A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed so far. ^.^ It's nice to read what
you've thought about the first chapter. I edited a few lines in Ch. 1 after
catching a mistake that M.S. Fisher brought to my attention. (Thanks. ^^;)
This chapter will start off rather slow but I hope to pick up the pace
towards the end.
Liu Kimone: Thank you for comment, and to answer your question, I do plan to have Tidus meet Baralai, Gippal, and Nooj. He meets the three later, but not in this chapter, like you'll soon find out. ^^
** Chapter 2 **
Yuna looked away for a moment and stood up. She walked towards the opening of the shelter with her back facing him. Clasping her hands in front of her, she looked down at the floor.
"I told you about Lenne and her lover, but that's only half of the story," Yuna paused to see if he would respond. When Tidus said nothing, she continued. "His name was Shuyin, and along with what I told you yesterday about their story, I also got the chance to meet him personally," Yuna spoke softly, unsure of how he would respond.
Tidus spoke up during this time. "Wait, what do you mean you met him? You mean when you and the others fought him at the end, right?" he asked her.
Yuna turned and sat on the opposite side of the bed with her back facing him once again. "No, I met him once already at the Farplane - before our battle with him," she said softly, almost questioning herself as to why she felt so guilty telling him this.
"The Farplane?" Tidus asked slowly as if trying to piece together what Yuna was telling him. "So you and this Shuyin guy already met once before?" he asked again, a vague presence of jealously making itself known through his voice. "And why were you at the Farplane?" he pressed on.
Yuna nodded more to herself than to him. "It was after we fought Ixion at Djose. I fell through a hole that was in the temple. The Farplane...when I first saw him, I thought it was you," she whispered, finally turning to meet Tidus' gaze.
He held their gaze in disbelief. "Me? But how?" he asked her incredulously.
Standing up to move closer to him, she continued. "The two of you...you both looked so much alike. Your faces, the way you moved, everything," Yuna paused. She saw him looking away from her at the moment. "He called me Lenne," she finished.
It was at this moment that he turned to face her. She suddenly saw his eyes fill with a silent understanding. "Oh I get it. It's like you said, right? Lenne's feelings were inside you because of that dress, and he thought you were Lenne," he spoke.
Yuna held their gaze for a moment before nodding a bit with a smile. 'Yes, that explains it. It's because she could feel Lenne's feelings that her own was lost.' Yuna silently chastised herself with how this conversation was making her feel. It was obvious that she was unsure of what Shuyin's affect was on her. Lenne and Shuyin had faded away together and she was back to herself again with the man she loved. 'Then why do I still feel like something isn't quite right?'
Sensing Tidus' eyes on her, she smiled at him. "But you know something, there's only one you," she whispered as she moved closer to him. She watched his eyes grow softer as he pulled her into a hug. Returning the embrace, Yuna closed her eyes.
"I don't even know why I didn't mention him to you. I guess I was afraid," she said to him. Yuna felt him pull away and looked at her face.
"Afraid of what?" he asked her.
Yuna smiled at his innocence. Resting her head in the crook of his neck, she replied. "Because I was afraid you would be angry at me for thinking Shuyin was you," she said with some embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking then. I guess I was a bit shocked at how similar you two looked, that I instantly thought he was you," she admitted painfully. Yuna hated herself for feeling so content in Shuyin's arms when he hugged her that time at the Farplane. But...no. There was something in the way he held her that frightened a small part of herself. He had acted a bit forceful then, turning her around to pull her into an embrace even if she wanted to move away from him. But a darker, more frightening part of her insisted that it felt so right. No, it was all because of Lenne's dressphere that she was confusing her own feelings with that of the former summoner's.
Yuna shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts and hugged him again, tighter this time. She heard Tidus laugh quietly because of her antics. "Shuyin and Lenne were destined to be together again. I'm happy that they finally found peace with each other after so many years of being apart. A thousand years..." she trailed off.
"A thousand years," she heard Tidus repeat. "I could never stay away from you that long," he said. Yuna smiled. There really wasn't anyone else like him. His kind and gentle nature towards her, the way he could make her smile again with his cheerful and optimistic personality, and just everything about him. "I love you," she heard herself whisper.
