A/N: Well first and foremost, I want to say how busy my schedule has been
as of late. Since finals are coming up and everything, some reports and
last minute readings have been due. Anyway, I'm actually excited to write
this chapter, since some events occur in it that I know most people have
been anticipating from me. ^^
Ok, well I know everyone just wants to continue on reading, so enough with my talk and let's just get this thing going. =p
** Chapter 6 **
A pair of blue orbs cracked open in the dim light that just barely peeked in from the flap of the shelter. Chains jangling softly and eyes still closed, he lifted an arm to his right, hoping to find her warm body and hold her close to him as he had always done. Grasping nothing but the soft blanket and an empty space, Tidus opened his eyes, wondering where she had gone.
Frowning at the empty space next to him, he finally sat up in the bed. A shining light caught his eye and he turned his head to look at the small table next to the bed. The only light illuminating from the statue was the figure of him, shining brightly in the dark room.
The glow reflected in his brilliant azure eyes. "Where is she?" Tidus whispered in the darkness, trying to think of where she could have gone this late.
Pulling back the covers and finally standing from the bed, he struggled to find his boots. Luckily, the glow from the statue provided enough light for the room, and he found them precariously positioned in front of the door. Quickly tying his shoes on, he began the walk to Rikku and Paine's shelter. Perhaps she was there.
***
A light sound shook the Al Bhed from her foggy dream. Turning her body in an attempt to get more comfortable, she let out a shriek as she met a pair of glowing blue eyes.
Her scream startled him. "Sshh, Rikku. It's just me," Tidus spoke to her nervously, trying to calm the girl. He had just entered the room and was about to shake the Al Bhed to gently wake her, yet she had beaten him to it.
She sat up and hit him none too gently on the arm, causing him to wince a bit at the sudden strength it seemed she had gained over the last two years.
"Don't ever do that again!" Rikku hissed at him. She took a deep breath and glared at him. "Geez, you scared me!"
"Heh, sorry about that," Tidus laughed nervously.
Rikku turned to him. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
He paused. "Actually I wanted to know if Yuna was here.." Tidus trailed off.
Rikku looked at him, eyebrow raised. "Oh? Well isn't she supposed to be with you?" she asked.
"No, she wasn't there with me. I thought maybe she came here with you and Paine, but I guess not," he replied, eyes scanning the room.
"No, Yunie isn't here," Rikku said. She pulled the blankets off and yawned. As her eyes drifted around the room, they settled on Paine's bed. She frowned with confusion.
Tidus looked over at her. "What? What happened?" he said, noticing the girl's sudden silence.
"Weird. Where did Paine go?" she wondered, gesturing towards the warrior's bed. She frowned and scratched the side of her face with one finger, a habit had never rid herself of.
He looked at the bed as well. The sheets were empty.
***
Yuna watched the old man with a mixture of hope and fear. "How?" she asked.
Maechen continued to circle her, his eyes cast downward in deep thought. "Lady Yuna, may I ask you a question?" she heard him speak.
She paused for a moment before nodding. "Yes, what is it?" she replied quietly.
The old man stopped in his steps, back facing her. "The young man that was with you two years ago. This may surprise you, but he did return again, didn't he?" Maechen spoke as he turned to face her.
Yuna nodded her head. "Yes, he came back," she said. Wondering how Maechen had known that, Yuna decided not to question him about it.
"Ah, so I was correct," Maechen said thoughtfully, beginning to pace around the isle once more.
Yuna chose to remain silent and awaited the old man's response.
After another moment he began to speak again. "Lady Yuna, I have a feeling you were responsible for his return, yes?" he asked gently.
She nodded. "After we defeated Vegnagun and helped Shuyin and Lenne, the fayth appeared and asked if I wanted to see him," Yuna explained, remembering her disbelief upon hearing the fayth's offer. "I said yes." She watched the old man's expression. He was deep in thought.
Maechen mumbled softly, yet she didn't catch what he had said.
"Lady Yuna, this is very important," he began. She looked at him curiously. "When the fayth asked you if you wanted to see him again, did you truly mean it in your heart?" the old man asked hesitantly.
His words startled her. "Wh-what do you mean?" she asked in shock. "Of course I wanted to see him again!" she exclaimed more loudly this time. Catching herself at her sudden rudeness, she remained silent.
Maechen turned his back to her. "This may be the only explanation I can give you, but perhaps Shuyin's sudden reappearance is linked to the other young man's return," he said, causing her to gasp softly in surprise.
