Wow...I think this might be one of my favorite chapters yet! Again, I hope it's not too terribly confusing! This is the big Valentine's Day update I've been talking about! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 15: False Spring
Her phone rang again for what seemed like the tenth time that day. Sighing, Yuna picked it up, and, sighing again, realized it was Tidus. She didn't have the nerve to speak to him, so she had let her voice mail pick up every time, and every time, Tidus left a message urging her to call him back. The poor guy–he probably thought she hated him.
The truth was, Yuna couldn't hate Tidus, but knew what she had to do with Seymour. She couldn't continue loving Tidus if she was to be wed. She just couldn't.
It was a Saturday, and Valentine's Day was in just two short days. The weather outside was very warm, although Yuna was mightily convinced that the weather wouldn't remain warm forever.
The phone rang again, and Yuna realized that it wasn't Tidus calling, but Rikku.
Sprawling out across her bed on her stomach, Yuna brought her phone to her ear.
"What's up, Rikku?" she said.
"Hey Yunie! It's been so long since we last talked!"
"I know," Yuna just said, "I've been busy." That was a lie, for Yuna had actually spent most of her time in her room, staring at the phone and listening to Tidus' voice messages over and over and over again.
"So..." Rikku pressed, "It's almost Valentine's Day! Are you doing anything special with you-know-who?"
"Who?" Yuna said, forgetting that Rikku knew about Tidus and her.
"Tidus, who else!" Rikku finally said.
"Oh...No..." Yuna just said softly.
"What? Did you two break up again?"
"Well...Sort of," Yuna just said, and decided to change the subject, "What about Gippal and you? Are you doing anything?"
Rikku gave a little pout into the phone, and said, "Gippal's not here."
"He's not?" Yuna said, "Where is he?"
"In Bikanel. He's taking part in those riots."
"What?" Yuna said, shocked, "He's taking part of those riots?"
"Yep. And I would too if my dad would let me."
"But Rikku..." Yuna trailed. She couldn't believe it. Her own cousin and ex-boyfriend were taking part in the matter that was ruining her life.
"But what? Come on Yunie, even the daughter of a Maester should go with her own kind!" Rikku said, "Surely you're not against our cause?"
"No...I'm neutral," Yuna said quickly, "But...Well, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"Would things get better...If an Al Bhed and Guado were to be wed?"
"I don't know," Rikku said, "Who's getting married?"
"Uh...Seymour and an Al Bhed. A very popular one..."
"Seymour's getting married! No way!" Rikku cried, "But I suppose that could do some good. I mean, a guado and an Al Bhed. Especially if the Al Bhed was some major Yevon figure. Kind of like if it were your own self!"
"Please don't say that," Yuna said quickly, "I...I could never marry Seymour!" Then, Yuna started to cry.
"What's wrong Yunie? I didn't mean it like that!" Rikku said consolingly.
"But Rikku...I am going to be the one to marry Seymour!"
"WHAT?" Rikku practically shrieked in Yuna's ear, "Oh no you won't! You can't! You're...You're only seventeen! And...And that's just not right!"
"But I have to," Yuna just said, burying her face in her bed, "I have no other choice."
"There has to be something you can do!" Rikku moaned, "Anything! What did Tidus say?"
"I haven't spoken to him yet," Yuna just said, "I can't bring myself to tell him..."
Rikku and Yuna were both silent then, before Rikku finally said, "When are Seymour and you supposed to get hitched?"
"He's 'proposing' to me on Valentine's Day," Yuna just said, soft tears falling from her eyes, "To join the Al Bhed with the Guado."
"Well," Rikku just said softly, "If I were you, and couldn't get around it, I'd at least spend my last days with Tidus. You do like him a lot, don't you Yunie?"
"Who, Tidus?" Yuna said, her mind failing to comprehend her cousin's words.
"Yeah, Tidus," Rikku just said.
"Yes, I like him a lot," Yuna just sighed, "I'm going to go...I think I should tell Tidus."
"Okay Yunie...But...Are you sure there's no way you can get out of it?"
"I have to do Rikku. I have to do this for Spira's own good. Anyway, I'll talk to you later."
"Bye Yunie."
"Bye Rikku."
At that, Yuna hung up her phone, and slowly began to dial Tidus' number.
"Hello?" Tidus' voice was heard as he answered the phone.
