We gave up our Chocobos at the end of Mi'ihen to a young boy who must have been at least eight or nine. He was with what looked to be his mother supervising.
"I hope you enjoyed the Chocobo ride!" he exclaimed. "I love Chocobos, someday I want to breed and raise them! or maybe, I'll have a job where I can ride them all day long!"
I chuckled, he was so full of high hopes,this little one. "I bet one day you will be. Dont ever give up on your dreams, and if you find one day that you've strayed off your path of making it to your dream...you can always hop right back on the path....if there is a will, there is a way..no?"
"Yup! Thank you Lady!" The boy jumped up and down. "I'm Clasko! I'm eight and a half years old, and I will always work with my favorite animal in the whole of spria! CHOCOBOS!!!"
I giggled and patted the boy on the head letting him run off to his mother, or guardian...It pleased me to see someone with great excitement, even in the face of this new sin. He would survive, I thought then. I only hoped that he could keep the same optimisim though his life.
Auron was waiting for me at the steps leading down into the city of Luca. Luca reminded me much of the Zanarkand of old, the city never really slept. There were always parties going well into the early hours of the morn. Especially during the Blirzball season. It was hard to get any sleep Luca during the playoffs. I could hear the crowds from where I stood, and there were two sets of stairs to go down before you were really in the middle of it all!
"Loud place..." Auron watched while I approached him. I had to smile though. He was proably used to people whispering in the temples, to the soft hymn of the fayth.
"yeah, you get used to it though..." I took a step down, and glanced back at him over my shoulder. Was he coming? he said that he may spend the night. I hoped that the loud noises didn't turn him off the idea. "coming?..I'd like to show you around...if you like"
That seemed to have jolted him out of his little space trip. For a moment there I thought I lost him to his own thoughts. But he smiled and nodded, coming up behind me.
"Luca isn't such a bad place. We do get our peace when the Blitz season is over you know..." I paused and bought a finger to my lips. "well, it still is a busy place I guess..."
"Obviously...Many merchants must come though here...people from Besaid...Kilika.." He said softly from behind. It was almost as if he were intimidated by the crowds.
"You are right...ever been to Kilika?" I had stoped to wait for him to catch up. He was taking his time, eyes so round, taking te city in.
"No, I can't say that I have..." Auron came to a stop beside me.
"It's only a short boats ride away, if you want me to show you..." I gave him a hopeful smile.
"Sure...why not, I have no where to go after this..." He brushed past me, so that I was left standing there with my mouth open.
I was glad he accepted my offer, but he also made me feel like he had nothing better to do than to hang out with me. Slightly peeved I ran up in front of him, and began to walk backwards so that I may have his attention while we walked.
"Listen, you dont have to..I'm sure there are better things to do than come with me..so.." I stoped walking, and forced him to come to a stop as well. "sooo, you can leave now..."
I didnt expect him to blink and look at me the way he did just then. He, well, he looked hurt. Hurt that I was asking him to leave. I didn't understand, because he was the one who hurt me by suggesting that being with me was just because he had nothing better to do.
"um.." I lowered my eyes. I couldn;t handle looking at him, he looked like a lost child being turned away when he thought he had just found some help. "I'm sorry..I meant..."
"I didnt mean to insist that you were not important to me Tanith..." he spoke quickly. "I simply meant to say, that I have a lot of time now that I do not have to go back to Bevelle...I had intended to spend it with you..."
"oh.." I blushed.."right..I..I was afraid you were going to leave now..Because, you did say you would spend the night here in Luca, and I did say I would show you around!"
I tried my best to make light of the situation.It seemed to have worked, for Auron tilted his head up, smirked and continued on his way down into Luca...
I had a place near the water, there was even a little beach in the backyard. It was away from all the wharvs, and docking bay's. It was alittle more peacefull here, though one could still hear the city sounds. It was just a fact of life here in Luca. Instead of making Auron shell out Gil for a hotel, I let him stay here in the spare bedroom.
I inhereited my home from my parents. They died when Sin first came though the Luca docks last year. My father, Liiko was a blitzball player, he played for the Goers until his contract expired and was hired by the Kilika Beasts a couple of years ago. Which is why I know Kilika like the back of my hand.My mother, Kiyura was a stay at home mother. I'm greatful that she chose to do this. I didnt get to see my father all that often, as after he was hired in Kilika he spent a lot of his time training over there. Had he played for a team that was father away from Luca, we would have moved. But Kilika is a short boats ride away, there was no need to.