She felt him pull away and caught her eyes with his own. He smiled at her then, one full of affection and realization that he truly was here with her and that she had spoken those words out loud to him again. It reminded him of the time on the airship two years ago, when she had tried to run to him in an embrace, but she ran right through his fading form. It was a memory he didn't want to remember. He pulled her close. Back then he had barely heard her say it. Now her words cut through him like a piercing dagger. "Yuna, I love you too. I never got the chance to tell you back then."
Yuna suddenly felt her breath catch, and she felt so warm inside. Her heart was pounding a million miles a minute. His words broke a dam within her, one that she forgot she had. It was the first time she had heard him say that he loved her, and she just wanted nothing more than to stay like this forever. "Not until the end.." she began.
"..Always," she heard Tidus finish along with her voice. Smiling into his neck she closed her eyes. "You remembered."
"Of course I remember. Two years ago at the spring. I said those exact words to you. Of course I'd never forget," he whispered while stroking her hair gently.
"They're the words that I'll never forget," she said to him. He pulled her close once more.
They remained that way for a while, not exchanging words but just enjoying each other's warmth and company. Yuna's eyes suddenly opened as she heard someone cough softly. Breaking away from him for a moment, she looked up to the entrance of the shelter.
Paine was standing there with one hand resting on the curve of her hip. She raised an eyebrow at them. "Am I interrupting?" she asked with a small smile. Although seeming polite about it, Yuna could tell that Paine had no intention of leaving the couple.
Yuna smiled to herself with a mixture of amusement and happiness. Paine had turned into a wonderful friend during their journey as the Gullwings. Yuna had never expected to grow so close to the dark-haired warrior, yet she found Paine to be as trustworthy as Lulu had once been during her pilgrimage two years ago. She was grateful for Paine's friendship and all she had done for her.
"Rikku and I were planning to visit Baralai and the others," Paine spoke. She stood at the entrance. Although never actually asking her aloud, Yuna knew Paine wanted to know if she was coming along with them.
Paine continued on. "After we said goodbye to them yesterday at the dock, that was it."
Yuna studied Paine. "Rikku was disappointed that we missed the party in Luca, and she kept mentioning how she wanted to stay," Yuna replied.
Paine smirked. "Yeah, and we also had that party here last night," she said with amusement.
Yuna laughed. "That's right! She really loves a good party, doesn't she?" Yuna commented shaking her head a bit.
Paine smiled. "So are you two coming with us?" she asked them.
Yuna stopped to think for a moment. Although she wanted to meet with Baralai, Nooj, and Gippal again, she couldn't help herself in wanting to spend some time with him today. Their second day together, and Yuna didn't want to miss a single moment.
She turned to Paine and smiled apologetically. "I hope you don't mind, Paine. We have some catching up to do here. Just tell them I said hello, ok?" Yuna asked her.
Paine shook her head and sighed in understanding. "Alright, Yuna. I don't blame you," she laughed a bit. Turning to leave she added, "Behave you two."
Yuna caught a smile on Paine's face as the other woman turned and left.
"You know, we really should have gone with her and Rikku. I kinda wanted to meet those other guys too," Tidus said after Paine had left.
She laughed. "You would really want to spend the day traveling when we could spend some time here together?" Yuna asked him playfully.
He scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "Well..no. Ah, you're right. I do want to stay here and take the day off too," he said in defeat.
Yuna laughed. She barely noticed the mischievous gleam in his eye before he pounced on her and sent them both falling onto the bed behind them. He began to tickle her then, especially on her sides where he knew she was most sensitive to touch. Yuna laughed hard and tried to push him off. Since Tidus was on top and obviously much stronger than she was, it was a losing battle. He had her pinned down and showed no sign that he was going to stop.
She squealed. "Ok! Ok! I surrender!" she shouted through her laughter. He was laughing then too, trying to tickle her and obviously finding satisfaction knowing she was helpless in his touch.
After a few more moments of torture, she was relieved when his hands finally slowed down before stopping altogether. Yuna continued to giggle and held her sides as she watched his face in amusement. He was laughing with his eyes shut, while still holding her down underneath him. She hit him playfully on his arm.
