Part III:

Empty Words

___________________

"When it's cloudy and windy

And the snowflakes arrive

You somehow just make me

Make me feel I'm alive..."

___________________

Gippal and Baralai stood on the dirt road as they began to wonder their eyes to look around in their surroundings. Being as if they never saw the actual Besaid Village for quite sometime.

It had been a long awaited return back before they could see Yuna and Rikku again. Baralai knew how hard it must be to return to the eternal calm once more, the journey seeming to end quickly. While Rikku and Yuna kept intact with their roots in Besaid, their resting and their timing vaguely passing by, he had known where Paine had went after her short reign as a former Gullwing member.

Yuna and Rikku only knew where she might have disappeared off to, while Baralai being the only person being able to know what she was truly doing around Spira. Besides going back to fight off and train a few more residents of her new home in Bevelle, she had decided to keep in touch by resting and to become a guard to protect those in need.

Although not having Paine around was surely not fond of - everyone seemed to act like nothing has ever happened...especially since Spira had been very near the verge of destruction.

"Kaaw, fryd'c dygeh' ran?" Gippal murmured, beginning to feel a bit more restless - kicking the dirt and sand away from his shoes.

"It's best if she takes her time waking up Yuna. Rikku said that she hadn't been feeling like herself ever since Spira once found peace again," Baralai replied peacefully, staring more forward to the direction of where the Besaid Village emerged.

Gippal gave a sour look, "Riiiiiight...Because Yuna hadn't found what she was looking for?" he shook his head, "Can't she just move on? The journey is over. She has her memories, she should be happy that Spira found peace again."

Baralai took a glance back at Gippal, "Why all the stubbornness now?"

Gippal grew silent then, beginning to shag his shoulders.

"I dunno," the Al Bhed said "It's just bugging me how Rikku is saying that Yuna is unhappy, I guess."

Baralai nodded, knowing what the young man had said. "The same. Although I agree: that memories are a precious thing to lose."

Gippal couldn't agree more.

~oOo~

Tidus grew angry in frustration. All of the thinking and cursing with his mouth and head hadn't been working for the past couple of minutes and nothing was accomplished of finding out any information, whatsoever.

"Someone give me a sign!" he yelled, throwing his hands into the air as if he were signaling something to overtake him to safety.

"Anything!!" he cried out once more.

Just as he laid his hands back down to his sides, resting. He plopped back down on the sand shores of the unknown location of where he has been staying in the last few hours. He looked out into the crystal waters of the ocean, watching the horizon rise up again. Bringing his knees to his chest, as he huddled into a small ball with his body, he closed his eyes...

Without knowing the sudden darkness that now replaced the cheerful tropical area he had once been in.

"You're back in Spira, that's the sign for you..." an eerie voice had told him.

Wide eyed, Tidus jumped to his feet as he turned around to see the mysterious voice that had just addressed him.

It was the fayth.

Tidus arched a brow as he looked down to see the young fayth approach him, his eyes hidden beneath the hood of his cloak. Whether or not that Tidus had seen the fayth for quite some time, just even meeting him face to face scared him. Especially at the Farplane, where the fayth had been visiting numerous times now. Since when did he just suddenly appear at a location he had no idea of, and the fayth popping up into a deal of darkness, under the bright yellow sun?

He hoped he wasn't in any trouble.

Placing his hands to his hips, cocking his head to the side, "Thanks for that kind notice. But....I just have a few questions that I need answered: where am I? Why am I here? And is there a reason behind all of it?"

The fayth stood, expressionless. The silent breaths coming from Tidus was sending a slight chill down his spine, as he continued to gaze upon the person who resembled young child in front of his view.

"You should know," the fayth replied "You were thinking about it before..."

"Huh?" Tidus scratched his head, staring in confusion.

"You do want to see her again? Am I correct?" the fayth said calmly, stepping another inch closer to the young blonde blitzball player.

Tidus then kneeled down to meet with the fayth's eye contact level. The distance not too far between, he could feel the coldness of the spirits that were now surrounding him.

That was when he remembered her.

Tidus was in disbelief...was he really? Was he really back in Spira? Back where she was? Was it actually true that he was standing on Spira land, the weather that he had felt - the feelings?

"H-H-How'd you know?" the blitzball player stammered, but the fayth managed to smile contently as he nodded to prove the correction of his thoughts.

"I know your thoughts. It's not that hard to read the thoughts of a dream.  A dream that I created." the fayth told him, beginning to cross his arms, awaiting the confusing manner group of questions that he was going to ask the next moment.

"So where am I now?" Tidus asked, instead of the grainy sands that he had been pacing - it had been replaced with deep gradients of a dark red - the dark floors making a bloody rose color.

"You're in Besaid-"

"I knew that," Tidus lied, was that actually Besaid? He had wanted to cover his face with embarrassment and anger at himself for not recognizing the actual place where Wakka had managed to take good care of him. To take him and to fit in with the rest of the group. He had been grateful that Wakka hadn't called him crazy when he had told him that he was from Zanarkand - the place that had been destroyed 1000 years ago. In fact, Wakka had treated him like he had known him all of his life. After he had been accepted with Wakka, he eventually made friends with Lulu - gotten a closer bond with Auron, make a few good laughs with Rikku, to fight Kimahri Ronso when they saw each other instantly - and last but not least, the first time he had ever met Yuna. The girl of his dreams.