Yuna sat down where she was, caught off guard with what Maechen had told her. She hadn't wanted to admit it earlier, but Maechen's words suddenly seemed clearer somehow.
"Yes, Lady Yuna. You understand now, don't you?" the old man's voice suddenly said.
She looked up at him and met his eyes.
He walked over to her. "Perhaps your feelings were confused during that time, and you mistakenly willed Shuyin to return as well?" Maechen proposed to her.
Yuna did not respond. The event at what had occurred at the Farplane came back to her. She closed her eyes. The moment the fayth had asked her if she wanted to see him, Yuna did not hesitate to say yes. Yet she could not hide that a small part of her heart had regretted when Shuyin had faded away as well.
The pain she had seen in Shuyin's eyes as he saw that she was not Lenne burned into her mind. The anger she had seen on his face after realizing that Yuna was not his love made her feel utterly alone as well. Maybe it was because a part of her had felt the pang of jealously at seeing Shuyin and Lenne finally reunited after a thousand years, yet the jealously was due to her own pain and regret after losing Tidus two years ago.
But as she watched them fade together under that starry sky, it made her wonder whether it would take that long when Yuna herself would finally see Tidus again. She was happy for Shuyin and Lenne, yet she could not deny the fact that the tragic couple's reunion had awakened something inside of her. It had made Yuna realize that she was alone, a feeling she had painfully tried to accept.
When she first met Shuyin at the Farplane, he took away her loneliness and longing in that single moment of his embrace. Even if it might have been Lenne's feelings within her, Yuna had felt it all. The feelings she had experienced on that day were as real as she could ever imagine. The sense of happiness and comfort at being held by Shuyin was mixed with her own loneliness and that of Lenne's own conscience within her.
What had happened during that single moment when she answered the fayth? She shook her head gently, hair swaying from side to side as she tried to remember what she had been thinking. Yes, she had thought of Tidus. And not just of her love, but Shuyin as well. In that single instance before she uttered those words to the fayth, Shuyin's face, although flashing for a brief second, had appeared in her mind. Maechen's voice interrupted her thoughts, causing her to look up into the old man's face.
"Lady Yuna, what is the matter?" he asked her with concern.
She put her head between her knees, looking down. "I-I'm sorry. It really is all my fault," she whispered, the harsh realization finally making it known.
Maechen kneeled down and put a hand on her shoulder. "Now, Lady Yuna, please tell me what you mean," his voice said to her soothingly.
A moment of silence passed before Yuna found herself again. "Maechen, when I told the fayth I wanted to see Tidus again, I think a part of me wanted Shuyin to come back too..." she trailed off, confusion suddenly overwhelming her. She watched the old man's face as it turned to one of surprise.
"Shuyin?" Maechen echoed. He turned away from her.
"I'm not so sure anymore. I don't even know if they were my feelings or if they were still Lenne's -- as if a part of her was still within me," Yuna whispered slowly. "But all I know is that I made a terrible mistake in holding those feelings for Shuyin back then."
Yuna took a deep breath. "Yet I know I have no feelings for him now," she said after some time.
As Yuna spoke those words, it made her feel a little better. She certainly knew she didn't have feelings for Shuyin, yet the moment when the fayth had asked her it, she couldn't deny that she really had felt something for him then, whether it be one of longing or a twisted sort of selfish jealousy.
Yuna squeezed her eyes shut tightly, still confused about the truth. She looked up at the old man. "Maechen, what will I do now? He's here, and it's my fault," she whispered.
"Lady Yuna, I think - no, I'm certain that you are strong enough to overcome this obstacle," he spoke to her, looking at her keenly through his spectacles. She was listening to him intently.
He paused as if to choose his words carefully. "Even if you did feel something for Shuyin, perhaps we could assume that they weren't your own feelings?" his voice said, loudly and more fully this time. This caused Yuna to turn away for a moment.
"Not my own feelings?" she whispered to herself. Her eyes flew to the old man. "But Maechen, how can that be? Lenne had faded away, and there was no way for me to feel what she felt..right?" Yuna asked in confusion.
Maechen sat down next to her, his robes brushing the ground as he lowered himself. Turning to face her, his voice grew quiet. "I am unsure if I mentioned this to you."
Yuna turned to him.