Just at the sound of his voice made Yuna's eyes spew out more tears, but she managed to hold her voice still as she said, "Hello."
"Yuna? Hey, where've you been? I've been tryin' to call you now for like hours."
"I know," Yuna just said, and swallowed, "I'm sorry."
"Well, the reason I was calling you was 'cause I was going to ask if you wanted to do something for Valentine's Day. We'd have to do it tonight though, 'cause tomorrow I'm goin' to Luca for a week-long Blitz camp. So, are you up?"
Yuna was silent for a while, and, remembering Rikku's words, said, "Yes, of course."
"Okay, so...I'll pick you up at like six. Oh, and we'll go someplace fairly fancy, so...Yeah..."
"Okay," Yuna just said.
"I'll see you at six then!" Tidus said, and then hung up, before Yuna could even say 'goodbye'.
Sighing, Yuna clicked her phone off, and buried her face in her arms. She actually didn't know if she wanted to see Tidus. After all, what if seeing him made her not want to marry Seymour even more?
Yuna finally picked herself off of her bed, and decided that she was at least going to enjoy her last night of her life. She chose a black dress to wear, deciding it would go well with her feelings. It was a really simple dress, really. Just a long, thin-strapped black dress. She didn't care...There was no need to impress anybody.
Yuna held the dress up to herself, eying her reflection in the mirror. It was already two in the afternoon, and the warmth of the sun was shining through her large windows. Yuna couldn't help but smile slightly, reminding herself of the outdoor's sudden warmth. She then laid the dress aside, and started to apply her make-up.
"So, where are we going?" Yuna said, trying her hardest to act happy.
"A place on the west-side of town," Tidus said, and was clad in a black tuxedo. He looked so nice all dressed up, although his hair was still in it's almost careless state. Yuna smiled, knowing that although his hair appeared messy, it really took him a lot of work to get it that way, "There'll be like no cameras and stuff there."
"Do you go there often?" Yuna asked.
"I used to," Tidus just said, "But I haven't been there for a long time."
"I see," Yuna just said softly, as Tidus pulled into the driveway of what she supposed was the place they were going to eat.
It was a nice place, filled with the noise of the piano. In fact, it was so nice that it surprised Yuna that Tidus would have ever stopped at such a place. It was old fashioned and ever so classical...The complete opposite of Tidus.
"What? Is it too much?" Tidus said, seeing the looks on Yuna's face.
"No, it's lovely," Yuna just said, linking her arm in Tidus', "I was just examining it, that's all."
"Aren't you used to this kind of atmosphere?" Tidus asked.
"Yes, but I didn't know you were," Yuna said.
Tidus was silent then, as the waiter led them to their seats. The entire atmosphere of everything was wonderfully sweet, and normally Yuna would have taken everything in and just been in love with the moment, but with everything on her mind, she just couldn't. She couldn't concentrate on anything, not even the menu.
"Tidus," she finally said, putting the menu down with a distant look in her eyes, "There's something really important I have to tell you."
"Do you drink wine?" Tidus said, completely not-hearing Yuna, for he was so wrapped in the menu.
"No, we're underage," Yuna said, somewhat vexed.
"Yeah, but if you like it, I can get it," Tidus just said.
"No, I don't like it," Yuna said, still somewhat annoyed.
"Good. I was just making sure," Tidus said, wrinkling his nose, "I don't like it either. Now what was it you were saying?"
"I was saying that there's something really important I have to tell you."
"What's that?"
Yuna swallowed, and looked away from Tidus' questioning gaze, trying hard not to cry. It wasn't as if she necessarily felt like crying, but she was unable to even guess at how Tidus would react to the news, and it made her quite worried.
Finally, taking a deep breath, Yuna said, "Tidus, we can't see each other anymore."
"How come?" Tidus said, giving Yuna a very quizzical look.
Yuna swallowed again, and said, "Because I'm getting married."
"You're what?" Tidus said, and looked as if he really hadn't heard what she had just said. He had a strange, almost urgent look on his face that made Yuna want to break out in tears right then and there. Just seeing him in that state...Well...It wasn't something she really wanted to witness.
"I said, I'm getting married," Yuna said, her voice quivering as she spoke.
"What? To...To who?" Tidus just said, the urgency in his eyes growing.
"To Seymour," Yuna said, and the bit her lip, before quickly saying, "All of those riots have just led to—."