"You really love taking advantage of my weak spots," she said in mock anger. She giggled up at him.
Tidus' face suddenly moved down close to hers, until Yuna could feel his warm breath on her cheeks. She grew silent as his eyes locked with her own. She could feel her heart pounding furiously again as he moved his face closer still.
"You're so cute when you do that," he said softly.
Yuna opened her mouth to reply at his sly comment, but was cut off when he suddenly closed the gap between them. His lips were soft against hers and he kissed her gently at first, as if a bit hesitant. She returned the kiss, bringing her hands up to run through his soft hair. Yuna felt him smile and he kissed her a bit more passionately this time, assured that she wasn't angry with him.
A gentle swooshing sound made him stop and turn around to look at the entrance of the hut. Yuna looked around his form in the direction of the doorway.
"What was that sound?" she asked him, grabbing his sleeve a bit in alarm. "It certainly didn't sound like the wind," she spoke quietly, a hint of worry in her eyes as she looked behind him.
He turned to her. "I'm sure it was nothing."
Yuna shifted her eyes from his to the doorway once again. It was at this moment that a faint shimmer caught her eye. Small, but all too familiar, she recognized it. 'A pyrefly?' she thought to herself.
"Did you see that?" Yuna voiced to him aloud. Tidus turned around again toward the door. The wind rustled the flap gently, but no pyrefly was in sight.
"See what?" he asked her while raising an eyebrow.
Yuna blinked. "I guess it's nothing then.." she trailed off for a moment. 'Maybe I'm seeing things.'
He shifted his eyes to her once more. "What did you see?" he asked curiously this time. Sitting up beside her, he pulled her into his arms.
She let him pull her to him, still deep I thought. 'But what's a pyrefly doing here? I'm certain that I saw it.'
"Nothing, don't worry. I probably saw a reflection from the sunlight or something..." she assured him. 'Why keep it from him? I should just tell Tidus what I saw. But then again, pyreflies don't just appear like that...'
Before she could speak again, he suddenly jumped up, startling her. "How 'bout we go out and take a walk through Besaid! It's been so long since I fought a few fiends, and I think I'm getting a bit rusty. Come on, let's go," Tidus pleaded with her.
Yuna couldn't resist. "Okay then, let's go," she told him as his face lit up. "Let me go grab my guns," she added.
"Whoa, since when did you start using guns?" he asked her in disbelief as she stood up.
She just sighed in understanding. "You know, you've missed a lot!" she said while sticking her tongue out at him playfully. He pouted.
"Hey, I couldn't help it," Tidus replied, scratching his head a bit. Yuna just giggled.
***
"Wow this place hasn't changed at all," Yuna heard him say.
They had made their way out of the village and up the slope towards the falls area, and surprisingly, no fiends had attacked yet. Yuna laughed inwardly at the thought. Perhaps the fiends wanted them to be happy just this once too. As they walked, she felt his hand move slowly into hers. She smiled at that action. Moving herself closer to his side, she held onto his arm as well.
As they crossed the area with the cave, Yuna led him towards the overlook side of the beach. "Let's go over here. It's much more peaceful," she said.
He smiled. "Oh, I remember this place. This is where Wakka pushed me off when I first came here," he told Yuna, who laughed at the comment.
"Really? Just pushed you off?" Yuna laughed. He smiled at her.
"Yeah," Tidus said. "Right off." She laughed again.
This area was actually one of Yuna's favorite spots on Besaid. Not many people went there at all, despite its breathtaking scenery. During her earlier years as a child, she enjoyed going out there and just staring out into the clear blue water below. The warm breeze had a tendency to blow just right at that spot, and Yuna loved the place.
Today, the water seemed bluer than she remembered, and the bright sun and warmth reminded her of the old days when she used to spend time alone there. Yuna found herself subconsciously sitting down with her legs dangling off the edge of the overlook. She heard him come up and sit next to her.
"This place really hasn't changed," he said after some time, looking into the clear water down below them.
"I love this place," she told him, taking a deep breath. He just smiled at her. A sudden idea came to him.
"How about we have a picnic here? Just you and me," he said to her.