The old man continued on. "They say that once pyreflies enter one's spirit and become intermingled with a person's own feelings even for the shortest amount of time, a part of the person still remains with you long after they have left the body," Maechen said darkly, causing a shiver to shoot through Yuna's body.
She listened to his words incredulously. "Are you saying that a little part of Lenne still exists within me?" she asked.
"To put it that way, then yes. Perhaps a small part of Lady Lenne is inside of you even now," he said.
Yuna gasped. She looked down at the ground. "But how can that be?" she asked him.
Standing up, Maechen began to walk around again slowly. "Do you ever notice how your feelings start to grow as you near the Farplane?" Maechen asked. "As if you feel so overwhelmed with emotions that it seems as if you want to weep?"
Yuna froze at his words. She suddenly remembered the heavy feeling she had felt earlier as she approached the Farplane entrance when Buddy had dropped her off.
"Yes, I've felt it," she whispered.
"Ah, so you see that the pyreflies carry with them much more than just images and apparitions. They carry with them the feelings of those long gone, and those that have been unsent for a long time are capable of bringing more with them," Maechen explained. "Especially those with pain or regret..." he trailed off.
Yuna suddenly remembered her journey to the Den of Woe with Rikku and Paine, and how her two partners had reacted when Shuyin had appeared. She had never been so frightened before, watching Rikku and Paine infected with pyreflies and how angry they had acted then. They had wanted to fight her, and she had fought them back with a heavy heart.
She started to understand it now. Shuyin was filled with anger and sadness at the world that had taken Lenne away from him, and after Rikku and Paine had come into contact with Shuyin, they too had showed outright anger as they fought Yuna. Remembering how Shuyin had controlled Nooj and Baralai as well, Yuna couldn't help but wonder what else Shuyin was capable of doing. She paused at the thought.
"Maechen, Shuyin had infected Nooj and Baralai back then, but does that mean they too carry Shuyin's anger within them?" Yuna asked with realization. "..because of the pyreflies that infected them?" she whispered, her eyes looking up to the old man, almost dreading what his answer would be.
Maechen stopped in his steps. "You see Lady Yuna, that all depends on whether Nooj and Baralai were able to remain strong and not let Shuyin overcome their own spirits," he explained. He looked up into the pale orange sky. "If a person is strong enough to hold their spirit to themselves and not let another take it away, then the pyreflies will leave no other effect on them," Maechen said. "They will continue on with no trace of the pyreflies that had infected their body."
Yuna looked down, finally piecing together the puzzle. It all made sense now. Yuna hadn't been able to control her emotions back then. Her heart was filled with a longing and an empty sadness that she could not explain. The loss of losing Tidus two years ago had remained with her then, and now she understood why Lenne's feelings remained with her. Yuna was not strong enough, and Lenne's spirit had become mixed within her own. And maybe they were still with her now.
She realized Rikku and Paine had been strong back then. The two girls had fought off Shuyin's control over them and kept their sanity. Yet it was Yuna's own weakness that had inevitably led Shuyin to return. All because a fragment of Lenne's spirit had caused Yuna to long for the other man. She had to fight it off.
She suddenly stood up and spoke softly. "Maechen, I understand now. I was weak then, and wasn't strong enough to know myself," she said.
He said nothing, but looked up into the sky. "Ah, I'm glad that you see the truth," he said.
Yuna walked over to where he stood. "But how do I stop him? Shuyin refuses to leave until I cooperate with him," she said slowly.
The old man suddenly began to walk away, pyreflies slowly leaving his body as his form began to fade. He turned to Yuna. "In time, the answer will come to you. I know you will soon realize what you must do to put Shuyin to rest for good."
She watched as Maechen's form began to dissipate. "Until then Lady Yuna, I must bid you farewell."
Yuna watched the old man begin to fade until she could no longer see the outline of his body.
"I have remained here for far too long, and my spirit grows weak," his voice echoed.
Yuna watched as the old man faded away. When all the pyreflies had vanished, she began to walk away as well.
She looked behind her once more. "Thank you, Maechen," she whispered after him.
***
"Rikku, is there something Yuna isn't telling me?" Tidus asked.
His words caused the girl to stop in her steps. Her green eyes turned to him. "What do you mean?" Rikku asked with confusion.
He looked away from the Al Bhed. "Nothing, forget I said anything."
Rikku regarded him with a frown. "Alright then.."
They had been walking around Besaid Island in search of Yuna. After discovering that Paine was not in her bed either, Rikku decided to join in his search for Yuna, and now Paine.
