DISCLAIMER:  I do not own FFX, FFX-2 or any of the characters and locations affiliated with it.  I do, however, own the story "Silver Wings" and all references to dialogue not originated by Square-Enix.

DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!

If anyone wants to post this story or "Silver Wings" anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it.  Email akksgurl@yahoo.com with any requests.

Author's Notes:  Okay folks, Yuna grows a brain in this chapter.  I know many of you have been wondering when that was going to happen.  Unfortunately, she only grows a brain after Paine grows one first.  Oh well, it's better then nothing I suppose.  However, just because she grows a brain doesn't mean that it won't vanish in subsequent chapters.  You'll just have to wait and see :)

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SILVER WINGS 2: 1000 CONFESSIONS

by akksgurl

Chapter Twelve: The Gloved Hand

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"A diamond?!" Rikku squeaked after hearing Yuna's quick tale about finding the diamond on the floor.  The Al Bhed had arrived back at Home just in time to have a quiet conversation with Paine and Yuna about the diamond ring before Yuna and Tidus went off on a romantic birthday celebration. 

"Do you think it means what I think it means?" questioned Yuna, barely able to keep her voice down.  Tidus could enter the room at any minute, after finishing the shower he had wanted to take at the last minute.

"It definitely means something," said Paine, "Whether that something is good or not has yet to be determined."

Yuna frowned at her stoic friend, "What does that mean?"

"It means that I don't think you should be alone with Tidus tonight."

"Paine!" Rikku hissed, "We both agreed that was ridiculous!"

Yuna was confused.  Obviously both of her friends knew something they didn't want her to know.  It was also pretty obvious that Rikku was hiding something from both herself and Paine, but she wasn't about to delve into that at the moment.  The pressing matter was why Paine didn't want her alone with Tidus, "Why don't you want me alone with him?  He's my boyfriend."

Paine frowned at Rikku, ignoring Yuna momentarily, "I know I said it was ridiculous, but now I'm not so sure.  I mean, what if Gippal is onto something…"

"Gippal…onto something?" Yuna asked with a suspicious look in her eyes, "Just what did Gippal say?"

Rikku pushed a braid from her eyes, "He said that the killer set him up using the belt and a pair of gloves so that Gippal and Baralai's prints were safe, but the killer's weren't on the belt.  He also said that since the window was a little open the killer could have easily slid down the side of the ship and gotten back outside."

Yuna was almost afraid of the answer to the question that was on the tip of her tongue, but somehow she just had to know what Paine was thinking.  Staring deep into Paine's crimson orbs, she asked, "What does this have to do with Tidus?"

"Gippal…and now me, to a degree, thinks he might have killed Baralai."

"What?!" Yuna shrieked, before quickly silencing herself to a harsh whisper, "Where do you get that from?!  Tidus had never hurt a soul in his life!  He's harmless...!  He's sweet…!  He's innocent…!  He's…."

"Been acting strangely." Paine supplied.

"Oh," hissed Yuna sarcastically, "Well in that case let's just have him arrested and thrown in jail.  I mean, everybody knows if you have an off day or two then you're a murderer!"

"He was hearing voices!" insisted Paine, "He was MIA during the time!  He wears gloves!  You said yourself he's been acting like Shuyin!"

Yuna stood up and pointed a furious finger in Paine's face, "Don't ever say that again.  I don't ever want hear this ridiculous theory of yours ever again.  Gippal is right where he belongs for killing Baralai and I hope he rots there!" she shouted before storming out of the room and down the hall toward the bathroom where Tidus was showering. 

The faster they got to Macalania, the better, and Yuna wanted to get there fast.

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Shuyin hadn't been at Macalania since his date with Lenne over 1000 years before.  It was strange for him to think in terms like that, but it was the truth.  That was how long it had been.  He was shocked to see how much the woods had deteriorated since then. 

"These woods are dying." Yuna explained, "When the fayth disappeared, the forest began to do the same.  Soon it'll be gone, but I thought we'd spend the day here anyway."

Shuyin wasn't thrilled about the thought.  Since his argument with Lenne, the thought of spending time in any place that reminded him of her didn't make him happy.  For some reason, though, Yuna seemed to really like the spot by the lake.  It was almost as if it held the same memories for her as it did for Shuyin.

"It does…"

Shit.  Tidus was awake again and this wasn't the place for Shuyin to be having a long conversation with him so he remained silent and tried to force Tidus to sleep again.

"Not so fast, Shuyin," Tidus said, laughingly, "Don't you want to spend some quality time with me?"

Shuyin continued to ignore Tidus as he took a seat on the blanket that Yuna had laid out for the two of them.  It was similar to the picnic he'd had with Lenne, except that there wasn't any food.  He was grateful for that tiny dissimilarity.