Yuna smiled and turned to face him. "That would be great!" she said cheerfully.
She watched him stand up. "Alright, do you mind staying here while I head back to the village and get us something to eat?" he asked her with a smile.
Yuna grinned and nodded. "Okay, but are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" she asked him, standing up as well.
He shook his head. "No, I'll take care of it. You stay here. I wanna surprise you with something too," he replied with a small smile.
She nodded at him. "Ok, I'll be right here."
Yuna watched as Tidus left the area and it was suddenly very quiet. She sighed to herself and made her way to the edge again. Staring out to the sea, she inhaled the fresh Besaid scent of the ocean. A rather nostalgic feeling of her childhood days, but the smell of the island always seemed to make her happy even during her darkest moments.
She had been thinking a lot to herself ever since her last moments with him and Sir Auron two years ago. Up until then, Yuna had always wanted her pilgrimage to be full of laughter, and when they reached Zanarkand, the realization of her fate finally dawned on her. It was during those times that she truly took in everything around her, finally paying attention to simple things she had once taken for granted.
Now it seemed like everything was at peace once again. The Calm returned to Spira and for once, people were not risking their lives only to be killed. She had helped restore peace to Spira for a second time, a strange realization that she was the one responsible that the world was saved again. Yuna smiled a bit to herself. She had always wanted to do what was best for everyone, and saving Spira had helped so many countless lives.
Yuna swung her legs on the edge of the cliff, enjoying the warm breeze as it blew across her face, making her hair flutter about gently. She was suddenly startled when she felt a hand rest on her bare shoulder, the cool feeling of the glove sending a chill through her body. Ready to hit him playfully for startling her, Yuna turned around to face him.
She gasped at the sight.
***
"Too bad Yunie couldn't make it," Rikku said aloud.
The two were on their way to Bevelle to meet up with Baralai and Gippal. Apparently Nooj wasn't going to make it due to personal matters he claimed he had to attend to. Baralai had arranged to have lunch with the three girls since they had left the party at Luca the previous day.
Paine walked over to her. "She wanted to spend time with Tidus, so I'm not really surprised," she said to the other girl.
Before Rikku could reply, Brother interjected loudly. "Tysh res! Huf Yuna femm cbaht ymm ran desa fedr res," he finished rather sadly. He sighed. Hanging his head low, Brother walked out of the room.
"Well I'm happy for them!" Rikku yelled at Brother's retreating form. She walked towards Paine and rolled her eyes.
"I actually feel bad for him," Paine said.
Rikku laughed. "Don't be. He'll move on eventually," she stated with a wave of her hand.
"We're here," Buddy suddenly announced from the front.
"Alright!" Rikku said, jumping up. "Come on, Paine. Let's go meet with them. I'm starved!" she said, grabbing one of Paine's arms.
"Ok already. Let go," Paine told the girl. "You're cutting off my circulation."
Rikku promptly let go and scratched the side of her face with one finger. "Ehe. Sorry 'bout that," she laughed.
***
Yuna took a step back, startled and wide-eyed. She felt herself gasp quietly. Putting a hand to her chest she shook her head in disbelief.
"B-but how?" she heard herself ask.
He stood there, facing her with a slight smirk on his face. The wind blew his hair gently, making his clothing rustle as well. The sunlight caught his eyes, making the blue hue look clearer than ever. He took a step toward her.
"Because of you - because you asked me to come," he spoke with the same tone she remembered.
Yuna shook her head. "Wh-what do you mean?" she demanded, a bit louder than before.
He smiled at her once more, the wind making his hair flutter.
"Yuna! I'm back!" she heard a voice yell from the entrance.
Her eyes flickered up to the figure in front of her and she gasped at the realization. They were both going to see each other if he stayed. Yuna stared up at him in shock. He simply smirked and disappeared in a flurry of pyreflies.
** End of Chapter 2 **
A/N: Well? What do you all think? ^^
Here's a translation of what Brother said on the Celsius earlier:
"Tysh res! Huf Yuna femm cbaht ymm ran desa fedr res." = "Damn him! Now Yuna will spend all her time with him."