"Nice place..." Auron was leaning against the back poarch my father had built us the off season before he went to Kilika.
"thanks, my father was quite the handyman, he built most of the house..." I joined Auron outside. "My mother said when they were first married, this house only had a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen..."
I smiled, very proud of my parents. "As you can see, now there are two additional bedrooms, a living room, this deck here..the gazebo, and a music room. Dad wanted me to take up a hobby when I was a child, but I was so clumsy at blitzball my mother suggested the piano." I laughed. I never tried to blitz since I was 10 years old, I wasn't sure if I wanted to try either. What if my coordination was worse off now?
"where are your parents now?" Auron asked, looking out at the harbour. There must have been a festivl going on, because fireworks now lit up the night sky. Fireworks were Luca's stars, the lights were too bright here to see any real ones.
"They've gone to the Farplane...Last year my mother was waiting for fathers return out on the warf....Sin came along juat as his ship came in, and sucked them up...along with many others that day." By this time I was fidgiting, rubbing my hands, trying to keep it together.
It only happened last year, but the pain was still real. I guess it was part of the reason why I set out to Bevelle with no real plan. In a way, I had to get out of Luca. From here, you can see exactly where it had happened. Of course, that part of the harbour was rebuilt. Still, I thought I could talk about it. I guess I was wrong.
"I'm sorry Tanith..." Auron didnt even look at me when he said that. I didnt think he really cared, but I also knew that he seemed to have had a problem with showing emotions. I decided not to take it as an insult, and went on.
"well, its over now...I have to..get on with life..." I watched him while I spoke, he seemed to stiffen up when I mentioned the word life. Perhaps he was having problems of his own. Ah, perhaps, because he left Bevelle, and his plans of becoming a Monk did not work out, he did not know what to do with himself?
"Well, I think I should get to bed..." I pushed away from the deck. "I know that it may be hard to sleep here, but it would be best if you tried. You are still coming to Kilika with me, right?"
"I told you I would..." He turned around, yet continued to lean on the railing. "I'd like ...to see Kilika with you.."
Auron smiled at me, and I smiled back at him before leaving to my bedroom. What he did afterwards I cant say. I am still curious to this day, as he did not follow me to his own room. Maybe he stayed up later watching the fireworks, which have become so familiar to me, I dont know. All I remember is that as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light...much like my first time in Bevelle.
"I hope you enjoyed the Chocobo ride!" he exclaimed. "I love Chocobos, someday I want to breed and raise them! or maybe, I'll have a job where I can ride them all day long!"
I chuckled, he was so full of high hopes,this little one. "I bet one day you will be. Dont ever give up on your dreams, and if you find one day that you've strayed off your path of making it to your dream...you can always hop right back on the path....if there is a will, there is a way..no?"
"Yup! Thank you Lady!" The boy jumped up and down. "I'm Clasko! I'm eight and a half years old, and I will always work with my favorite animal in the whole of spria! CHOCOBOS!!!"
I giggled and patted the boy on the head letting him run off to his mother, or guardian...It pleased me to see someone with great excitement, even in the face of this new sin. He would survive, I thought then. I only hoped that he could keep the same optimisim though his life.
Auron was waiting for me at the steps leading down into the city of Luca. Luca reminded me much of the Zanarkand of old, the city never really slept. There were always parties going well into the early hours of the morn. Especially during the Blirzball season. It was hard to get any sleep Luca during the playoffs. I could hear the crowds from where I stood, and there were two sets of stairs to go down before you were really in the middle of it all!
"Loud place..." Auron watched while I approached him. I had to smile though. He was proably used to people whispering in the temples, to the soft hymn of the fayth.
"yeah, you get used to it though..." I took a step down, and glanced back at him over my shoulder. Was he coming? he said that he may spend the night. I hoped that the loud noises didn't turn him off the idea. "coming?..I'd like to show you around...if you like"
That seemed to have jolted him out of his little space trip. For a moment there I thought I lost him to his own thoughts. But he smiled and nodded, coming up behind me.
"Luca isn't such a bad place. We do get our peace when the Blitz season is over you know..." I paused and bought a finger to my lips. "well, it still is a busy place I guess..."
"Obviously...Many merchants must come though here...people from Besaid...Kilika.." He said softly from behind. It was almost as if he were intimidated by the crowds.
"You are right...ever been to Kilika?" I had stoped to wait for him to catch up. He was taking his time, eyes so round, taking te city in.
"No, I can't say that I have..." Auron came to a stop beside me.
