Return of Light
"Tida? What on Spira are you doing?" Yunalesca stared in amazement at the nineteen-year-old girl furiously swinging her watery blue sword around in graceful, yet deadly, arcs.
"Practicing. If I'm going to go back, I should at least be able to handle the Brotherhood. After all, it is mine," Tida said, halting long enough to wipe the sweat hastily off her brow before returning quickly to upper cutting the sword in a lethal slash.
"And for summoning?" Yunalesca inquired, waving a hand out while the other went to rest at her hip. "Just what were you planning on using to summon?"
Tida stopped and let her arms fall, the point of the Brotherhood digging slightly into the ground. She stared straight ahead for a few moments before shaking her head, sighing.
"I don't know, Yunalesca. I mean, I destroyed Nirvana, the most powerful summoning rod you'll ever find. There won't be another like it. It was… well, it was perfect," Tida said, turning her colored eyes on Yunalesca, sadness and longing clear in the crystal orbs.
Yunalesca nodded in understanding. "I see. Well, in that case, I'll just hang onto this, shall I?" Yunalesca brought her hands from behind her back, revealing a summoning staff. Tida's eyes widened as she dropped the Brotherhood in shock.
"Nirvana! Oh, wow! How did you—I mean, what—Oh, wow…" Tida gasped out, seizing Nirvana and swinging it around, laughing.
"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said breathlessly, her eyes shining with light as she held Nirvana at arm's length, turning it in her hands. Tida spun it around and then in an elegant arc around her, kicking up her feet as she danced with it, as one would for a sending.
Yunalesca watched, smiling. "Kids," she murmured, shaking her head and chuckling lightly.
—
"Jecht."
"It was an accident!"
"Jecht."
"All right, so maybe I did do it accidentally on purpose, but—"
"Jecht."
"Okay, okay. I did it because that son-of-a-bitch pissed me off!"
"JECHT!"
"He called me fat!"
"So you pushed him off the cliff and let him get attacked by that horde of protesting pyreflies? And all because he called you fat?"
"I take insults to my appearance personal!"
"Oh, Jecht…"
Braska groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead, closing his eyes and sighing. "Why did I have to get stuck here with you? Why? What did I ever do? What could I have possibly done to have deserved—deserved this!" With a flourish of his hand, he pointed at Jecht, scowling.
Jecht rolled his eyes and slapped Braska on the back. "Relax, man. You're losing it again. Can't afford to freak out now. We've got our granddaughter to worry about."
"For once, Jecht, you're right." Braska shuddered. "That was quite scary to say."
"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that. Anyway," Jecht continued, slinging an arm around Braska's shoulders as they walked, "Tida's ready. We just gotta count on your daughter to pray at all the temples. Except for the lost one. He's pretty pissed at everyone, anyway."
"You beat him, didn't you?"
"Not my fault he sucks at cards. Besides, that's not the point. The fayth agreed that Tida was to return. The Fayth of Bahamut was all for it, but the others kinda dragged. Kicked 'em along, though. The main problem was figuring out exactly how to get her back. I mean, she's really dead," Jecht said, forcing the subject back to the matter at hand.
"Yunalesca and I worked on that particular element. Together, we've got enough power to recreate her life form. The fayth will put her into it. Sounds simple, but really it isn't. Yunalesca will be risking a lot. She is, after all, a fayth herself, but she's using her summoner abilities. She's got plenty in reserve, I found out," Braska said, nodding.
"I'm gonna miss having that kid around. She plays blitz like hell. Not that I'm gonna miss getting the shit kicked of me or anything," Jecht said, sighing.
Braska smiled. "She's quite a handful, but with just the right blends of Tidus and Yuna in her. Athletic and upbeat with calm and care seem so perfectly suitable for her." Braska sighed deeply. "I'm really going to miss her."
"Don't get all weepy on me now. I don't want a crybaby."
"Oh, shut up, Jecht! Just the hell up shut up!"
"Holy shit! You cussed!"
"That ain't all I can do when I'm pissed off!"
* * *
"You've never performed a sending, have you, Tida?"
Tida shook her head. "No. There wasn't much need for me to carry out a sending. But I get the feeling you're about to tell me there will be and you're going to teach me how."
Yunalesca nodded. "Yes. You'll need to know what to do. Now, what do you know about performing a sending? Or do you know anything at all?"
"Uh… I know only a summoner can do it. It involves a dance. And—and…" Tida trailed off, lowering her eyes. "That's, uh, that's all I really know," she admitted.
Yunalesca sighed. "Boy, do you have a lot to learn."
She straightened in her chair. "All right. Yes, only a summoner can perform the sending for the dead. It sends their souls to the Farplane so that they won't become fiends and attack the living because of their hatred for them. They died where others lived and they grow to resent them for still being alive. So, their hatred turns them into fiends."
"They hate the living just because they're still alive? That's so sad," Tida murmured.
"So it is. But that's just the way they feel about it, Tida. And yes, the sending does involve a dance, but it must come from the deepest part of the heart, with the will of peace for the souls of the dead to send them to the Farplane. The dance isn't just a dance. It's the dance of serenity. You have to want to help them." Yunalesca's voice had grown passionate and Tida leaned forward across the table in suspense.
"A dance from the heart… Well, at least I don't have to sing."
Yunalesca chuckled. "Come on; we've got some practice to do. Besides—you might want to warm up your voice."
"You're not—"
"Gotcha."
"Yunalesca!"
Both women laughed and Tida glanced in the corner of the room where the Brotherhood and Nirvana rested tranquilly, side by side. Everything seemed right.
Except for one thing.
* * *
"WHAT?! No tournament?!" Wakka cried as Tidus toppled out of his chair in shock. He quickly pulled himself back up, staring wide-eyed at Yuna over the edge of the table as he struggled to get his feet under him.
"It's not fair!" he wailed, banging one fist on the tabletop. Yuna fixed him with a stern stare.
"Tidus, there will be other tournaments," she said firmly, crossing her arms under her breasts and leaning back in her chair, closing her eyes.
"But not like this one! This one is—is special!" Wakka protested. Lulu thwacked him over the head with her fork and glared at him. "Enough, Wakka!"
"But, Lu—"
"No buts either! We have a pilgrimage to worry about. You can't let Blitzball get in the way this time!" Lulu snapped, her crimson eyes flashing.
"Yeah, Lu, you win," Wakka mumbled tossing his napkin on the table and slouching back in his chair, shoulder hunched as he shot glances at his fiancée, muttering under his breath. Lulu didn't appear to hear him, but if she could, she was doing a fine job of ignoring it.
Rikku's eyes widened. "Hey, guys—I just remembered something!"
"What is it, Rikku?" Yuna asked, turning her colored eyes to Rikku's face.
"Well… it's Tida… Last week was—it's been three years now," she said, fumbling over the words as she looked away, out the window to the moon and stars blinking in the midnight sky. It was so serene, so different from the turmoil quietly but quickly building inside each of them sitting there at the table.
Chappu and Zeoron exchanged glances and then stared at the floor. Chappu shuffled his feet uncomfortably and shot a quick peek at Yuna before watching her out of the corner of his eye.
Yuna fell back in her chair, eyes wide and hands clenching and unclenching.
"Oh my… How could I—we—have forgotten?" she whispered hoarsely.
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