GRR...Why does it take me so very long to update? I do feel horrid, I do hope you realize that! You know, if you haven't listened to Utada's "Exodus" album, I really think you should! I was bored today, so I was listening to it, and I forgot how much it really inspired this story! Songs like "Exodus '04", "Tippy Toe", "The Workout", and "Kremlin Dusk" all really inspired me to write this fic! Up until now, I'd COMPLETELY forgotten about that! (Except for the song "Exodus '04"!) So yeah...Anyway, without further ado, here is chapter six! Do enjoy!

Chapter 6: The Way Back to the Old Way

Court officials, religion officials, maesters...They all flashed by Tidus, all in a fury, trying to figure out what to do. Tidus wanted to laugh, and say, "Relax, Morons. The shooting's over with." He didn't though. He just kept walking, being pushed by the giant men behind him.

Tidus was feeling ultimately cocky, for the oddest reason. It didn't seem to dawn on him what he had just accomplished, what he'd just done. Or even, what he'd originally mean to do.

That was, until he was suddenly pushed in front of the Lord Braska.

Braska crossed his arms, and cocked his head, looking at Tidus with both disgust and interest.

"Do you realize you missed?" Braska said, an amused sort of tone apparent in his voice.

"I wasn't aiming for you," Tidus said quickly, "And for your information, I didn't miss. Nooj, leader of the Youth League, why, you'll find his body lying up there." Tidus nodded up, toward where Nooj's body lay.

Braska looked confused, and then summoned two men that looked much like the ones that were holding Tidus.

"Go see if his words are true," Braska said, and the two men were the off.

Braska then turned to Tidus and said, "Where's my daughter?"

Up until that moment, Tidus had completely forgotten about Yuna.

"Damn," he thought, "If the rest have found out about Nooj, who knows what they'll do to Yuna!"

"She's at the Youth League Headquarters," Tidus said quickly, "But she may be in danger! We have to go get her!"

"You're willing to lead us to the headquarters?" Braska said, giving Tidus a quizzical look, "You'll betray your own friends?"

"I shot the leader, did I not?" Tidus just said, annoyed.

At that moment, the two men returned, and said quickly, "Sir, the body of the Youth League leader has been found. He is indeed dead."

Braska looked back at Tidus, and then at the men, looking confused.

"I'll lead you to the headquarters! We just have to get going!" Tidus then said, pulling against the giant men that still held him.

"Why should I trust you?" Braska asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Because...Haven't I proven myself?" Tidus said, sounding angry, "Your daughter's life is in danger! She's all the way in Luca!"

"Luca?" Braska said, "Why would she go there?"

"To find me!" Tidus said, "Hate to break it to you, old man, but if it were between you and I, she'd choose me in a heartbreak."

Braska snorted. "You have caused her to be blind. But I can fix that. We will take my limo. You will remain handcuffed."

At that, handcuffs were slapped across Tidus' wrists.

"Hey! What's the meaning of this?" Tidus said, struggling against the cold metal that rubbed against his wrists, "I saved your damn life! And this is how you repay me?"

"Lead me to her," Braska simply said, and started off toward the doors. The men followed, dragging Tidus along.

Braska stepped into a limo, and the men threw Tidus in, and then took seats on either side of him.

The limo driver then started off.

"Luca you said?" Braska asked.

"Yeah," Tidus said, sticking his lip out in a pout. He should have known what was coming, after all. He would go to jail for the rest of his life. Or maybe even be killed. Who knew. However, right now, he knew he had to worry about Yuna. There was no time to think about himself.

For the longest time, they all drove along in silence, and nobody said a thing. Finally, just as they neared Luca, Braska spoke.

"Why didn't you shoot me?" Braska asked.

Tidus looked away and said flatly, "It was the only way I could think to save Yuna."

"Were they going to harm my daughter?"

"They may have with you gone."

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"Of course. I couldn't lie to you, Your Excellency," Tidus couldn't help but throw in some sarcasm in his voice.

Braska simply scoffed Tidus by remaining quiet, and then said, "I'm going to put you to death, you know that?"

"Go ahead," Tidus said, leaning back, "If that's how you want to repay me."

Braska looked as if he could choke, and he looked at Tidus with anger in his eyes and said, "How else can I keep you away from my daughter! You've brainwashed her...You've destroyed her...You've–."

"I want nothing with Yuna," Tidus said quickly, "Except...For her to be safe. Now, she will be. And I will stay out of her life forever."

Braska looked shocked, but said simply, "We're in Luca. Where to now?"

Yevonites were running everywhere, and Tidus' stomach felt horrid at the thought of all of the people who would be arrested. He sighed, knowing he was one of them. He wanted to run away, back to Bevelle, as fast as he could, but really, there was no where for him to go, nothing for him to do. Instead, he decided what he really wanted was to find Yuna, and to make sure she was okay.