"Better hope she doesn't ask you about our memories at this place," Tidus taunted, "Cause I'm not gonna help you answer them right and you don't have any clue what the answers might be."

"I love this place," whispered Yuna as she laid her head against his chest, "I used to come here as often as I could during those two years.  It always made me feel close to you." She smiled up at him and her eyes gleamed, "I still can't believe we did that."

Shuyin smiled stupidly, "Yeah, me neither." He said, though he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Can you describe the Zanarkand sunrise to me again?" Yuna asked as she gazed out at the water lapping gently at the bark on the tree in the middle.

"Busted…" Tidus said, jokingly, but Shuyin just grinned.  Tidus obviously didn't have all of his memories yet, or he'd know that Shuyin knew that sunset like the back of his hand.

Taking a breath and gently placing a kiss on Yuna's head, he whispered softly, "The city lights go out one by one. The stars fade...then the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire.  It's kinda rose-colored, right? First in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter, till everything glows."

"How the hell did you know that?  How did you know exactly what I told her?!"

"Wow, that's exactly how you described it to me back then." Yuna said with a smile, turning around to kneel in front of him, "It makes me feel like we've gone back in time, except that I haven't just married an unsent and neither of us is going to die."

Shuyin laughed at the angry groan that Tidus emitted in his head as well as at the absurdity of the sentence Yuna had just uttered.  He didn't really know what she was talking about, but he was enjoying the sparkle in her eyes as she said it.

"I love you, Tidus."

"I love you too…" Tidus whispered at the same time Shuyin said it and he felt a small flicker of guilt.  He was keeping Tidus from the girl he loved just like fate had kept Shuyin from Lenne.  However, when Shuyin looked into Yuna's loving eyes, he felt something instead of just anger and hopelessness.  He didn't want to give that feeling up.  He wanted to hang onto it with all of his power and see where it took him…and if Yuna was in that picture.

Yuna pressed her lips to his first and Shuyin let himself get swept up in it.  He knew Tidus was still fully aware of what was going on, but Shuyin quickly gave up caring about that as Yuna's hands traveled lower on his body in an ever present quest for his belt. 

"How can you do this?  What about Lenne?"

What about Lenne?  Shuyin frowned a little at the thought of her and the argument they had at the ship.  He had started this plan to get her back but now she wasn't the main focus of his plans anymore.  He wasn't even sure what his plans were, but at the realization that Yuna's hands were now inside of his pants, he forgot about that issue. 

Her ministrations brought deep moans from Shuyin and a furious shout from Tidus, "You're using her and she's going to figure it out!  She's not stupid, Shuyin!  You can't fool her forever!"

"Shut-up, Tidus." He muttered before sucking in his breath in a shocked gasp.  Yuna's hands stopped and she pulled them back.  Shuyin propped himself up on his arms, trying to remain as calm as possible under Yuna's probing stare, "What's the matter, babe?" he asked, nonchalantly.

Her duel-colored eyes stared deeply into his and Shuyin felt a chill go down his spine at the lack of emotion he saw there.  Wait…there was emotion in those cerulean depths. 

Fear.

"Why are you referring to yourself in the third person?" she asked, a quiver in her voice.

Shuyin didn't know what to say.  One wrong answer could clue her in and then he might have to…

He didn't want to think about it. 

Giving her a smile, he replied, "I was just thinking about stuff and told myself to shut-up and enjoy what you were doing to me.  That's all."

Yuna tried to relax but something was keeping her from doing that.  Maybe it was the way that he answered her with such ease.  Maybe it was fact that something had seemed a little off about him for a while now but she just couldn't figure out what.  He sat up farther and gently ran a hand over her cheek, an act that normally made her skin tingle with desire but tonight made it tingle with fear.

He was wearing leather gloves…

"He was hearing voices!  He was MIA during the time!  He wears gloves!  You said yourself he's been acting like Shuyin!"

Paine's words echoed in her ears over and over and over again like a mantra.  He was missing that day with no explanation then or now as to where he had been.  His suspicious behavior with the ring only heightened her concerns.  Was that really an engagement ring, or was it something else? 

No, now she was just being silly.  This was Tidus she was thinking about.  Her Tidus.  He wouldn't hurt anybody, let alone her.  He loved her and he liked Baralai.  Why would he kill him and hurt her like that?  Hurt everyone?  He wouldn't.  Tidus had never killed anyone except Seymour and that was only after Seymour had attacked first.  Tidus didn't intend on killing him.

"Lemme go!  I'm gonna kill that Seymour!"

Or did he…?

"Are you okay?" Shuyin asked her, fear tingeing his voice.  He hoped that she hadn't figured anything out.  He didn't want to hurt her.

Forcing herself to calm, Yuna shook her head and tried to clear the thoughts from her brain, "No, I'm fine.  Just tired." She replied as she let him wrap his arms around her and for the first time it felt like a stranger was holding her.