"Wait a minute," Tidus said, putting his hand out, blinking a couple of times, "You're getting married to Seymour? That Guado?"
Yuna nodded, "Yes. Because I'm half Al Bhed, and he's half Guado. They think it'll solve some problems..."
Tidus leaned forward in his chair, with his mouth agape. He looked shocked, but other than that, Yuna couldn't really tell how he was feeling.
After a moment of silence, Tidus leaned back in his chair, blinking his eyes a couple of times, before muttering, "No...That can't be..."
"Tidus, I'm sorry—," Yuna started, before he exploded.
"HOW CAN YOU AGREE TO THAT!" he said, his voice loud. He lowered it, then, noticing that many people were looking at them, and continued, "Yuna, why would you agree to such a thing? How can you..." He looked confused and just kept shaking his head and blinking his eyes. Then, he swallowed and slammed his fist on the table, causing Yuna to jump.
"Tidus—," she started, "I'm sorry...I...I don't want to...But..."
"But what?" Tidus said, now sounding angry, "You can't tell your damn father to stay out of your damn business? You can't tell that rotten, damned father of yours that you don't want to marry that damn Guado? Is that it?"
"Please don't yell at me," Yuna said, a tear slipping down her face, "I don't have a choice!"
"Don't tell me you don't have a damn choice," Tidus said, his teeth clenched tightly together, "Stop telling me these damn lies!" At that, Tidus grabbed his glass of water and sucked half of it down, slamming it back on the table. He was breathing hard, and kept shaking his head.
After a moment of Tidus' deep breaths and Yuna's silent tears, Tidus finally took a very deep breath to calm himself, and said, "When did you find out?"
"A couple of days ago," Yuna said softly, "Seymour's going to propose on Valentine's Day. We'll be married in about a month after that."
Tidus shook his head again, and looked away from Yuna. He had gone from angry to almost a tearful state.
He just kept blinking his eyes, swallowing, and shaking his head, obviously trying to keep tears from coming.
Finally, he turned back to Yuna, and said, almost desperately, "But...I...I..." He couldn't quite say whatever it was that he wanted to say though, and the waiter then brought them their food, although the waiter was eying them, as if wondering what the matter was.
Tidus began to eat, obviously deciding to drop the subject for the time being. Yuna's appetite, or at least the small one she had, seemed to diminish completely, and she could only stare at her food.
Upon finishing his food, Tidus suddenly looked to the side, his eyes with a small film over them, and said, after swallowing again, of course, "But...I love you..."
Yuna didn't know what to say then, and she could only look away to the other side. They sat there like that, both looking opposite ways on the verge of tears for quite some time, before Yuna noted that it was far past her curfew.
"Tidus," she said softly, "I think I should go now. I'll...I'll call a taxi to come and get me."
Tidus just nodded, and Yuna noticed he had gone back to looking angry again. Yuna thanked Tidus for taking her out, and then, biting her lip, slowly left the table, leaving Tidus there to himself.
Yuna walked outside, greeted by a slightly chillier breeze, being that the sun had disappeared quite some time ago. The smell of rain was in the air, which surprised Yuna, for it had been quite some time since it had last rained.
Yuna walked along the side of the road, deciding that she had a better idea of where she wanted to go to clear her thoughts. She wanted to go the park that Tidus and her had first expressed their love for one-another...The place where Tidus said they had first met, years ago...The place that she had met him at on the eve of Yevonistmas. The park by the river.
Yuna arrived at the park and took a seat in a bench by the river, pulling her jacket up upon her shoulders, hoping it wouldn't rain. She knew she could call for a taxi whenever she wished, but she just couldn't bring herself to call. She just wanted to sit there and ponder on nothing.
Slowly, one-by-one, she felt gentle raindrops on her skin, and the wetness of them seemed to go straight through her clothes and her skin, straight to her bones and blood. She wrapped her jacket around herself, and just miserably stared at the rushing river below her.
"...Lady Yuna...I didn't expect to find you here."
Yuna's eyes popped open as she heard that voice, almost casting an even eerier gleam on the rain.
Turning sharply around in her seat, Yuna saw none other than Seymour Guado himself, stumbling closer to her.
"Uh...Seymour?" Yuna said, "What are you doing here?"
In response, Seymour wrapped his long fingers around Yuna's petite wrist and dragged her up, pulling her face close to his.