About the next chapter, it will be a little longer to put up than I put this chapter up, due to upcoming events in school I have to do. So just wait for the next chapter then. Thanks for the reviews everyone. ^_^
Liu Kimone: Thank you for comment, and to answer your question, I do plan to have Tidus meet Baralai, Gippal, and Nooj. He meets the three later, but not in this chapter, like you'll soon find out. ^^
** Chapter 2 **
Yuna looked away for a moment and stood up. She walked towards the opening of the shelter with her back facing him. Clasping her hands in front of her, she looked down at the floor.
"I told you about Lenne and her lover, but that's only half of the story," Yuna paused to see if he would respond. When Tidus said nothing, she continued. "His name was Shuyin, and along with what I told you yesterday about their story, I also got the chance to meet him personally," Yuna spoke softly, unsure of how he would respond.
Tidus spoke up during this time. "Wait, what do you mean you met him? You mean when you and the others fought him at the end, right?" he asked her.
Yuna turned and sat on the opposite side of the bed with her back facing him once again. "No, I met him once already at the Farplane - before our battle with him," she said softly, almost questioning herself as to why she felt so guilty telling him this.
"The Farplane?" Tidus asked slowly as if trying to piece together what Yuna was telling him. "So you and this Shuyin guy already met once before?" he asked again, a vague presence of jealously making itself known through his voice. "And why were you at the Farplane?" he pressed on.
Yuna nodded more to herself than to him. "It was after we fought Ixion at Djose. I fell through a hole that was in the temple. The Farplane...when I first saw him, I thought it was you," she whispered, finally turning to meet Tidus' gaze.
He held their gaze in disbelief. "Me? But how?" he asked her incredulously.
Standing up to move closer to him, she continued. "The two of you...you both looked so much alike. Your faces, the way you moved, everything," Yuna paused. She saw him looking away from her at the moment. "He called me Lenne," she finished.
It was at this moment that he turned to face her. She suddenly saw his eyes fill with a silent understanding. "Oh I get it. It's like you said, right? Lenne's feelings were inside you because of that dress, and he thought you were Lenne," he spoke.
Yuna held their gaze for a moment before nodding a bit with a smile. 'Yes, that explains it. It's because she could feel Lenne's feelings that her own was lost.' Yuna silently chastised herself with how this conversation was making her feel. It was obvious that she was unsure of what Shuyin's affect was on her. Lenne and Shuyin had faded away together and she was back to herself again with the man she loved. 'Then why do I still feel like something isn't quite right?'
Sensing Tidus' eyes on her, she smiled at him. "But you know something, there's only one you," she whispered as she moved closer to him. She watched his eyes grow softer as he pulled her into a hug. Returning the embrace, Yuna closed her eyes.
"I don't even know why I didn't mention him to you. I guess I was afraid," she said to him. Yuna felt him pull away and looked at her face.
"Afraid of what?" he asked her.
Yuna smiled at his innocence. Resting her head in the crook of his neck, she replied. "Because I was afraid you would be angry at me for thinking Shuyin was you," she said with some embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking then. I guess I was a bit shocked at how similar you two looked, that I instantly thought he was you," she admitted painfully. Yuna hated herself for feeling so content in Shuyin's arms when he hugged her that time at the Farplane. But...no. There was something in the way he held her that frightened a small part of herself. He had acted a bit forceful then, turning her around to pull her into an embrace even if she wanted to move away from him. But a darker, more frightening part of her insisted that it felt so right. No, it was all because of Lenne's dressphere that she was confusing her own feelings with that of the former summoner's.
Yuna shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts and hugged him again, tighter this time. She heard Tidus laugh quietly because of her antics. "Shuyin and Lenne were destined to be together again. I'm happy that they finally found peace with each other after so many years of being apart. A thousand years..." she trailed off.
"A thousand years," she heard Tidus repeat. "I could never stay away from you that long," he said. Yuna smiled. There really wasn't anyone else like him. His kind and gentle nature towards her, the way he could make her smile again with his cheerful and optimistic personality, and just everything about him. "I love you," she heard herself whisper.
