Chapter 16: Sun and Moon .

"You will write everyday won't you," Rikku threw her arms sround Yuna. Yuna laughed.

"We should get one of those CommSphere thingys then we can see each other everyday,"

"As the advert kindly points out with the very expensive price," Gippal laughed at his girlfriend. She pounted at him but was still smiling. Tidus shook Gippal's hand.

"Go for it mate," Gippal winked at him. Tidus nodded hoping Yuna hadn't overheard. He had discussed his plans with Gippal.

"Do you think she will..."

"Course! If I was going to do that I would have to drag Rikku to... a cuboard in her father's airship which was destroyed so no chance."

"So you're not gonna..."

"Dunno. One day maybe. I love her and all but living with her might be abit..."

"You'll never be bored. Guaranteed!" Gippal laughed. Paine and Rikku were saying goodbye now. Rikku pretending to wail with grief and Paine staring at her as though she were really bored.

"Oh how can I part from darling Paine? My heart is breaking and my eyes are stinging!"

"My ears are bleeding!" Paine beamed at her blonde friend and hugged her. Rikku for once was speechless.

"That shut you up!"

Gippal wrapped his arms around Rikku as they watched their friends board the ferry again. Rikku began to wave madly and call to them. The boat chugged away with Yuna and Tidus waving from the back.

"So..." Said Gippal. Rikku grinned at him and took his hand in hers. "Shall we look around Luca?" Rikku shook her head and looked pointedly at a hotel.

"We gonna see much of Luca?" She shook her head again and laughed as she lead him to the nearest hotel.

Paine stood at the front of the top deck.

She could see Bevelle. Well the bottom of it. Evre was wrapped around the large lift tube that took people to the town and temple. His wings flapped in the wind as he slept. No one ever really killed him. Just weakened him so they could slip past. No one travelling by boat had much trouble with him as long as they didn't have any smelly fish or meats on board. Her stomach churned.

Was Barali okay?

Had Seymour hurt him?

Was she now a widow?

The boat anchored at the small harbour at the base of the lift. Yuna walked out with her.

"Take care of yourself yeah?" Said Yuna as she hugged her.

"I'm sorry Yuna but I have too..." Yuna laughed.

"Go on. Go and see him!" Paine hugged her again and nodded to Tidus who grinned back at her. Then she turned and sped towards the lift. It was at the top! She pushed the button frantically for it to come down.

"Come on, come on!" She hit the door. She charged in nearlly knocking two elderly priest over.

"Well!" Muttered one but she didn't care. She pressed the up button and was speeding upwards.

"Hurry up!" It stopped in the small town befor the village. She ran through, people dived to get out of way. The guards saw her coming and opened the gates. She ran through the courtyard. She flung open the doors.

"Barali? Barali!" She called. He was up on the top balcony. His face lit up. He leapt onto the lift to take him to the lower level. It was so slow and old.

When he was half way there she was to impatient. She wanted his arms around her. Now! She ran to the ledge and jumped into the lift. His arms reached out to her as she landed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed with relief.

"I missed you," He chuckled in her ear.

"Missed you too," She drew away to look at him. "You okay? Did Seymour hurt you?" He shook his head.

"Nah. I wouldn't have known he was alive,"

"He did threaten to. I was so scared he had..."

"Shhhhhh. Hey come on. Warriors don't cry." He wrapped his arms around her again. "I was scared too. I thought I had thrown you to the sharks when I sent you to go and kill him,"

"I didn't kill him though," He stared at her. "Yuna did," His eyebrows shot up.

"Tell me," They got off the lift and went to sit in their living rooms, which had been the side chambers of the temple.

"He came back impersonating someone else. We didn't realise it was him. When we got back to Besaid to drop Yuna and him off, he threatened to kill Yuna and blow up Besaid if she didn't go away with him," Barali nodded.

"He had that black sphere we took and was saying he would blow Besaid to pieces. Yuna being Yuna agreed to go with him. But the real Tidus, the guy Seymour was impersonating, showed up so she somehow sneaked the sphere off Seymour and blew him up in the airship he was stealing," Barali sat thinking. "Do you think he will stay dead this time?" He shook his head.

"I don't know. I will have to ask the Guado to regulary check the Farplane and make sure he is in there," She nodded. "Is Yuna okay?"

"Yeah, now she is anyway. She kinda went and..." She flapped her hand, he got her drift.

"Oh! Poor thing!" Paine nodded.

"She was scared she was pregnant for abit, but she isn't. I felt so guilty, still feel guilty. I mean...it wasn't her fault at all, was it? It was ours and we nearly destroyed her entire life," Barali put his arm around her. "Rikku was really pissed off. So was Sir Wakka and Lady Lulu. Yuna though she forgave us, like as soon I said sorry she hugged me and said it was okay. I didn't expect that I thought she would do the whole i'm-gonna-hate- your-guts-for-the-rest-of-my-life sort of thing,"

"She's special Paine,"

"Yeah I know,"

"You are too," Paine looked at him sarcastically.

"Seymour obviously bashed you over the head with a frying pan," He laughed and pulled her close to him.

