Disclaimer: I still own nothing but this story. sighs Sorry that the plot
has been moving so slowly... I'm working on picking up the pace. Thanx for
all the great reviews you wonderful people have given me! hugs More to
come....
Chapter Five: Sleep Talker
When Yuna awoke once more it was not to the warm, welcoming Besaid sun. Instead, she woke up to the deep darkness, as clouds loomed above obscuring the light reflected by the moon. It seemed much colder than before, and she felt lonely being apart from Tidus. She could h ear muted footsteps from the dirt paths, and soft voices discussing the day's event over crackling fires and warm dinners.
She yawned deeply and stretched out her limbs before sitting up and breathing in a breath of cold, rejuvenating air. She ran her hand through her hair as she stood, and stumbled around blindly for a moment until her eyes adjusted to the dim light.
She slipped on a pair of sandals, and pulled aside her curtain-door to peer outside. Her sharp eyes scanned the figures reclining outside their small homes, but couldn't find who she was looking for. "Okay, Tidus, where are you?"
Being a small village, and seeing as how Yuna had grown up in Besaid, it didn't take her much longer to figure out where Tidus would have gone. She took a few steps in the direction of Lulu and Wakka's house, but stopped when she heard Tidus' voice say her name from inside the tent; there was something in his tone. He couldn't have known she was there, and he obviously wasn't calling her.
The realization came quickly: they were talking about her, and whatever was being said was not meant to reach her ears. Part of her respected their privacy and considered turning around and going home; but the majority of her thought, "What could they possibly be talking about that they wouldn't have said to me already?"
No sooner had the fateful thought entered her mind than Tidus' next words cut through her as though he had reached her core with the Brotherhood: "Wakka! It's like I don't even know who she is anymore!" he had exclaimed, countering yet another one of Wakka's attempts to sidestep the point he was obviously trying to make.
Yuna held her breath; she couldn't feel; she couldn't think. The world had stopped and she was left petrified. She could only stand in helpless agony as the conversation continued on the other side of the straw and canvas.
Tidus sighed, "I still love her. I'll always love her. I mean, she's all I've got..." he trailed off, and Wakka hung his head as Lulu nodded. "It's understandable," she said.
"You've been gone for two years, and Yuna has really grown up in that time."
"Yeah, and that's great," Tidus replied, "But I miss the old, well young, Yuna. The Yuna I know. I mean, I still love her, she's still 'Yuna' but--"
"Different," Lulu finished.
Tidus could only nod as small tears slowly filled the rims of his sad eyes. "I don't want to hurt her," he said, a lone, barely discernable tear streaming down his face. "She'll understand," Lulu assured him, her own heart breaking. "You just need to get to know her again,"
"You've changed too, ya know?" Wakka suddenly spoke. "I know!" Tidus stated. "That's part of why this is so hard!" He stopped and buried his face in his hands. "It's so hard having one image in my mind, that I've kept for so long, and suddenly--"
"Stop! Enough!" Lulu broke in. "She's still Yuna! The same Yuna you love! The same heart still beats in her chest, and her same transparent soul lies therein."
Tidus sighed again. "So, am I making a big deal over nothing?" he asked sincerely. "Not exactly," Lulu replied. "She has changed, that's for sure. With the experiences she's had--"
"Speaking of that," Tidus broke in. "Who are Shuyin and Lenne?" Lulu and Wakka looked at each other questioningly. "I have no idea. Why?" answered Lulu after a moment.
"She doesn't sleep well," Tidus said of Yuna, "I swear she wakes up looking even more tired than when she went to sleep. And she keeps saying the names Shuyin and Lenne." "Have you asked her about all this?" Lulu asked.
"No," Tidus admitted. "I'm afraid to ask her anything, 'cause it seems like all anyone ever says to her is in the form of a question." "I see," the mage seemed deep in thought for a moment, "I think the best thing would be to talk to her. You'll have to sooner or later." "I know." "Then go." "Alright. Thanks Lu, Wakka, see you guys," he stood to leave.
Yuna had a sudden panic attack, "He'll see me!" she shrieked mentally, and high-tailed it away from the tent, stopping when she reached the temple courtyard.
Tidus was oblivious to his beloved eavesdropper's presence, and made his way toward Yuna's tent that had become his home, as well. He looked inside when he reached the curtain door, only to find the room empty. Before he could even turn around, there were two small hands covering his eyes.
"Guess who?" asked the obviously forced-low voice.
He recognized it immediately.
"Oh my. I have no idea!" he said, taking the arms that were attached to the blinders, spinning around, and using his leg to knock the girl off her feet, finally catching her in his arms.
"AAA!!!" shrieked the assailed, in a now high voice.
"Tidus, you jerk!"
"Hey Rikku, what's up?"
She could only glare at him in mock anger. "What was the idea of all that? Ya tryin' to give me a heart attack?" Tidus laughed, and helped Rikku to stand again.
"You seen Yuna?" the two asked each other in unison, then sighed in unison.
"She probably went for a walk," Rikku offered. "Probably," Tidus answered, too many wheels spinning in his head. "I wonder—." "AA!!" Rikku shrieked again, jumping nearly three feet into the air.