However, with his hands still clasped together by the handcuffs, and the two large men with their hands still on his shoulders, Tidus could only watch, and wish. It wasn't long until the many Yevonites came out, with many other prisoners. In fact, it wasn't long until Yuna appeared at the doorway, looking quite confused.

Her eyes lit up as she saw Tidus, and started running toward him, only to have her arm grasped by her father.

"Father?" Yuna said, and smiling, threw her arms around him, "I was so worried!"

"No, Missy, you had me worried," Braska said, looking at his daughter with anger in his eyes, "I hope you realize that you will not be going anywhere but to school and dance for the next five months!"

Yuna looked down, but then back up. Then, she looked over at Tidus and, noticing that he was handcuffed, said, "Wait! You can't arrest Tidus!"

"And why not?" Braska said, keeping a firm grip on his daughter's arm, as she tried to pull her way toward Tidus.

"Because he...Well, what did he do? W-Where's Nooj...?"

"Dead. Thanks to Tidus," Braska said with a shrug, and then a sigh, "He...saved my life."

"Then why is he handcuffed?" Yuna demanded.

"He meant to kill me," Braska said.

"No he didn't! He would have, believe me!" Yuna said, tugging her arm out of her father's grasp, and running toward Tidus.

"Tidus!" she said, "You killed Nooj? Look, I'll get you out of this mess, don't worr–."

"Yuna, just let it go," Tidus said, interrupting her, "It doesn't matter."

"But it does!" Yuna protested, "I really had my doubts! I was sure you would just leave me! But you didn't! You came back! And you took care of Nooj...I guess...And now–."

"I said to let it go," Tidus said, turning his head away from Yuna.

"But why...?" Yuna just said, sounding sad.

"Because I said so, okay?" Tidus said, "Just let it go."

Braska walked up to the two then, and Yuna turned to him.

"Father, what do you mean to do with Tidus?" Yuna asked in a childish voice.

"I plan to throw him in the Bevelle prison for the rest of his life," Braska said.

"But...Why...?" Yuna just said, shaking her head.

Braska looked at his daughter, and then to Tidus, who still was keeping his eyes off of Yuna.

Braska shook his head, and sighed. "On second thought," he said, walking up to Tidus, "It's not right. You did save me after all...And I suppose I do owe something to that no-good father of yours." At that, Braska suddenly released Tidus from his handcuffs.

Then, putting a protective arm around his daughter, Braska said, "You're free. Until I catch you with Yuna. Do you understand? Both of you will go back to your lives without each other. Next time, none of you will be lucky enough to get by. Got it? Tidus, I'll have your head, and I do mean that literally. And you, Yuna, will be in the deepest trouble possible. Got that?"

"I understand," Tidus said quickly, shoving his freed hands in his pockets.

Yuna stared at Tidus, who refused to look at her in return, and then back to her father.

"Come on Yuna," Braska said before Yuna could protest, "I'm taking you home."

Looking back at Tidus one more time, Yuna bit her lip, and then followed her father into the limo. Then, almost as soon as they had all come, Yuna's limo, and all of the Yevonites left, leaving the entire area completely empty, except for Tidus' presence.

Standing there, watching as they leave, Tidus suddenly had the worst wanting to chase after them. He wanted to grab Yuna, and take her someplace far away. That way, he could finally be with her. Forever. Tidus didn't though. He stood there, staring at nothing, trying without any luck to convince himself that life would be better if everything just went back to normal.

He would go back to playing Blitz, partying with people he hated, sleeping with whoever he felt like sleeping with, and doing whatever he felt like doing. It was the life he hated so much, but it was his life, his reality. As for Yuna, she would go back to being a naive top-student. She would probably go back to allowing people to push her around. She would...

Tidus stopped his thoughts. He had to get Yuna off of his mind. It wasn't doing him any good at all. Suddenly, a honk from a car caused him to jump, and, almost as if thinking it were Yuna, he turned around quickly, only to see a small car sitting there.

A familiar blonde Al Bhed then came out of the car.

"Hey!" she said, pointing at Tidus, "Where's Yunie!"

"She just left," Tidus said, shaking his head, "You just missed her."

"She...left?" Rikku asked, "But...Without me?"

"It wasn't her choice," Tidus said, looking away from the blonde, "Her father came."

"Ooh...Ouch!" Rikku said, "She's gonna be in trouble, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Why are you still here?" Rikku asked then.

Tidus shrugged.

"I have no ride," he just said.

Rikku gave him a smile and said, "Since you're my cousin's love, I guess I can give you a ride. Back to Bevelle, right?"

"Sure," Tidus said, walking toward the car.

He climbed in, deciding he'd let Rikku do the talking, no matter how annoying it would be. He decided he wouldn't tell her that it was a pretty good chance that he would never see Yuna again. He would let her think they were still together.

Sighing, Tidus realized he would slowly have to be on the way back to the old way...