She felt him pull away and caught her eyes with his own. He smiled at her then, one full of affection and realization that he truly was here with her and that she had spoken those words out loud to him again. It reminded him of the time on the airship two years ago, when she had tried to run to him in an embrace, but she ran right through his fading form. It was a memory he didn't want to remember. He pulled her close. Back then he had barely heard her say it. Now her words cut through him like a piercing dagger. "Yuna, I love you too. I never got the chance to tell you back then."
Yuna suddenly felt her breath catch, and she felt so warm inside. Her heart was pounding a million miles a minute. His words broke a dam within her, one that she forgot she had. It was the first time she had heard him say that he loved her, and she just wanted nothing more than to stay like this forever. "Not until the end.." she began.
"..Always," she heard Tidus finish along with her voice. Smiling into his neck she closed her eyes. "You remembered."
"Of course I remember. Two years ago at the spring. I said those exact words to you. Of course I'd never forget," he whispered while stroking her hair gently.
"They're the words that I'll never forget," she said to him. He pulled her close once more.
They remained that way for a while, not exchanging words but just enjoying each other's warmth and company. Yuna's eyes suddenly opened as she heard someone cough softly. Breaking away from him for a moment, she looked up to the entrance of the shelter.
Paine was standing there with one hand resting on the curve of her hip. She raised an eyebrow at them. "Am I interrupting?" she asked with a small smile. Although seeming polite about it, Yuna could tell that Paine had no intention of leaving the couple.
Yuna smiled to herself with a mixture of amusement and happiness. Paine had turned into a wonderful friend during their journey as the Gullwings. Yuna had never expected to grow so close to the dark-haired warrior, yet she found Paine to be as trustworthy as Lulu had once been during her pilgrimage two years ago. She was grateful for Paine's friendship and all she had done for her.
"Rikku and I were planning to visit Baralai and the others," Paine spoke. She stood at the entrance. Although never actually asking her aloud, Yuna knew Paine wanted to know if she was coming along with them.
Paine continued on. "After we said goodbye to them yesterday at the dock, that was it."
Yuna studied Paine. "Rikku was disappointed that we missed the party in Luca, and she kept mentioning how she wanted to stay," Yuna replied.
Paine smirked. "Yeah, and we also had that party here last night," she said with amusement.
Yuna laughed. "That's right! She really loves a good party, doesn't she?" Yuna commented shaking her head a bit.
Paine smiled. "So are you two coming with us?" she asked them.
Yuna stopped to think for a moment. Although she wanted to meet with Baralai, Nooj, and Gippal again, she couldn't help herself in wanting to spend some time with him today. Their second day together, and Yuna didn't want to miss a single moment.
She turned to Paine and smiled apologetically. "I hope you don't mind, Paine. We have some catching up to do here. Just tell them I said hello, ok?" Yuna asked her.
Paine shook her head and sighed in understanding. "Alright, Yuna. I don't blame you," she laughed a bit. Turning to leave she added, "Behave you two."
Yuna caught a smile on Paine's face as the other woman turned and left.
"You know, we really should have gone with her and Rikku. I kinda wanted to meet those other guys too," Tidus said after Paine had left.
She laughed. "You would really want to spend the day traveling when we could spend some time here together?" Yuna asked him playfully.
He scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "Well..no. Ah, you're right. I do want to stay here and take the day off too," he said in defeat.
Yuna laughed. She barely noticed the mischievous gleam in his eye before he pounced on her and sent them both falling onto the bed behind them. He began to tickle her then, especially on her sides where he knew she was most sensitive to touch. Yuna laughed hard and tried to push him off. Since Tidus was on top and obviously much stronger than she was, it was a losing battle. He had her pinned down and showed no sign that he was going to stop.
She squealed. "Ok! Ok! I surrender!" she shouted through her laughter. He was laughing then too, trying to tickle her and obviously finding satisfaction knowing she was helpless in his touch.
After a few more moments of torture, she was relieved when his hands finally slowed down before stopping altogether. Yuna continued to giggle and held her sides as she watched his face in amusement. He was laughing with his eyes shut, while still holding her down underneath him. She hit him playfully on his arm.
"You really love taking advantage of my weak spots," she said in mock anger. She giggled up at him.