"Does this mean?-" Tidus began as he wrinkled his forehead, just in case to make sure the belief was right...

"That you are free to live?...Yes. It's been made a decision;" the fayth replied "She has been wishing and dreaming, as are you. To reward her for the life that Spira now lives in, it's been decided to let you free...From now on, you will live and die like a mortal should. There are no specialties, no immortal soul. You live as a normal being. To privy all the pains - and pleasures."

Tidus nodded - he was smiling in his gut as he felt the happiness beginning to glow upon his face. It had been true to what he was believing. The fayth had told him, truthfully. Even though there were consequences to follow and to begin with - he was alive.

He was free.

"She's waiting for you," the fayth finally replied as he began to turn his heel and walk away, but before making an exit, the fayth turned to look at Tidus -

"And one more thing to remember by, there is so little and yet so much of time..."

Wondering about the aspects of the metaphor, Tidus begin to call out to the fayth one more time -

"Wait! -"

But before Tidus could reply again, the fayth turned away to exit the world of the living - a bright light burning and brightly blinding his eyes...

~oOo~

"Rikku! Fryd duug oui cu tysh muhk?!"

Rikku only rolled her eyes and grieved as she began to take a few more steps towards the visitors that she had mentioned.

Well, she grieved at the sight of Gippal for that matter.

Yuna only stifled a laugh between the interactions between the two Al Bhed. Yuna knew for sure for the moment that they had met Gippal at Djose; they had known each other for quite sometime. Possibly known each other since early childhood. But during their little journey, she couldn't help but notice the sudden flirtation between the two, and Yuna felt it between them that there was a growing spark, more likely a little attraction towards each other. But being the person that she was, Yuna didn't bother to ask questions about Rikku's feelings towards Gippal of course, knowing Rikku - she didn't want to even try.

"Vencd uvv zang, oui ghuf ruf muhk druca cmubac yna ynuiht rana?" Rikku growled, "Caluht uv ymm, Yuna fyc ymsucd caneuicmo ehzinat! Cu dra haqd desa oui jeced rana, zicd gaab ouin suidr crid yht pa bydeahd!"

Baralai only sighed as he saw the tension in Gippal begin to boil within anger - or more likely a serious comeback. Not hard to mention already the two were getting it on… He heard a loud foreign curse coming out of the air, slicing the quiet and calm morning, as the two Al Bheds then began to walk closer to each other face to face, as if they were to make an all out brawl in a quest to see who would shut up first. Gippal who was standing a mere taller than Rikku yelled first...

"E ys bydeahd! Pid hud fedr cusauha mega oui!"

"Frydajan! Ouin esbydeahd hu syddan frana oui ku!"

"I have 5 gils set on Rikku," Yuna said, smiling as she crossed her arms as she watched the entertainment provided that was just a mere inches away, Baralai who had eventually walked towards her nodded in agreement, placing his hands together as he too watched the drama.

A moment not too soon however, they began to drift away from the casual - or rather repulsive - argument that was going on for the past 10 minutes. The sun that was high above the clouds was already moving towards the phases of the afternoon, and Yuna was willing to catch up a good conversation with Baralai - whom she hadn't seen in months already.

As they made their way to back to village, Yuna had set up a small camp outside of her tent. Placing 2 portable chairs for her and for Baralai who sat across from her. Without asking, she went inside her tent and pulled out a canteen for her visitor as she began to pour a glass of wine into a crystal goblet.

"Here you go," she grinned softly, handing the goblet filled of wine to the young former praetor.

"Thanks," Baralai replied as he took a small noisy sip from his goblet.

Settling into her chair, Yuna sighed and cooled off a bit. Her position in the chair not that mannerly but she really wasn't going to hear the correction of words coming from Baralai, for whom she knew wouldn't do something or another like lecturing others of how to do a certain thing a certain way. Yes, she had been growing up as Yuna admitted, she had changed. But her feelings hadn't, some residents of Spira hadn't realized it yet, and thought of the young former summoner as still a daughter. Rather treating her for who she wasn't anymore.

And she definitely knew, her feelings hadn't changed for him neither...

END CHAPTER THREE

Next Chapter: Tidus finds his way back to the one girl of his dreams; And what's with Gippal and Rikku's sudden bond? Find out in Chapter IV: To Where You Are

~AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Yes this fic is back ;-) lol And surprisingly it's half-way done. Sorta. Only a few more chapters till this story is actually completed. The plot is coming along too...beware!

Translations:

"Rikku! Fryd duug oui cu tysh muhk?!"  (Rikku! What took you so damn long?!)

"Vencd uvv zang, oui ghuf ruf muhk druca cmubac yna ynuiht rana?" (First off jerk, you know how long those slopes are around here?)

"Caluht uv ymm, Yuna fyc ymsucd caneuicmo ehzinat! Cu dra haqd desa oui jeced rana, zicd gaab ouin suidr crid yht pa bydeahd!"  (Second of all, Yuna was almost seriously injured! So the next time you visit here, just keep your mouth shut and be patient!)

"E ys bydeahd! Pid hud fedr cusauha mega oui!" (I am patient! But not with someone like you!)

"Frydajan! Ouin esbydeahd hu syddan frana oui ku!"  (Whatever! Your impatient no matter where you go!)