Behind her stood a laughing Yuna, who had obviously managed to, uh, startle Rikku. "Wha' was that for?!" yelped Rikku, nearly hyperventilating.
"Easy target," came Paine's reply. She had been standing in the shadows, observing. "But keep your voice down. Your voice could wake the dead."
"That's not funny," Rikku pouted. Yuna and Tidus laughed, and Yuna walked over to stand by Tidus.
She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go home. We need to talk." Tidus cocked his head to the side, questioningly. "Don't you trust me?" Yuna asked, eyes filling with fake tears. It was working. "Of course I do," Tidus replied, his voice cracking. Rikku giggled to herself.
Tidus sent her a look that silenced her immediately.
Yuna started walking toward her home, pulling Tidus along with her. They soon were inside, and Yuna released Tidus' hand. Then came the question that every man who ever lived dreaded to hear from the mouth of a woman: "Why do you love me?"
Tidus was so taken aback that his jaw literally dropped open. "You're serious?" She nodded, crossing her arms. Where do I begin? --- Personality! Don't say looks first. "Where to begin?" he paused, seemingly thinking very deeply as he took a seat on the bed.
"I love your soul, your spirit, your mind. I love your kindness, your compassion, your depth, and sense of humor. I love the way you set me straight when I despair. I love your eyes, your hair, everything about you, down to your toes." Yuna couldn't' help but stand there in front of him, tears rolling down her face. She watched as Tidus' face went from thoughtful, right to that smirk he always got right before he said something dirty.
"And I especially love the way you call me God." Yuna just stared at him, confused. He broke into a high-pitched, mocking cry, "Oh-God-Tidus!!" Oooo!!! You!!!!" She ran at him and tackled him onto the bed, laughing. Tidus looked up at the beautiful woman on top of him, and tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Did you really have to ask?"
Oh Tidus, why do I doubt you so?
The large silhouette walked ominously from the ruins and onto the main path. A fiend who had made the futile attempt to bar the shadow's path had been met with a swift execution. The figure continued on its way, not stopping to give the gawking tourists another thought.
"Where is the nearest airship?" he asked. "Hover, anything. I need to get somewhere quickly."
The lady behind the kiosk counter was startle by the gruff voice. "About a 15 minute walk down that path," she pointed. "Thank you," he replied, and made his way down the path.
About eighteen minutes later, he reached a boat, docked. "Can you get me to Besaid?" he asked the captain roughly. "I can get you as far as Luca. You can take another boat from there." "Alright. Let's go." The man paid his fare and boarded the boat.
He made his way to a secluded area of the hold, and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "I hope I'm not too late."
Chapter Five: Sleep Talker
When Yuna awoke once more it was not to the warm, welcoming Besaid sun. Instead, she woke up to the deep darkness, as clouds loomed above obscuring the light reflected by the moon. It seemed much colder than before, and she felt lonely being apart from Tidus. She could h ear muted footsteps from the dirt paths, and soft voices discussing the day's event over crackling fires and warm dinners.
She yawned deeply and stretched out her limbs before sitting up and breathing in a breath of cold, rejuvenating air. She ran her hand through her hair as she stood, and stumbled around blindly for a moment until her eyes adjusted to the dim light.
She slipped on a pair of sandals, and pulled aside her curtain-door to peer outside. Her sharp eyes scanned the figures reclining outside their small homes, but couldn't find who she was looking for. "Okay, Tidus, where are you?"
Being a small village, and seeing as how Yuna had grown up in Besaid, it didn't take her much longer to figure out where Tidus would have gone. She took a few steps in the direction of Lulu and Wakka's house, but stopped when she heard Tidus' voice say her name from inside the tent; there was something in his tone. He couldn't have known she was there, and he obviously wasn't calling her.
The realization came quickly: they were talking about her, and whatever was being said was not meant to reach her ears. Part of her respected their privacy and considered turning around and going home; but the majority of her thought, "What could they possibly be talking about that they wouldn't have said to me already?"
No sooner had the fateful thought entered her mind than Tidus' next words cut through her as though he had reached her core with the Brotherhood: "Wakka! It's like I don't even know who she is anymore!" he had exclaimed, countering yet another one of Wakka's attempts to sidestep the point he was obviously trying to make.
Yuna held her breath; she couldn't feel; she couldn't think. The world had stopped and she was left petrified. She could only stand in helpless agony as the conversation continued on the other side of the straw and canvas.
Tidus sighed, "I still love her. I'll always love her. I mean, she's all I've got..." he trailed off, and Wakka hung his head as Lulu nodded. "It's understandable," she said.
"You've been gone for two years, and Yuna has really grown up in that time."
"Yeah, and that's great," Tidus replied, "But I miss the old, well young, Yuna. The Yuna I know. I mean, I still love her, she's still 'Yuna' but--"
"Different," Lulu finished.