"It's only a short boats ride away, if you want me to show you..." I gave him a hopeful smile.
"Sure...why not, I have no where to go after this..." He brushed past me, so that I was left standing there with my mouth open.
I was glad he accepted my offer, but he also made me feel like he had nothing better to do than to hang out with me. Slightly peeved I ran up in front of him, and began to walk backwards so that I may have his attention while we walked.
"Listen, you dont have to..I'm sure there are better things to do than come with me..so.." I stoped walking, and forced him to come to a stop as well. "sooo, you can leave now..."
I didnt expect him to blink and look at me the way he did just then. He, well, he looked hurt. Hurt that I was asking him to leave. I didn't understand, because he was the one who hurt me by suggesting that being with me was just because he had nothing better to do.
"um.." I lowered my eyes. I couldn;t handle looking at him, he looked like a lost child being turned away when he thought he had just found some help. "I'm sorry..I meant..."
"I didnt mean to insist that you were not important to me Tanith..." he spoke quickly. "I simply meant to say, that I have a lot of time now that I do not have to go back to Bevelle...I had intended to spend it with you..."
"oh.." I blushed.."right..I..I was afraid you were going to leave now..Because, you did say you would spend the night here in Luca, and I did say I would show you around!"
I tried my best to make light of the situation.It seemed to have worked, for Auron tilted his head up, smirked and continued on his way down into Luca...
I had a place near the water, there was even a little beach in the backyard. It was away from all the wharvs, and docking bay's. It was alittle more peacefull here, though one could still hear the city sounds. It was just a fact of life here in Luca. Instead of making Auron shell out Gil for a hotel, I let him stay here in the spare bedroom.
I inhereited my home from my parents. They died when Sin first came though the Luca docks last year. My father, Liiko was a blitzball player, he played for the Goers until his contract expired and was hired by the Kilika Beasts a couple of years ago. Which is why I know Kilika like the back of my hand.My mother, Kiyura was a stay at home mother. I'm greatful that she chose to do this. I didnt get to see my father all that often, as after he was hired in Kilika he spent a lot of his time training over there. Had he played for a team that was father away from Luca, we would have moved. But Kilika is a short boats ride away, there was no need to.
"Nice place..." Auron was leaning against the back poarch my father had built us the off season before he went to Kilika.
"thanks, my father was quite the handyman, he built most of the house..." I joined Auron outside. "My mother said when they were first married, this house only had a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen..."
I smiled, very proud of my parents. "As you can see, now there are two additional bedrooms, a living room, this deck here..the gazebo, and a music room. Dad wanted me to take up a hobby when I was a child, but I was so clumsy at blitzball my mother suggested the piano." I laughed. I never tried to blitz since I was 10 years old, I wasn't sure if I wanted to try either. What if my coordination was worse off now?
"where are your parents now?" Auron asked, looking out at the harbour. There must have been a festivl going on, because fireworks now lit up the night sky. Fireworks were Luca's stars, the lights were too bright here to see any real ones.
"They've gone to the Farplane...Last year my mother was waiting for fathers return out on the warf....Sin came along juat as his ship came in, and sucked them up...along with many others that day." By this time I was fidgiting, rubbing my hands, trying to keep it together.
It only happened last year, but the pain was still real. I guess it was part of the reason why I set out to Bevelle with no real plan. In a way, I had to get out of Luca. From here, you can see exactly where it had happened. Of course, that part of the harbour was rebuilt. Still, I thought I could talk about it. I guess I was wrong.
"I'm sorry Tanith..." Auron didnt even look at me when he said that. I didnt think he really cared, but I also knew that he seemed to have had a problem with showing emotions. I decided not to take it as an insult, and went on.
"well, its over now...I have to..get on with life..." I watched him while I spoke, he seemed to stiffen up when I mentioned the word life. Perhaps he was having problems of his own. Ah, perhaps, because he left Bevelle, and his plans of becoming a Monk did not work out, he did not know what to do with himself?
"Well, I think I should get to bed..." I pushed away from the deck. "I know that it may be hard to sleep here, but it would be best if you tried. You are still coming to Kilika with me, right?"
"I told you I would..." He turned around, yet continued to lean on the railing. "I'd like ...to see Kilika with you.."
Auron smiled at me, and I smiled back at him before leaving to my bedroom. What he did afterwards I cant say. I am still curious to this day, as he did not follow me to his own room. Maybe he stayed up later watching the fireworks, which have become so familiar to me, I dont know. All I remember is that as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light...much like my first time in Bevelle.