Rikku suddenly stopped. Her eyes drifted towards the entrance to the secret cave. "We haven't checked in there yet," she told him, gesturing towards the dark entrance.
His blue eyes simply stared into the darkness. After a moment of silence Tidus began to walk over to it. Rikku gasped.
"Whoa! You're not really thinking of going in there, are ya?" she asked him, eyes wide in fright.
He paused and turned towards her. "Why shouldn't I?"
Rikku laughed nervously. "Ehehe..well you know... It's all dark and I'm not equipped or anything!" the girl said.
Tidus raised an eyebrow at her and scratched his head. "Well, if you want, you can just stay out here. I won't be long."
She paused before nodding. "Ok, then."
He chuckled lightly at her. "So you're scared of the dark, huh?" Tidus laughed. He began to step into the cave as Rikku stayed outside. Her eyes followed his fading form.
"Hey! You be quiet! But be careful, ok?" she yelled after him.
Rikku barely heard his response as he had disappeared into the cave.
***
Struggling to focus his eyes in the darkness, he tried to feel the sides of the walls, hoping to navigate that way.
"Yuna! Are you in here?" Tidus' voice echoed in the darkness. The only sound he could hear was the light jangling of his chains. He wished he had brought a fire spell with him to help with the light.
After ten minutes had passed, he decided that it was no use. Yuna was obviously not there. Sighing to himself, he began to walk back in the direction he had come.
His ears suddenly picked up a very faint sound, almost like the sound of a gentle wind. His steps faltered before stopping completely.
Silence.
Shrugging it off to have been his imagination, Tidus began to walk quietly back, unable to shake off the feeling that something else was in the cave with him.
A faint glow suddenly caught the corner of his eye as a soft swooshing sound echoed more loudly this time. Turning around to look down the path behind him, he froze at the figure that stood before him.
It was like looking into a mirror. The same deep eyes of azure, the light hair, the same facial features, and the man's clothing were all near duplicates of his own. Yet when he stared into the mirror this time, the image did not mimic his actions. His heart stopped beating, as if time itself had ceased. Tidus backed up slowly, hand instinctively reaching for his sword, only to come to the realization that he had not brought it with him.
His stare never left the man that stood before him - the one who looked just like him.
"Who the hell are you?" Tidus demanded, quickly scanning the man up and down for any hint of a weapon he may have been carrying. But he held none.
The young man simply smiled, showing a flash of his perfectly white teeth. He took a step forward. "Ah, so we finally meet," he said with a voice that sounded too much like his own.
The soft glow of a pyrefly suddenly emerged from the man's body before his figure slowly began to fade into a mass of pyreflies, body and face barely outlined through the swarm.
Tidus looked on in alarm, a soft gasp escaping his lips as the figure drew close to him. Stumbling back in an attempt to escape the area, he fell backward, his back painfully hitting the hard ground. He cringed in pain, blue eyes widening as the apparition of his twin drew nearer.
"Do not fear. You will feel nothing," the apparition spoke, his voice lowering darkly.
Before he could scramble back up, his vision was blinded as the figure and the swarm of pyreflies suddenly came charging towards him at a frightening speed.
***
Rikku paced outside the cave in worry. "Man, what's taking him so long?" she asked herself aloud. She shivered then as a sudden icy breeze blew, hitting her bare legs. "C'mon, Tidus. Hurry up..."
The soft jangle of chains suddenly caused her eyes to fly towards the cave's entrance. She sighed in relief as Tidus finally stepped out into the moonlight.
"Geez! What took you so long?!" she yelled at him, hitting him on his arm in frustration. "I thought you would never come out! It was way too dark out here!" Rikku exclaimed, kicking up dirt as she jumped slightly.
Tidus simply stared at her, blue eyes glowing under the moonlight. The wind caught his feathery hair and gently caused it to flutter in the breeze.
He smiled at her then. "I'm sorry," he softly spoke. Walking towards her, he gently put an arm around her shoulders.
Rikku frowned at him. She playfully pushed him away. "Hey, what's with you?" she laughed.
He blinked at her. "I thought you were mad."
"Well I was, but now you're here now," she replied, chuckling a bit at him.
Smiling slowly, he chuckled as well, following the girl as she led them back towards the village.
He smiled to himself. "Yes, I'm here now."