"What were you doing with Tidus," he sneered loudly, "I watched it all."
"What do you mean?" Yuna asked, her breath becoming rushed.
"You know exactly what I mean!" Seymour cried, and shoved Yuna against the cold, wet pavement.
"Seymour, what is wrong with you?" Yuna shrieked, as she hit the pavement, her cheek brushing against it, and her knee scraping. She could smell alcohol in his breath, but she had no idea what his problem was.
"You are going to be my wife," Seymour said, grabbing Yuna by the neck and pulling her up, "So you better start acting like it!"
He shoved her back onto the bench then, and forcefully sat down next to her, grabbing her face.
"Seymour, I dumped him!" Yuna said.
"Then tell me you love me," Seymour said, his eyes glaring at Yuna, "Or I'll tell your father everything. And believe me...Tidus will be the one to pay the price."
"He's done nothing wrong," Yuna said.
"I know all about Lord Ohalland," Seymour just said, tightening his grip on Yuna's head, "Now tell me now."
"I...I love you," Yuna said, her voice even more rushed, as the scrape across her cheek suddenly throbbed.
In return, Seymour slapped Yuna hard against her already burning cheek, and screamed, "Say it like you mean it!"
"I love you!" Yuna said, tears sliding down her face, "Seymour, leave me alone!"
"Not until you prove it!" Seymour said, hitting Yuna in the head, knocking her to the ground.
"Seymour please—!" Yuna said through her tears, "I'm sorry!"
Seymour lifted her back up then, and held her body up against his, and said, "Kiss me."
"But—."
"I said, kiss me!" Seymour roared, and slapped Yuna again.
Yuna quickly pressed her lips against his slimy, disgusting ones and broke away from him quickly.
"That's the best you can do?" Seymour said, gripping her shoulders tight. He began to shake her violently. Then, he pulled out a gun, and said, "Kiss me again!"
"Please stop Seymour!" Yuna cried, "Please!"
Suddenly, a pistol shot rang through the air, causing everything to seem to go black. Yuna felt Seymour's grip on her loosen, but she couldn't comprehend on what was going on. Suddenly the now-pouring rain seemed to soak straight through Yuna, and she fell to her knees.
It took her a second to realize that it had been Seymour that had brought her down. Yuna suddenly clasped her hands over her mouth, as she realized that next to her, Seymour was lying there, staring lifelessly at the sky, blood leaking through a hold in his neck.
"Seymour?" Yuna said, shaking him, tears sliding down her face. Yuna continued shaking him for a while and looked up only to see a raised pistol from shaking hands.
"Tidus?" Yuna said, standing her soaking body up, "Tidus?"
It was indeed Tidus, standing there with his outstretched pistol. He put the pistol down, and appeared to be crying also.
"Tidus!" Yuna shrieked, "You killed him! You killed Seymour!"
At that moment, sirens were suddenly heard from a nearby and approaching Yevonite car. Yuna glanced around, guessing that the Yevonite had heard the gunshot and was coming to investigate.
"Tidus!" Yuna said, "Please, get out of here!"
"But–." Tidus dropped the pistol, and it clattered to the ground. He stared at the pistol, then at Seymour's body, and then back at Yuna.
"Go!" Yuna said, her vision completely blurred by the rain and her tears, "You have to go! They'll arrest you!"
Looking confused, Tidus started backing up, and then broke into a run, jumping in his car, and speeding off, just as a Yevonite car pulled into the park.
Spotting Tidus' fallen pistol, Yuna grabbed it quickly and shoved it in her purse. The Yevonite came out, and was shining his flashlight, and immediately caught sight of Yuna.
"Sir!" Yuna cried, "It's Seymour! He just...He just killed himself! Please, come help!" Yuna had large tears streaming down her face, and pointed to Seymour and Seymour's gun, which was lying next to him.
"Oh Yevon, please do something!" Yuna cried, and was crying out of honesty. She had never meant for any of this.
"Please," she shrieked, "Do something..."
After that, everything seemed to go as a blur, and Yuna passed out.
The rain slowly began to turn to snow...Signaling the end of the false spring.
A/N: Well...What did you think? No fluff though...And it's even a Valentine's Day chapter! If you want fluff, just say so, and I'll be sure to put some in sometime! Anyway, hope you enjoyed! By the way, Gackt's new album is out Valentine's Day! I pre-ordered mine already! (Hehe...)