FINAL CHAPTER: TIDUS'S FINALE

The three of them faced Tidus, ready and armed, Yuna in her gunsphere, fired up and ready, while her two companions got her back. Rikku sharp as her own knives, her teeth sparkled in the foreground of the farplane's mist. While Paine stood tense, ready to go forward like a bow ready to swing her large blade.

But Tidus stood his ground and cried out, "Yuna! You can't be serious, honey. This is Tidus, your only true love her! You can't fight me!"

"Tidus, I do love you but what you've done to Baralai has crossed the lines, I don't know...STOP! I don't want any more say on it. We have to fight!"

The blonde haired man gave her a steely stare, his blue eyes looked at her blue and green ones, determined yet beneath, and there was a slight faltering. He loved her, but not this way. Not this way. They all stood there, waiting for the other to attack but Rikku started, she threw the first throw. And off her knives go with two quick swipes, her suede brown skirt swaying in the slight breeze and she made some damage. He didn't prepare his stance and defense for the upper cuts.

He swiped back his cut face with the back of his arm and gritted his teeth, his visage looking very similar to that of Shuyin years ago that Yuna had to gasp aloud, making her vulnerable for a split second, letting her guns down. It was Paine who took the initiative but too late, Tidus was too quick for her, while she attacked with her heavy sword, Tidus made a double flip over Paine and with his burning sword stabbed her with several swipes of his own, making Paine double over. Luckily she was the most armored one of them all, accepting the damage with grace and continued to parry back with her own thrust of the sword, missing her mark. She grunted with disapproval with her own lax attack. It has been awhile since she's been able to fight in combat with worthy opponents. Most of their challengers were stupid monsters that roamed the calm lands and gorges. They were easy as pie but this one, this unsent called Tidus, a dream had skills so similar to Shuyin that she winced.

"Ready to put down your swords, ladies?" Tidus taunted with a sneer.

Yuna shot out, her guns on automatic and she double flipped front forward, getting closer to her once lover who turned enemy. She had to do this for the sake of Baralai's own demise and her own stupid carelessness of throwing away his love. What was she thinking? She was married and made vows. Was she no better than any harlot that roamed the boardwalks of Kilika?

"Yuna!" Tidus held her fast before she could pump any more bullets into this open wounds. He had swallowed some cures quickly and he breathed his sweet familiar breath in her ear. "My dearest, please, don't do this. You don't think for a minute that Baralai would do the same in my place? He would want to be with you forever!"

"Oh Tidus, NO! You have to be stopped. You can't get away with this! Unless you bring back Baralai's soul into him. Give him a phoenix down!" Yuna cried through wet tears that blocked her vision and her concentration to aim properly.

Rikku and Paine lowered their weapons slowly after witnessing the scene before them. Yuna in Tidus's arms, where moments before he was fighting them. "Tidus, please, bring him back!"

Tidus waited for a moment. No one saw that he was doing something. Something that would send Yuna beyond the farplane and into his world.

Yuna's wet eyes opened wide and screamed. She knew that he wasn't going to relent. He was determined despite his pleading of love and adoration. It was a ruse! And she fell for it every time!

Easy, stand your ground, her father Braska would say to her when she was little. An enemy he would say only wanted one thing and that was to abolish everything in which you stand for and for what they believe they think is necessary to get to their own needs. It was this way or nothing else. He was just doing his part, living the rest of his empty existence in the farplanes of the unsent and the dream world of which Yuna created. Not one of them wanted to be stepped on, or heaven help them, relent to the other. Because, they would not be together if that is the case. And to Tidus, to spend an eternity without Yuna was not in the plan.

Finally, Tidus raised his blazing sword, creating a halo around him and Yuna and she made a back flip far away from the light that nearly blinded them.

"You stay there!" she screamed. "Wipe that grin off your face."

Then it was when the fayth came visible to them, stopping Tidus in his execution of their existence. Their voices were filled with ancient echoes and Paine and Rikku wondered at the purplish aura like light that seem to have stopped the two from fighting.

The fayth came up to Yuna, "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to have Tidus come and wreck your life, Yuna. We allowed him to continue here in the farplane, here in the depths in hopes that you can always be with him in your dreams but unfortunately, he had acquired jealousies and envy that had built up over time. He couldn't bear to see you having a child with another and all the benefits of what it means to be human.......again."

With that little speech, Yuna nodded. She glanced at Tidus, frozen in time it seems but he looked menacing and ready to hurt her. Looking away quickly she didn't want to remember this horrible part of Tidus. If anything, remembering him as he was before was something to keep in memory. Not this.

"What about my husband Baralai?"

"Oh yes, we shall give him the phoenix down you deserve for him. Give this to him now and he will revive when you take him away from here." After the fayth gave the piece of gel capsule to Yuna, the fayth said, "Do you not want to see Tidus anymore? After this?"

Yuna had three options:

1.Yes: But only as before!

2. No, that's okay, I should live my life with Baralai now with no interruptions of my lost first love.

3. I don't want any part of these two! Who needs men?!

Yuna hesitated and then finally, nodded and pausing at the 1st question, she chose the 2nd.

"Okay, Yuna, it shall be done." The fayth replied with confirmation.

BACK IN BEVELLE

Baralai had to remain in bed for a few days. It was a very difficult healing process for him to return back from the near dead. After closing the bed chambers, Yuna walked out and Paine and Rikku smiled with some semblance that Yuna's husband will be okay.

"Yunie?! How is he? Is he going to be up on his feet soon?" piped Rikku.

"Humpf, that Tidus was pretty strong and agile if I may say so, I'd give him another battle just for practice sake," Paine remarked seriously.

"You two have been wonderful. Thank you." Yuna said gratefully, "He'll be up on his feet in a few days or that's what the doctors say. It's funny how we never needed doctors before when a couple of phoenix downs and cures will do the job....but now, now that things have accelerated, things about death and how much time a person can remain dead in the farplane, I don't think Baralai would be able to get back considering he was killed by Tidus."

"Phew!" cried Rikku. "I'm sure glad that the fayth came when they did huh?"

"Yes, and I have good news!" Yuna blushed.

"Oh?!"

"I'm pregnant!"

"Again?!" Rikku gasped. "Wow! At this rate, even Lulu will need to catch up to you! I bet Wakkas not attending to his duties fast enough!"

Paine shook her head, "You've such a dirty little mind, Rikku. It's not a wonder you haven't gotten laid by that Gippal guy. He's such a player you know."

"Oh! At this rate, I'll end up a lesbian like you!" giggled Rikku.

"Uh no. I don't think so! You can't just be a lesbian like that, Rikku. You know when you are or not! And you're not! You're too busy staring at Gippal or some other hot looking Al bhed guy and once you did look at Baralai with some interest before he married Yuna."

"I did not!" Rikku cried, horrified to have been found out.

But as the two kept arguing back and forth, Yuna placed a hand over her stomach and with some worry; she realized that the baby she carried, isn't from Baralai but from Tidus.

She looked out the window for a second, watching the clouds move quickly with the wind and seem to see Tidus's face reflect there, smiling, contented and be the man she once knew.

Looking at her belly, she whispered, "You're going to look just like your daddy, aren't you?"

THE END