** End of Chapter 6 **
A/N: Whew, that one took me a while. I promise Chapter 7 will be up soon. ^^
Again, sorry for the cliffhanger! ^^;
Ok, well I know everyone just wants to continue on reading, so enough with my talk and let's just get this thing going. =p
** Chapter 6 **
A pair of blue orbs cracked open in the dim light that just barely peeked in from the flap of the shelter. Chains jangling softly and eyes still closed, he lifted an arm to his right, hoping to find her warm body and hold her close to him as he had always done. Grasping nothing but the soft blanket and an empty space, Tidus opened his eyes, wondering where she had gone.
Frowning at the empty space next to him, he finally sat up in the bed. A shining light caught his eye and he turned his head to look at the small table next to the bed. The only light illuminating from the statue was the figure of him, shining brightly in the dark room.
The glow reflected in his brilliant azure eyes. "Where is she?" Tidus whispered in the darkness, trying to think of where she could have gone this late.
Pulling back the covers and finally standing from the bed, he struggled to find his boots. Luckily, the glow from the statue provided enough light for the room, and he found them precariously positioned in front of the door. Quickly tying his shoes on, he began the walk to Rikku and Paine's shelter. Perhaps she was there.
***
A light sound shook the Al Bhed from her foggy dream. Turning her body in an attempt to get more comfortable, she let out a shriek as she met a pair of glowing blue eyes.
Her scream startled him. "Sshh, Rikku. It's just me," Tidus spoke to her nervously, trying to calm the girl. He had just entered the room and was about to shake the Al Bhed to gently wake her, yet she had beaten him to it.
She sat up and hit him none too gently on the arm, causing him to wince a bit at the sudden strength it seemed she had gained over the last two years.
"Don't ever do that again!" Rikku hissed at him. She took a deep breath and glared at him. "Geez, you scared me!"
"Heh, sorry about that," Tidus laughed nervously.
Rikku turned to him. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
He paused. "Actually I wanted to know if Yuna was here.." Tidus trailed off.
Rikku looked at him, eyebrow raised. "Oh? Well isn't she supposed to be with you?" she asked.
"No, she wasn't there with me. I thought maybe she came here with you and Paine, but I guess not," he replied, eyes scanning the room.
"No, Yunie isn't here," Rikku said. She pulled the blankets off and yawned. As her eyes drifted around the room, they settled on Paine's bed. She frowned with confusion.
Tidus looked over at her. "What? What happened?" he said, noticing the girl's sudden silence.
"Weird. Where did Paine go?" she wondered, gesturing towards the warrior's bed. She frowned and scratched the side of her face with one finger, a habit had never rid herself of.
He looked at the bed as well. The sheets were empty.
***
Yuna watched the old man with a mixture of hope and fear. "How?" she asked.
Maechen continued to circle her, his eyes cast downward in deep thought. "Lady Yuna, may I ask you a question?" she heard him speak.
She paused for a moment before nodding. "Yes, what is it?" she replied quietly.
The old man stopped in his steps, back facing her. "The young man that was with you two years ago. This may surprise you, but he did return again, didn't he?" Maechen spoke as he turned to face her.
Yuna nodded her head. "Yes, he came back," she said. Wondering how Maechen had known that, Yuna decided not to question him about it.
"Ah, so I was correct," Maechen said thoughtfully, beginning to pace around the isle once more.
Yuna chose to remain silent and awaited the old man's response.
After another moment he began to speak again. "Lady Yuna, I have a feeling you were responsible for his return, yes?" he asked gently.
She nodded. "After we defeated Vegnagun and helped Shuyin and Lenne, the fayth appeared and asked if I wanted to see him," Yuna explained, remembering her disbelief upon hearing the fayth's offer. "I said yes." She watched the old man's expression. He was deep in thought.
Maechen mumbled softly, yet she didn't catch what he had said.
"Lady Yuna, this is very important," he began. She looked at him curiously. "When the fayth asked you if you wanted to see him again, did you truly mean it in your heart?" the old man asked hesitantly.
His words startled her. "Wh-what do you mean?" she asked in shock. "Of course I wanted to see him again!" she exclaimed more loudly this time. Catching herself at her sudden rudeness, she remained silent.
Maechen turned his back to her. "This may be the only explanation I can give you, but perhaps Shuyin's sudden reappearance is linked to the other young man's return," he said, causing her to gasp softly in surprise.
