I am so sorry that it's been so long since I updated! I've had like zero inspiration...Actually, I did have an idea for a New Year's Eve chapter, but never got around to writing it...Oh well...It wasn't anything brilliant, or anything like that! Anyway, it's also been kind of hard for me to type...I started guitar lessons, and my poor fingertips on my left hand are killing me! However, here is the next chapter. It's nothing great, being that it was written on absolutely no inspiration. Oh well...It's here though, right? By the way, it's kind of confusing, but hopefully everything will be cleared up later. It's 11:10 PM right now, as I type this, and...Well, I'm kind of tired...So, it's kind of ramblish. (That should be a word 'Ramblish!') Well, it should all make sense in the very end! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 9: A Passing Dream
"School is so lame," Rikku complained, as she pulled her jacket out of her locker, "Don't you think Yunie? Uh...Yunie?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, it's lame," Yuna said, wiping the dreamy smile that she was wearing off of her face.
"Whatchya thinkin' 'bout, anyways?" Rikku chirped, as she pulled her jacket on, "You've been really spacey lately. You feelin' okay?"
"Yeah...I'm fine," Yuna said, pulling on her own jacket.
"So, Dona's back in Kilika with her mom?" Rikku said, as the two walked down the now empty halls of their school, dragging their heavy backpacks along with them.
"Mmm-hm," Yuna just said, nodding, "She left yesterday."
"That's kind of sad 'bout her dad and all, but Dona was such a jerk. Seymour should have gone out with her. They would have made a good couple! Anyway, do you have dance today?"
"Dance? Uh...No," Yuna said.
"Do you need a ride home then?" Rikku asked.
"Uh...No...," Yuna said, biting her lip thoughtfully.
"Who's giving you a ride home? Your dad's away...Did he call a chauffeur?"
"Uh...Something like that..." Yuna put on a smile, and quickly said, "I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay Rikku?"
"Sure...I guess," Rikku just said, giving her cousin a questioning look.
Yuna just smiled, and waited until her cousin was out of sight, before leaving through the doors that the teachers usually used.
Sitting there, looking rather bored, in the teacher's parking lot, was Tidus, causing Yuna to smile.
"Hi!" she greeted him, throwing her bag in the back, "How are you?"
"Fine," Tidus said with a yawn, "I woke up like two minutes ago though..."
Yuna laughed and ruffled his hair, "Yeah, I can tell."
Tidus just yawned again, and started off.
"Busy partying last night?" Yuna asked, "I tried to get a hold of you, but no one was at your house."
"I had Blitz camp," Tidus said, giving a little smile, "What do you think I am, a major party attendant?"
Yuna just sighed and said, "How was Blitz camp?"
"Wonderful," Tidus said sarcastically.
"That's good," Yuna said, "So, where to?"
"Where to what? Don't you have dance, or don't you need to go home...Or..."
"What, you don't want to be around me?" Yuna said with a pout.
"No, it's not that...It's just...Someone might see us...together," Tidus said slowly.
"Who cares," Yuna said quickly, "I mean...I do...But..."
Tidus just sighed, and looked out the window as they stopped at a red light, before saying, "Yuna...It's really hard...If you know what I mean..."
"Tidus..." Yuna started, but only drifted off, "I understand."
Tidus had explained it all to her. On Yevonistmas Eve. Nooj's father, long ago, had started the Youth League, a league that was completely against Yevon, and the politics of Spira. Nooj's father had also been a good friend to Tidus' father. Anyway, as Tidus had said, his father joined the Youth League, and...well...Tidus had paused here for a while, as if contemplating on saying something else, before continuing.
"You see, Yuna, Nooj's father wasn't all that radical. He didn't kill anybody, or anything like that. But then members started leaving his group, and he became a little more...Crazy, I guess. Then, being that he was a good friend, my father remained. But...Well...Nooj's dad was a little too psycho by then. And when my father decided not to kill someone, Nooj's dad killed my mom. That's when my father quit Blitz and really started drinking. And...I guess it was only normal that the next generation of the Youth League continue...And...Well, therefore...I guess it was only natural that I help Nooj. I got off easy, and became just someone to give and get information. You were my first assignment. And...Dona was my second."
