said, and she disappeared into the hallway leading to the rooms. Tidus found his way over to the bookshelf and was looking over the titles when he heard a familiar voice say, "Hali do saud qui."
Tidus turned and looked at the smiling face of Rin the Innkeeper. He bowed to him.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, sir," Rin said. "I hope your journey is faring well?"
"Well enough, I suppose," Tidus said. Rin nodded, and cast a look at Auron, who was standing by a window. "I wonder. Is that Sir Auron, by any chance?"
"Yeah," Tidus said. "That's him."
"Ah!" Rin said, brightening. "I thought so, but I wasn't sure." He turned and called out, "A pleasure to see you again, Sir Auron!"
Auron turned around and looked at Rin. "You as well," he said. "How have you been?"
"Good enough," Rin said. "I haven't seen you since Lord Braska defeated Sin. I remember you were quite wounded."
"That is correct," Auron said, sounding as though he wanted to change the subject.
"However, when I awoke the next morning, you were gone! It surprised me, to say the least. An ordinary man would not have survived such an injury."
"What injury?" Tidus asked. "It's only a scar," he added, referring to the large scar that ran through Auron's right eye.
"I do not mean that scar," Rin said. "I mean his chest wound."
"Well, I was a very tough young man," Auron said, with an air of annoyance. "I was well enough to get back to Bevelle."
"I see," Rin said, very bright now. "Well, make yourselves at home here. for, as the old saying goes, my house is your house." With that, Rin bowed himself out of the room, leaving the Guardians alone. One by one, they made their ways back into the rooms Rin had set aside for them. First Rikku went out, then a yawning Auron followed suit. Lulu left next, leaving Wakka, Kimarhi, and Tidus alone in the main room. Tidus finally felt sleep overtaking him, and made his way back to a room, where he wanted nothing more than to flop down on the comfy bed inside the room and drift into a peaceful slumber. However, he heard and witnessed something very peculiar on his way back.
Outside of Yuna's room, he heard an unfamiliar voice saying something. He couldn't quite hear it as well as he wanted to, because it was behind the door, but he thought it sounded like it had been recorded, like a cassette tape or something like that.
Tidus leaned over to the door, keeping his ear close. He still couldn't hear what the voice was saying, so he leaned against the door, pressing his ear to the surface, and that was when it unexpectedly came unlatched and Tidus tumbled into the room.
He was face down on the floor; he didn't see Yuna at first, who had shrieked slightly as he made his entrance. He stood, and saw her standing next to a table in a blue nightdress, her face flushed from fright. "I-uh- I didn't-" Tidus sputtered, unable to finish his sentences. Slowly, his gaze shifted from Yuna to a small, blue semi-sphere surrounded by a gold ring on the table. It had the image of a person Tidus was sure he had seen before, but before he could get a closer look at it, Yuna had snatched it out of sight.
"Hey, I'm sorry, really-" Tidus started, but Yuna had hurried out of the room before he could finish. Tidus was left alone in there, scratching the back of his head, and wracking his brains to try to remember where he had seen the person in the sphere before.
The next morning, Tidus, who was again the last person out of bed, found everyone else waiting in the main room. Rikku was fearfully looking out the rain-lashed windows while everyone stood behind them. Finally, Auron got tired of standing around, and walked outside. Everyone, even Rikku, followed suit. The group was asked by Yuna to stay a ways back while she discussed something with Auron. While the two of them stood off to the side, the rest of the Summoner party just stood in front of the Inn. Then, completely out of nowhere, a man ran up to them, took a picture with a high flash camera, and ran off.
"Well, this is probably gonna be a good day," Tidus muttered. "It's already started off weird."
Auron was waving for them to follow Yuna and him, so they obliged, making their way carefully across the Thunder Plains, until Yuna said quietly, "I have something to say, everyone."
The group stopped. Auron spotted a covered shelter not too far away. "Over there," he said, and the group thankfully retreated to the dry area underneath. Surrounded by her Guardians, Yuna dropped the bombshell that Tidus had been waiting for.
"I. I have decided to marry Maester Seymour," she said quietly. "What?" Tidus asked. "Why?"
Yuna hesitated. "I found a sphere with Lord Jyscal saying. something about Seymour.
"Auron stepped forward. "Show me," he said. Yuna backed away.
"I can't," she said. Auron looked on in contempt.
"If. I can give Spira something cheerful to talk about," she said slowly, "then I will do so."
"It is nothing but an extravagant play," Auron said. "Even though we get this brief intermission, the next act always starts, and the play goes on."
"Yunie," Rikku said in a small voice, "If you marry Maester Seymour. You could give up your pilgrimage."
Auron laughed rudely. "That's not an option," he said.
Yuna looked at Rikku and the rest of the group afterwards. "I love you all, but this is my decision. I shall give the Maester my answer in Macalania."
Tidus looked away in disgust. Seymour and Yuna. He couldn't bear the though of losing her.
Wait.
Had Tidus gone and broken a rule somewhere? The feelings he felt, or thought he felt; were they natural between a Summoner and Guardian?
"Macalania is just ahead," Auron's voice said, breaking into Tidus' thoughts. "We should get moving."
The trudged on, and Tidus felt as though the day couldn't possibly get worse.
He was very, very wrong.