Yuna sat down where she was, caught off guard with what Maechen had told her. She hadn't wanted to admit it earlier, but Maechen's words suddenly seemed clearer somehow.
"Yes, Lady Yuna. You understand now, don't you?" the old man's voice suddenly said.
She looked up at him and met his eyes.
He walked over to her. "Perhaps your feelings were confused during that time, and you mistakenly willed Shuyin to return as well?" Maechen proposed to her.
Yuna did not respond. The event at what had occurred at the Farplane came back to her. She closed her eyes. The moment the fayth had asked her if she wanted to see him, Yuna did not hesitate to say yes. Yet she could not hide that a small part of her heart had regretted when Shuyin had faded away as well.
The pain she had seen in Shuyin's eyes as he saw that she was not Lenne burned into her mind. The anger she had seen on his face after realizing that Yuna was not his love made her feel utterly alone as well. Maybe it was because a part of her had felt the pang of jealously at seeing Shuyin and Lenne finally reunited after a thousand years, yet the jealously was due to her own pain and regret after losing Tidus two years ago.
But as she watched them fade together under that starry sky, it made her wonder whether it would take that long when Yuna herself would finally see Tidus again. She was happy for Shuyin and Lenne, yet she could not deny the fact that the tragic couple's reunion had awakened something inside of her. It had made Yuna realize that she was alone, a feeling she had painfully tried to accept.
When she first met Shuyin at the Farplane, he took away her loneliness and longing in that single moment of his embrace. Even if it might have been Lenne's feelings within her, Yuna had felt it all. The feelings she had experienced on that day were as real as she could ever imagine. The sense of happiness and comfort at being held by Shuyin was mixed with her own loneliness and that of Lenne's own conscience within her.
What had happened during that single moment when she answered the fayth? She shook her head gently, hair swaying from side to side as she tried to remember what she had been thinking. Yes, she had thought of Tidus. And not just of her love, but Shuyin as well. In that single instance before she uttered those words to the fayth, Shuyin's face, although flashing for a brief second, had appeared in her mind. Maechen's voice interrupted her thoughts, causing her to look up into the old man's face.
"Lady Yuna, what is the matter?" he asked her with concern.
She put her head between her knees, looking down. "I-I'm sorry. It really is all my fault," she whispered, the harsh realization finally making it known.
Maechen kneeled down and put a hand on her shoulder. "Now, Lady Yuna, please tell me what you mean," his voice said to her soothingly.
A moment of silence passed before Yuna found herself again. "Maechen, when I told the fayth I wanted to see Tidus again, I think a part of me wanted Shuyin to come back too..." she trailed off, confusion suddenly overwhelming her. She watched the old man's face as it turned to one of surprise.
"Shuyin?" Maechen echoed. He turned away from her.
"I'm not so sure anymore. I don't even know if they were my feelings or if they were still Lenne's -- as if a part of her was still within me," Yuna whispered slowly. "But all I know is that I made a terrible mistake in holding those feelings for Shuyin back then."
Yuna took a deep breath. "Yet I know I have no feelings for him now," she said after some time.
As Yuna spoke those words, it made her feel a little better. She certainly knew she didn't have feelings for Shuyin, yet the moment when the fayth had asked her it, she couldn't deny that she really had felt something for him then, whether it be one of longing or a twisted sort of selfish jealousy.
Yuna squeezed her eyes shut tightly, still confused about the truth. She looked up at the old man. "Maechen, what will I do now? He's here, and it's my fault," she whispered.
"Lady Yuna, I think - no, I'm certain that you are strong enough to overcome this obstacle," he spoke to her, looking at her keenly through his spectacles. She was listening to him intently.
He paused as if to choose his words carefully. "Even if you did feel something for Shuyin, perhaps we could assume that they weren't your own feelings?" his voice said, loudly and more fully this time. This caused Yuna to turn away for a moment.
"Not my own feelings?" she whispered to herself. Her eyes flew to the old man. "But Maechen, how can that be? Lenne had faded away, and there was no way for me to feel what she felt..right?" Yuna asked in confusion.
Maechen sat down next to her, his robes brushing the ground as he lowered himself. Turning to face her, his voice grew quiet. "I am unsure if I mentioned this to you."
Yuna turned to him.
The old man continued on. "They say that once pyreflies enter one's spirit and become intermingled with a person's own feelings even for the shortest amount of time, a part of the person still remains with you long after they have left the body," Maechen said darkly, causing a shiver to shoot through Yuna's body.