So, as Tidus explained, word couldn't get out that Yuna and Tidus were still seeing each other, or Nooj would get the wrong idea. Besides that, Yuna's father obviously figured Tidus was behind Ohalland's death. If Lord Braska knew about Tidus and Yuna...There could be some disasters there, too.
"But Tidus," Yuna said, as the light turned green and Tidus continued driving, "Can't we hang out a little? I mean, besides at night?"
"I talked to Nooj today," Tidus said, glancing over at Yuna, "He wants me to come play for the Luca Goers so that I can be closer in on all of the stuff over there."
"Really?" Yuna said, her eyes opened wide, "You're not moving there, are you?"
"No," Tidus said, "Everybody knows the political heads all reside here in Bevelle." Tidus gave a little snort, "Why do you think I live here, 'stead of Zanarkand?"
"So you're not going?"
"No. I hate the Goers, anyway. But if anything ever comes up so I can go to Zanarkand...Well, not much will hold me back then."
Yuna felt kind of crushed when he said this, but she figured it would be best for Tidus to get as far away from Bevelle and Luca...and politics for the matter. Everybody knew Zanarkand wasn't known for their following of Spira's traditions.
"If my father knew I was dating a boy from Zanarkand, he would probably ring my neck, literally," Yuna said, smiling.
"Oh yeah? Does he think all Zanarkand teens are rebellious little hellions?"
"He sure does," Yuna said, a small smile on her face.
"What's that smile for?" Tidus said, smiling too.
"Are you? Are you a rebellious teen?" Yuna just said.
"Maybe," Tidus said, "I killed Lord Ohalland, 'member?"
"That's not funny," Yuna said, her smile disappearing.
"Yeah...Sorry. I get the terrible sarcasm from my old man."
"It's okay..."
"Uh...Well, where to?" Tidus now asked.
"I guess to my house," Yuna just said slowly.
"Yuna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say what I just said. Honestly," Tidus said quickly, feeling rather bad for saying what he'd just said about Lord Ohalland. He supposed Yuna was kind of sad over the incident, even still.
"It's okay," Yuna just said again, although she looked kind of sad, before she said in a soft voice, "Why don't you just quit? Just get rid of Nooj. Forever..."
Tidus nearly slammed on the breaks before turning sharply to Yuna, looking rather upset.
"You don't even know what you just said," he said, "Dropping Nooj would be suicide. Don't you get that?"
His voice was so sharp that it had Yuna taken quite aback. Tidus just glared at her, before turning back to the road and driving calmly, and silently.
"Did Nooj kill your mother?" Yuna said, even though she already knew the answer.
Tidus didn't say anything for some time, but he finally nodded slightly and said, "Yep. Well, he had her killed. He's a powerful man, ya know. It's like this...You either go with the politics, or you don't. You're either the normal folk, which is about forty-five percent of Spira, or you're with Nooj, which is about another forty-five percent of Spira. The rest reside in Zanarkand, where they don't give a rip."
"What makes you like...So up there on Nooj's list?" Yuna asked.
"I got connections the usual eighteen-year-old doesn't have," Tidus just said simply with a shrug, "I'm in with a pretty powerful crowd. And I get to play Blitz on the side. Let's just say Nooj uses my Blitzball talent to his advantage. When you think about it, it was only natural that I'd end up going out with Dona, or you...Being that we are the most popular people in Spira."
"What?" Yuna seemed shocked at what he just said, "What do you mean?"