Tidus could only nod as small tears slowly filled the rims of his sad eyes. "I don't want to hurt her," he said, a lone, barely discernable tear streaming down his face. "She'll understand," Lulu assured him, her own heart breaking. "You just need to get to know her again,"
"You've changed too, ya know?" Wakka suddenly spoke. "I know!" Tidus stated. "That's part of why this is so hard!" He stopped and buried his face in his hands. "It's so hard having one image in my mind, that I've kept for so long, and suddenly--"
"Stop! Enough!" Lulu broke in. "She's still Yuna! The same Yuna you love! The same heart still beats in her chest, and her same transparent soul lies therein."
Tidus sighed again. "So, am I making a big deal over nothing?" he asked sincerely. "Not exactly," Lulu replied. "She has changed, that's for sure. With the experiences she's had--"
"Speaking of that," Tidus broke in. "Who are Shuyin and Lenne?" Lulu and Wakka looked at each other questioningly. "I have no idea. Why?" answered Lulu after a moment.
"She doesn't sleep well," Tidus said of Yuna, "I swear she wakes up looking even more tired than when she went to sleep. And she keeps saying the names Shuyin and Lenne." "Have you asked her about all this?" Lulu asked.
"No," Tidus admitted. "I'm afraid to ask her anything, 'cause it seems like all anyone ever says to her is in the form of a question." "I see," the mage seemed deep in thought for a moment, "I think the best thing would be to talk to her. You'll have to sooner or later." "I know." "Then go." "Alright. Thanks Lu, Wakka, see you guys," he stood to leave.
Yuna had a sudden panic attack, "He'll see me!" she shrieked mentally, and high-tailed it away from the tent, stopping when she reached the temple courtyard.
Tidus was oblivious to his beloved eavesdropper's presence, and made his way toward Yuna's tent that had become his home, as well. He looked inside when he reached the curtain door, only to find the room empty. Before he could even turn around, there were two small hands covering his eyes.
"Guess who?" asked the obviously forced-low voice.
He recognized it immediately.
"Oh my. I have no idea!" he said, taking the arms that were attached to the blinders, spinning around, and using his leg to knock the girl off her feet, finally catching her in his arms.
"AAA!!!" shrieked the assailed, in a now high voice.
"Tidus, you jerk!"
"Hey Rikku, what's up?"
She could only glare at him in mock anger. "What was the idea of all that? Ya tryin' to give me a heart attack?" Tidus laughed, and helped Rikku to stand again.
"You seen Yuna?" the two asked each other in unison, then sighed in unison.
"She probably went for a walk," Rikku offered. "Probably," Tidus answered, too many wheels spinning in his head. "I wonder—." "AA!!" Rikku shrieked again, jumping nearly three feet into the air.
Behind her stood a laughing Yuna, who had obviously managed to, uh, startle Rikku. "Wha' was that for?!" yelped Rikku, nearly hyperventilating.
"Easy target," came Paine's reply. She had been standing in the shadows, observing. "But keep your voice down. Your voice could wake the dead."
"That's not funny," Rikku pouted. Yuna and Tidus laughed, and Yuna walked over to stand by Tidus.
She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go home. We need to talk." Tidus cocked his head to the side, questioningly. "Don't you trust me?" Yuna asked, eyes filling with fake tears. It was working. "Of course I do," Tidus replied, his voice cracking. Rikku giggled to herself.
Tidus sent her a look that silenced her immediately.
Yuna started walking toward her home, pulling Tidus along with her. They soon were inside, and Yuna released Tidus' hand. Then came the question that every man who ever lived dreaded to hear from the mouth of a woman: "Why do you love me?"
Tidus was so taken aback that his jaw literally dropped open. "You're serious?" She nodded, crossing her arms. Where do I begin? --- Personality! Don't say looks first. "Where to begin?" he paused, seemingly thinking very deeply as he took a seat on the bed.
"I love your soul, your spirit, your mind. I love your kindness, your compassion, your depth, and sense of humor. I love the way you set me straight when I despair. I love your eyes, your hair, everything about you, down to your toes." Yuna couldn't' help but stand there in front of him, tears rolling down her face. She watched as Tidus' face went from thoughtful, right to that smirk he always got right before he said something dirty.
"And I especially love the way you call me God." Yuna just stared at him, confused. He broke into a high-pitched, mocking cry, "Oh-God-Tidus!!" Oooo!!! You!!!!" She ran at him and tackled him onto the bed, laughing. Tidus looked up at the beautiful woman on top of him, and tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Did you really have to ask?"
Oh Tidus, why do I doubt you so?
The large silhouette walked ominously from the ruins and onto the main path. A fiend who had made the futile attempt to bar the shadow's path had been met with a swift execution. The figure continued on its way, not stopping to give the gawking tourists another thought.
"Where is the nearest airship?" he asked. "Hover, anything. I need to get somewhere quickly."
The lady behind the kiosk counter was startle by the gruff voice. "About a 15 minute walk down that path," she pointed. "Thank you," he replied, and made his way down the path.
About eighteen minutes later, he reached a boat, docked. "Can you get me to Besaid?" he asked the captain roughly. "I can get you as far as Luca. You can take another boat from there." "Alright. Let's go." The man paid his fare and boarded the boat.
He made his way to a secluded area of the hold, and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "I hope I'm not too late."