Tidus' face suddenly moved down close to hers, until Yuna could feel his warm breath on her cheeks. She grew silent as his eyes locked with her own. She could feel her heart pounding furiously again as he moved his face closer still.
"You're so cute when you do that," he said softly.
Yuna opened her mouth to reply at his sly comment, but was cut off when he suddenly closed the gap between them. His lips were soft against hers and he kissed her gently at first, as if a bit hesitant. She returned the kiss, bringing her hands up to run through his soft hair. Yuna felt him smile and he kissed her a bit more passionately this time, assured that she wasn't angry with him.
A gentle swooshing sound made him stop and turn around to look at the entrance of the hut. Yuna looked around his form in the direction of the doorway.
"What was that sound?" she asked him, grabbing his sleeve a bit in alarm. "It certainly didn't sound like the wind," she spoke quietly, a hint of worry in her eyes as she looked behind him.
He turned to her. "I'm sure it was nothing."
Yuna shifted her eyes from his to the doorway once again. It was at this moment that a faint shimmer caught her eye. Small, but all too familiar, she recognized it. 'A pyrefly?' she thought to herself.
"Did you see that?" Yuna voiced to him aloud. Tidus turned around again toward the door. The wind rustled the flap gently, but no pyrefly was in sight.
"See what?" he asked her while raising an eyebrow.
Yuna blinked. "I guess it's nothing then.." she trailed off for a moment. 'Maybe I'm seeing things.'
He shifted his eyes to her once more. "What did you see?" he asked curiously this time. Sitting up beside her, he pulled her into his arms.
She let him pull her to him, still deep I thought. 'But what's a pyrefly doing here? I'm certain that I saw it.'
"Nothing, don't worry. I probably saw a reflection from the sunlight or something..." she assured him. 'Why keep it from him? I should just tell Tidus what I saw. But then again, pyreflies don't just appear like that...'
Before she could speak again, he suddenly jumped up, startling her. "How 'bout we go out and take a walk through Besaid! It's been so long since I fought a few fiends, and I think I'm getting a bit rusty. Come on, let's go," Tidus pleaded with her.
Yuna couldn't resist. "Okay then, let's go," she told him as his face lit up. "Let me go grab my guns," she added.
"Whoa, since when did you start using guns?" he asked her in disbelief as she stood up.
She just sighed in understanding. "You know, you've missed a lot!" she said while sticking her tongue out at him playfully. He pouted.
"Hey, I couldn't help it," Tidus replied, scratching his head a bit. Yuna just giggled.
***
"Wow this place hasn't changed at all," Yuna heard him say.
They had made their way out of the village and up the slope towards the falls area, and surprisingly, no fiends had attacked yet. Yuna laughed inwardly at the thought. Perhaps the fiends wanted them to be happy just this once too. As they walked, she felt his hand move slowly into hers. She smiled at that action. Moving herself closer to his side, she held onto his arm as well.
As they crossed the area with the cave, Yuna led him towards the overlook side of the beach. "Let's go over here. It's much more peaceful," she said.
He smiled. "Oh, I remember this place. This is where Wakka pushed me off when I first came here," he told Yuna, who laughed at the comment.
"Really? Just pushed you off?" Yuna laughed. He smiled at her.
"Yeah," Tidus said. "Right off." She laughed again.
This area was actually one of Yuna's favorite spots on Besaid. Not many people went there at all, despite its breathtaking scenery. During her earlier years as a child, she enjoyed going out there and just staring out into the clear blue water below. The warm breeze had a tendency to blow just right at that spot, and Yuna loved the place.
Today, the water seemed bluer than she remembered, and the bright sun and warmth reminded her of the old days when she used to spend time alone there. Yuna found herself subconsciously sitting down with her legs dangling off the edge of the overlook. She heard him come up and sit next to her.
"This place really hasn't changed," he said after some time, looking into the clear water down below them.
"I love this place," she told him, taking a deep breath. He just smiled at her. A sudden idea came to him.
"How about we have a picnic here? Just you and me," he said to her.
Yuna smiled and turned to face him. "That would be great!" she said cheerfully.