She listened to his words incredulously. "Are you saying that a little part of Lenne still exists within me?" she asked.
"To put it that way, then yes. Perhaps a small part of Lady Lenne is inside of you even now," he said.
Yuna gasped. She looked down at the ground. "But how can that be?" she asked him.
Standing up, Maechen began to walk around again slowly. "Do you ever notice how your feelings start to grow as you near the Farplane?" Maechen asked. "As if you feel so overwhelmed with emotions that it seems as if you want to weep?"
Yuna froze at his words. She suddenly remembered the heavy feeling she had felt earlier as she approached the Farplane entrance when Buddy had dropped her off.
"Yes, I've felt it," she whispered.
"Ah, so you see that the pyreflies carry with them much more than just images and apparitions. They carry with them the feelings of those long gone, and those that have been unsent for a long time are capable of bringing more with them," Maechen explained. "Especially those with pain or regret..." he trailed off.
Yuna suddenly remembered her journey to the Den of Woe with Rikku and Paine, and how her two partners had reacted when Shuyin had appeared. She had never been so frightened before, watching Rikku and Paine infected with pyreflies and how angry they had acted then. They had wanted to fight her, and she had fought them back with a heavy heart.
She started to understand it now. Shuyin was filled with anger and sadness at the world that had taken Lenne away from him, and after Rikku and Paine had come into contact with Shuyin, they too had showed outright anger as they fought Yuna. Remembering how Shuyin had controlled Nooj and Baralai as well, Yuna couldn't help but wonder what else Shuyin was capable of doing. She paused at the thought.
"Maechen, Shuyin had infected Nooj and Baralai back then, but does that mean they too carry Shuyin's anger within them?" Yuna asked with realization. "..because of the pyreflies that infected them?" she whispered, her eyes looking up to the old man, almost dreading what his answer would be.
Maechen stopped in his steps. "You see Lady Yuna, that all depends on whether Nooj and Baralai were able to remain strong and not let Shuyin overcome their own spirits," he explained. He looked up into the pale orange sky. "If a person is strong enough to hold their spirit to themselves and not let another take it away, then the pyreflies will leave no other effect on them," Maechen said. "They will continue on with no trace of the pyreflies that had infected their body."
Yuna looked down, finally piecing together the puzzle. It all made sense now. Yuna hadn't been able to control her emotions back then. Her heart was filled with a longing and an empty sadness that she could not explain. The loss of losing Tidus two years ago had remained with her then, and now she understood why Lenne's feelings remained with her. Yuna was not strong enough, and Lenne's spirit had become mixed within her own. And maybe they were still with her now.
She realized Rikku and Paine had been strong back then. The two girls had fought off Shuyin's control over them and kept their sanity. Yet it was Yuna's own weakness that had inevitably led Shuyin to return. All because a fragment of Lenne's spirit had caused Yuna to long for the other man. She had to fight it off.
She suddenly stood up and spoke softly. "Maechen, I understand now. I was weak then, and wasn't strong enough to know myself," she said.
He said nothing, but looked up into the sky. "Ah, I'm glad that you see the truth," he said.
Yuna walked over to where he stood. "But how do I stop him? Shuyin refuses to leave until I cooperate with him," she said slowly.
The old man suddenly began to walk away, pyreflies slowly leaving his body as his form began to fade. He turned to Yuna. "In time, the answer will come to you. I know you will soon realize what you must do to put Shuyin to rest for good."
She watched as Maechen's form began to dissipate. "Until then Lady Yuna, I must bid you farewell."
Yuna watched the old man begin to fade until she could no longer see the outline of his body.
"I have remained here for far too long, and my spirit grows weak," his voice echoed.
Yuna watched as the old man faded away. When all the pyreflies had vanished, she began to walk away as well.
She looked behind her once more. "Thank you, Maechen," she whispered after him.
***
"Rikku, is there something Yuna isn't telling me?" Tidus asked.
His words caused the girl to stop in her steps. Her green eyes turned to him. "What do you mean?" Rikku asked with confusion.
He looked away from the Al Bhed. "Nothing, forget I said anything."
Rikku regarded him with a frown. "Alright then.."
They had been walking around Besaid Island in search of Yuna. After discovering that Paine was not in her bed either, Rikku decided to join in his search for Yuna, and now Paine.