"Maybe but I always thought you were special anyway,"

"Why?" He stroked her short hair.

"You've had a difficalt past and you pulled through it well. Your still a loving person seeing as you married a freak like me. You can tolerate Rikku, which is worth a bloody medal," She gave him a small shove. "And your the only person I know with ruby red eyes."

"Witch eyes," She grinned, opening them wide. She had gotten them from her mother. Her mum had been a prostitute for the guards of Bevelle. She never knew her father was, she didn't think her mother knew herself. She had died when she was five so she was brought up by an old warrior named Kinjo who looked after and fed the guardian beast Evre.

"Well they bewitched me," He murmered. She laughed at him.

"Shut up you cheesy goon," She wrapped her arms around his neck again and held him tight.

"I'm glad your back," whispered Barali.

"Me too,"

"I can't see a thing!" Yuna stretched out her hands infront of her.

"Well that is the whole purpose of the blindfold babe," Tidus was behind her knotting it up. He took her hands in his so he could guide her.

"Where are we?" Yuna held onto him tight.

"You'll see. Now walk with me. That's it," She could hear the thud of her feet on the ramp of the ferry. He was behind her, gently pushing her forward. Her footsteps became quiter as they stepped off the wooden ramp.

"Can I take this thing off now?"

"No! We're almost there. Trust me." He squeezed her hands. She felt quite cold, like they had stepped into a freezer. She could hear a slight hum, like wind getly whispering to the trees.

"Okay. Stand there," She let go of him and felt him fiddling with her shoes.

"Hey what you up to?" She tapped the top of his head.

"You don't want them wet do you?"

'Huh?'

He undid the zippers and placed her bare feet on the cold ground. She could hear him undoing his own shoes, then it clicked.

"What's the point of taking them off? They didn't shrink last time," He chuckled and took her hand. She didn't feel shocked when the water lapped at her toes.

They had swam here before.

He guided her to the middle of the lake. She knew what to expect as he undid the blindfold.

They were stood, waist deep in the beauitful spring in Macalania Forest. This was where she had always been in her dreams, where she died, alone without him. But now she stood there with him, very much alive. He gently stroked her face, his gloves had been removed and his hands were soft and smooth. She smiled at him, remembering the last time they had been here. She had let a glimmer of her feelings show, she had let him kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. He held onto her tightly. She began to feel uneasy.

Was he going again?

Was he trying to say goodbye?

She looked up at him, keeping a firm grip to be sure he didn't suddenly fade away. He was looking out across the small pond.

"When I disappeared, I always dreamed of being here. Sometimes they would turn into horrible nightmares where you were floating then you would sink and I couldn't reach you," She tightened her embrace.

"I had those too. I would die and be with you but you would disappear again and I would be on my own. I often woke up crying." He kissed her forhead.

"I'm here now,"

"Yes you are," She grinned and kissed his mouth. She quickly dived away from him before he could react and swam to the other side of the pool giggling.

"Woah! Huh?" He was startled for a moment, then he grinned at her and torpedoed after her. She quickly pushed off the side and swam right over him. She laughed as he grabbed at where she had been. She was so busy laughing she didn't notice him pushing off towards her till he had lifted her out of the water. "Hey! Put me down!" She kicked her legs, laughing and squirming as he began to dive into the water again. He dove deep, the moon lit up the whole pond. Beautiful creatures watched them warily as they swam by. The rocks shone with a crystal haze. She giggled and marvelled at the beauty around her. She expected Tidus to be doing the same but he kept his eyes on her, watching as she swam like a mermaid in a crystal pool. She looked at him, he swam towrds her and touched her face. She hugged him, holding onto him like a limpet.

He softly kissed her eyes and face. She looked so beautiful in that pool, with the light of the moon shinhing on her making her look unreal and mythical. He wanted to stay down there forever, watching her be happy.

She began to swim upwards, her breath was running out. He swam up after her. She looked up at the moon, her eyes shining, the droplets on her skin made her look like a white rose after the snow had melted.

Should he do it now? He felt uneasy, would he strengthen the relationship or would it fall appart? She smiled at him, like she was waiting for something. She nodded, grinning to herself and struck out towards the shore. He followed her in a daze. Now he was here he didn't know what to do.

She was led on her side facing away from him, twiddling with something with her fingers. He stepped over her and led beside her. In her hands was a small ring made of grass and small bits of the rock from the lake. She had quickly twisted them together to make the ring. She placed it on his finger.

"This will stop you from disappearing," She said. He gave her an amazed look, but knew she was saying it to make him feel better "Or if you do disappear you will have a part of this place with you always," He kissed the tip of her nose.

"I got a magic ring for you too," He said reaching into his pocket. The ring was made of silver with an emerald in the middle surrounded by sparkling sapphires. He showed it to her.

"This will turn you into my wife," She stared at him, her eyes wide and shining with happiness. He slipped the ring onto her finger. She stared at the jems that adorned her finger. "They're like your eyes," He whispered.

"Thank you," She hugged him, tears falling from her eyes.

"I take it that that's a yes?"

She laughed at him and nodded. He kissed her, held her and loved her.

The sun and moon were finally together, forever and always.

(Cheesy!)