She watched him stand up. "Alright, do you mind staying here while I head back to the village and get us something to eat?" he asked her with a smile.
Yuna grinned and nodded. "Okay, but are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" she asked him, standing up as well.
He shook his head. "No, I'll take care of it. You stay here. I wanna surprise you with something too," he replied with a small smile.
She nodded at him. "Ok, I'll be right here."
Yuna watched as Tidus left the area and it was suddenly very quiet. She sighed to herself and made her way to the edge again. Staring out to the sea, she inhaled the fresh Besaid scent of the ocean. A rather nostalgic feeling of her childhood days, but the smell of the island always seemed to make her happy even during her darkest moments.
She had been thinking a lot to herself ever since her last moments with him and Sir Auron two years ago. Up until then, Yuna had always wanted her pilgrimage to be full of laughter, and when they reached Zanarkand, the realization of her fate finally dawned on her. It was during those times that she truly took in everything around her, finally paying attention to simple things she had once taken for granted.
Now it seemed like everything was at peace once again. The Calm returned to Spira and for once, people were not risking their lives only to be killed. She had helped restore peace to Spira for a second time, a strange realization that she was the one responsible that the world was saved again. Yuna smiled a bit to herself. She had always wanted to do what was best for everyone, and saving Spira had helped so many countless lives.
Yuna swung her legs on the edge of the cliff, enjoying the warm breeze as it blew across her face, making her hair flutter about gently. She was suddenly startled when she felt a hand rest on her bare shoulder, the cool feeling of the glove sending a chill through her body. Ready to hit him playfully for startling her, Yuna turned around to face him.
She gasped at the sight.
***
"Too bad Yunie couldn't make it," Rikku said aloud.
The two were on their way to Bevelle to meet up with Baralai and Gippal. Apparently Nooj wasn't going to make it due to personal matters he claimed he had to attend to. Baralai had arranged to have lunch with the three girls since they had left the party at Luca the previous day.
Paine walked over to her. "She wanted to spend time with Tidus, so I'm not really surprised," she said to the other girl.
Before Rikku could reply, Brother interjected loudly. "Tysh res! Huf Yuna femm cbaht ymm ran desa fedr res," he finished rather sadly. He sighed. Hanging his head low, Brother walked out of the room.
"Well I'm happy for them!" Rikku yelled at Brother's retreating form. She walked towards Paine and rolled her eyes.
"I actually feel bad for him," Paine said.
Rikku laughed. "Don't be. He'll move on eventually," she stated with a wave of her hand.
"We're here," Buddy suddenly announced from the front.
"Alright!" Rikku said, jumping up. "Come on, Paine. Let's go meet with them. I'm starved!" she said, grabbing one of Paine's arms.
"Ok already. Let go," Paine told the girl. "You're cutting off my circulation."
Rikku promptly let go and scratched the side of her face with one finger. "Ehe. Sorry 'bout that," she laughed.
***
Yuna took a step back, startled and wide-eyed. She felt herself gasp quietly. Putting a hand to her chest she shook her head in disbelief.
"B-but how?" she heard herself ask.
He stood there, facing her with a slight smirk on his face. The wind blew his hair gently, making his clothing rustle as well. The sunlight caught his eyes, making the blue hue look clearer than ever. He took a step toward her.
"Because of you - because you asked me to come," he spoke with the same tone she remembered.
Yuna shook her head. "Wh-what do you mean?" she demanded, a bit louder than before.
He smiled at her once more, the wind making his hair flutter.
"Yuna! I'm back!" she heard a voice yell from the entrance.
Her eyes flickered up to the figure in front of her and she gasped at the realization. They were both going to see each other if he stayed. Yuna stared up at him in shock. He simply smirked and disappeared in a flurry of pyreflies.
** End of Chapter 2 **
A/N: Well? What do you all think? ^^
Here's a translation of what Brother said on the Celsius earlier:
"Tysh res! Huf Yuna femm cbaht ymm ran desa fedr res." = "Damn him! Now Yuna will spend all her time with him."
About the next chapter, it will be a little longer to put up than I put this chapter up, due to upcoming events in school I have to do. So just wait for the next chapter then. Thanks for the reviews everyone. ^_^