Rikku suddenly stopped. Her eyes drifted towards the entrance to the secret cave. "We haven't checked in there yet," she told him, gesturing towards the dark entrance.
His blue eyes simply stared into the darkness. After a moment of silence Tidus began to walk over to it. Rikku gasped.
"Whoa! You're not really thinking of going in there, are ya?" she asked him, eyes wide in fright.
He paused and turned towards her. "Why shouldn't I?"
Rikku laughed nervously. "Ehehe..well you know... It's all dark and I'm not equipped or anything!" the girl said.
Tidus raised an eyebrow at her and scratched his head. "Well, if you want, you can just stay out here. I won't be long."
She paused before nodding. "Ok, then."
He chuckled lightly at her. "So you're scared of the dark, huh?" Tidus laughed. He began to step into the cave as Rikku stayed outside. Her eyes followed his fading form.
"Hey! You be quiet! But be careful, ok?" she yelled after him.
Rikku barely heard his response as he had disappeared into the cave.
***
Struggling to focus his eyes in the darkness, he tried to feel the sides of the walls, hoping to navigate that way.
"Yuna! Are you in here?" Tidus' voice echoed in the darkness. The only sound he could hear was the light jangling of his chains. He wished he had brought a fire spell with him to help with the light.
After ten minutes had passed, he decided that it was no use. Yuna was obviously not there. Sighing to himself, he began to walk back in the direction he had come.
His ears suddenly picked up a very faint sound, almost like the sound of a gentle wind. His steps faltered before stopping completely.
Silence.
Shrugging it off to have been his imagination, Tidus began to walk quietly back, unable to shake off the feeling that something else was in the cave with him.
A faint glow suddenly caught the corner of his eye as a soft swooshing sound echoed more loudly this time. Turning around to look down the path behind him, he froze at the figure that stood before him.
It was like looking into a mirror. The same deep eyes of azure, the light hair, the same facial features, and the man's clothing were all near duplicates of his own. Yet when he stared into the mirror this time, the image did not mimic his actions. His heart stopped beating, as if time itself had ceased. Tidus backed up slowly, hand instinctively reaching for his sword, only to come to the realization that he had not brought it with him.
His stare never left the man that stood before him - the one who looked just like him.
"Who the hell are you?" Tidus demanded, quickly scanning the man up and down for any hint of a weapon he may have been carrying. But he held none.
The young man simply smiled, showing a flash of his perfectly white teeth. He took a step forward. "Ah, so we finally meet," he said with a voice that sounded too much like his own.
The soft glow of a pyrefly suddenly emerged from the man's body before his figure slowly began to fade into a mass of pyreflies, body and face barely outlined through the swarm.
Tidus looked on in alarm, a soft gasp escaping his lips as the figure drew close to him. Stumbling back in an attempt to escape the area, he fell backward, his back painfully hitting the hard ground. He cringed in pain, blue eyes widening as the apparition of his twin drew nearer.
"Do not fear. You will feel nothing," the apparition spoke, his voice lowering darkly.
Before he could scramble back up, his vision was blinded as the figure and the swarm of pyreflies suddenly came charging towards him at a frightening speed.
***
Rikku paced outside the cave in worry. "Man, what's taking him so long?" she asked herself aloud. She shivered then as a sudden icy breeze blew, hitting her bare legs. "C'mon, Tidus. Hurry up..."
The soft jangle of chains suddenly caused her eyes to fly towards the cave's entrance. She sighed in relief as Tidus finally stepped out into the moonlight.
"Geez! What took you so long?!" she yelled at him, hitting him on his arm in frustration. "I thought you would never come out! It was way too dark out here!" Rikku exclaimed, kicking up dirt as she jumped slightly.
Tidus simply stared at her, blue eyes glowing under the moonlight. The wind caught his feathery hair and gently caused it to flutter in the breeze.
He smiled at her then. "I'm sorry," he softly spoke. Walking towards her, he gently put an arm around her shoulders.
Rikku frowned at him. She playfully pushed him away. "Hey, what's with you?" she laughed.
He blinked at her. "I thought you were mad."
"Well I was, but now you're here now," she replied, chuckling a bit at him.
Smiling slowly, he chuckled as well, following the girl as she led them back towards the village.
He smiled to himself. "Yes, I'm here now."
** End of Chapter 6 **
A/N: Whew, that one took me a while. I promise Chapter 7 will be up soon. ^^
Again, sorry for the cliffhanger! ^^;