"Uh...It's a no-brainer, Yuna," Tidus just said, giving her a questioning look, "You, me. The daughter of Lord Braska, one of today's leading politics, and me, Tidus, the eighteen-year-old star of the Bevelle Brutes and the son of the legendary player of the Zanarkand Abes. Both of us are the same age, and...Well, we look good together. It's that simple. People expect us to get together sometime or another. Just like everybody expects that you'll end up marrying that Guado, Seymour, or whatever his name is."
"Huh?" Yuna just continued giving Tidus a blank stare. She honestly had no idea what he was talking about.
By now the two had been driving aimlessly around the blocks across from Yuna's school, still without knowing where they were headed. Not that either of them noticed...
"See Yuna, you just don't know how much talk goes on about you...You're really popular throughout Spira. Buy your old man has raised you quite sheltered..."
"Tidus, what are you talking about?" Yuna finally said, as Tidus trailed off.
"Nothing Yuna," Tidus just said, taking a deep breath, "It's just..." Tidus swallowed, "There's been attempts on your life, too, you know? And...And attempts to kidnap you...Like...Back when you were fifteen..."
"Wait a minute," Yuna said, shaking her head, "What are you talking about? You've known about me for that long?"
"Well, yeah," Tidus said, "And longer..."
Yuna just continued staring at him, before finally looking down at her lap.
"You mean to say, you've known about me all those years, but all you ever saw me as was a way to get to my father?"
"Yep," Tidus said, giving a quirky little smile, "I met you once too, long, long ago..."
"Take me home, please," Yuna said, tossing her head toward the window, not wanting to look at Tidus.
Tidus, seeing how she was acting, kind of bit his lip thoughtfully, but nodded and started toward Yuna's house.
"It's true though," Tidus said, after a little moment of silence, "Long ago...My father and your father used to be friends. And our mothers too. We were all friends, you know." Tidus swallowed, as if he was thinking of memories that he didn't want to be reminded of. "After the war, your dad got into politics, and my old man was at the peak of his Blitz career. Anyway, one day, my whole family was in Bevelle, 'cause my dad had a big game. My mom took me to the park, the same park you and I sat down at that one night, and said to me, "I'm going to introduce you to a friend." And...She took me by the hand, by the river, and on that same bench we sat at that night, sat a lady, and a little girl dressed in a frilly pink dress." Tidus swallowed again and stole a glance at Yuna, who was still looking out the window, although her expression was softened by Tidus' words.
"My mother and the lady embraced, and seemed so happy to see each other. The little girl though, just stood by her mother shyly. She was only four, or so, and I was only five. My mom's friend took the little girl by the hand and pulled her around her, and said, "This is Tidus. He's the same age as you!"
Tidus stopped again, and sighed, and said, "When I saw the little girl's face, I didn't know whether to laugh or be afraid, 'cause the little girl had two different colored eyes..."
At this, Yuna turned and looked at Tidus, who had stopped the car and was looking back at her.
"But then, the little girl gave a little curtsy thing, and shyly said, "Hi." And I decided I liked the bi-colored eyes..."
Tidus stopped again, and said, "But then this man ran up to the little girl and her mother, and said something, and that was it. The two ran off, leaving my mother and me behind. I didn't understand anything until a few years later, when my mother died..."
Tidus had now reached Yuna's house, and he pulled into the vacant driveway and parked. The two just sat there, in silence, neither of them knowing what to say.
"How do I know you're not making any of this up?" Yuna said, breaking the silence.
"I don't care what you want to believe," Tidus just said, looking over at Yuna, "I know the truth."
"You confuse me more and more," Yuna just said, grabbing her bag, "Honestly you do...I mean, how am I connected to you?"
Tidus just gave the quirkiest smile yet, and said, "We're connected in more ways than you could ever imagine."
Yuna had no idea what to say to this comment, but in return just said, "Goodbye, Tidus. Will I see you tomorrow?"
Tidus threw on a smile, and said, "Sure you will!"
And just like that, as if nothing had ever happened during that long drive around Bevelle, Yuna gave Tidus a smile in return and went to her house. Everything that had been said between the two seemed like nothing more than a passing dream...