Oh goodness...I really am sorry that it took me especially long to update! Honestly though, if you must know, I seriously just completely forgot about it! (You know, Gackt's new PV, "Black Stone" came out and all...Gosh I hate excuses!) Anyway, I finally did update, while I was supposed to be at tennis...Hehe...Anyway, here it is, chapter 7! I have to be finished with this story in 38-36 days, though, so expect a lot of updates in those 38-36 days! Cringe I really had better be able to finish by then! There's still about five or six chapters I need to write! Oh well...We'll not worry about that! Enjoy!
Chapter 7: Forever Strangers
"And one, and two, and three, and four..."
The voice of the dance instructor slowly dipped into the air as Yuna bent down to the music, trying without any luck to stay on tempo.
"Yuna...Not again!" her dance instructor scolded, "Why can't you keep a beat?"
"I don't know," Yuna replied, "I'm trying, honestly I am!"
"Not hard enough!" her dance instructor said, shaking her head, "You've been off all week!"
The rest of the girls had all stopped now and looked at Yuna, all of them staring between her and the instructor.
Sighing, both Yuna and her dance instructor slowly made their ways to what they had been doing, the instructor instructing and Yuna trying without any luck to dance. There was no passion in the dance. Nothing.
Outside the dance studio, it was dreary and cold, despite the fact that it was closer to summer than of spring, or even winter, for that matter. The weather had been very chilly, with not only rain falling but some snow as well.
Her life had never seemed so boring. She would awake, get ready for school, go to school, go to dance, do her homework, and then go to bed, and then repeat. On the weekends, she would practice her piano, even though she had in the past rarely played it, she studied, and sometimes watched the sphere. However, she would only leave the house when she attended a school-related activity, such as school itself, her dance lessons, and her father's banquets. Other than that, her life was incredibly dreary.
Dance was soon over, and the girls began to pack their bags full of their shoes, when Yuna's instructor walked over to her, shaking her head as she did.
"Yuna, may I see you for a little while?" she asked Yuna.
"Look, if it's about dancing–." Yuna started, only to be cut off.
"It is indeed about dancing Yuna," her instructor said, and took the girl's arm, "Just come with me, please."
Madame Belgemine led Yuna into a little private dancing room, and said, "Yuna, I have cast you as the lead in our final production before summer. Now, there will be sponsors there for many schools! From Luca to Zanarkand! Why, even the most prestigious dance schools in Zanarkand will have officials there, looking for fresh new blood for their schools. I was hoping to have you get accepted."
"You don't understand, Madame," Yuna said in an emotionless tone, "I'm already accepted to the Bevelle School For Young Yevon Women. I can't go to some dance school...My father would never allow it!"
"You'll be eighteen in what–a week?" Madame Belgemine said, shaking her head, "And you still can't make decisions for yourself?"
"I'm afraid it's not that easy," Yuna just said, crossing her arms, "Besides, I've wanted to got the BSYYW for my entire life. I've been accepted for over a year now. It's far more prestigious than any dance school."
"Yuna, I really had hoped you would be more...Forget it," Yuna's instructor said, sounding angry, "I would have loved to send both Dona and you there, but with Dona being away and all...I have no one to send."
"Send Shelinda!" Yuna protested.
"Shelinda is still on crutches–you know that!"
"She's been on them long enough," Yuna just said.
"Yuna...," Madame Belgemine said slowly, "Shelinda won't be dancing...Ever. She's going to be an instructor here. I'm afraid both Dona and she have fallen. I don't want you to fall too! All you need is the will and the confidence! You are truly even more amazing than Shelinda! I just never noticed you because you lacked the confidence. But then in November when you tried out for that part...Why, I was shocked! You are perhaps the most amazing dancer I have seen in my career! And you're going to throw it all away to follow in your father's footsteps? Into a world where women are treated horribly? You know very well you could never lead Spira or a Yevon temple. Women just aren't allowed to do it."
"I will happily take a position as a Yevon Nun!" Yuna said, "A Summoner who performs sendings for those who have departed. That is far more prestigious than dance!"
"Do you believe that?" Belgemine practically screamed, "Yuna..."
"I need to get home and finish my homework," Yuna just said, "Thank you for your kind words, but I haven't the time for them."
"Yuna!" Belgemine protested, but Yuna had already turned away and walked through the door.
"Thank Yevon and all of his bitches that Blitz season finally started back up!" Tidus mumbled to himself as he pulled up to the stadium.
Other fine cars were parked alongside his, all the ones belonging to his teammates. Sighing, and putting his thousand-gil sunglasses on the dashboard, he stepped out of the car, grabbing his gear bag, and walking into the stadium.
"Yo Tidus! Where the hell were you all off-season?" half of the team yelled as he entered the locker room.
"Out with the women, no doubt!" some said, as they slapped him on the back as he passed.
Sighing, Tidus forced a smile and said, "Of course! Where else would I be?"
"I slept with twenty girls. You Tidus?" one teammate challenged.
"Do you really think I was able to keep count?" Tidus just said, giving an amazed sort of look, "But you can bet it was more than twenty!"
"Hell, it was zero!" Tidus told himself, almost laughing to himself. Okay, he slept with Yuna...but he knew his teammates meant more than that.
The coach came in then, announcing that it was time for all of them to get their lazy rear-ends back in the pool. Honestly, although he did play quite often during the off-season, Tidus couldn't believe how much he loved being back in the pool. Sighing as he swam his drills, he told himself that Blitz would forever be his life. No Yuna, no Nooj, no nothing. Just Blitz. Smiling to himself, Tidus swam even faster than before, just enjoying the wet water on his skin.
The dreary weather had never seemed so dreary, but as Yuna made her way toward her house, she couldn't help but think about how cold and dreary it really was. Normally she arranged some sort of ride for herself, but lately it seemed as if she wanted to punish herself by making herself walk through the cold drizzles that fell upon her.
It was growing very late, and already the gray sky was being replaced by a black and blank one. No moon or stars shone, being that there were far too many clouds. In fact, staring at the sky, Yuna realized she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen stars or the moon, or even the sun. Sighing, she continued toward her home.
She walked through the park by the river, even passing the bench where Seymour had laid dead. She stopped, realizing that the bench by where Seymour had been killed was the exact same one in which Tidus and she had sat months and months ago when they first started going out.
Shaking her head to get those thoughts out of her head, Yuna continued on. It wasn't long before she reached the center of the town, and reminded herself that she had to stop at the grand hall and pick up some documents for her father.
Although she didn't want to, she turned toward the great hall, deciding she'd just quickly go through the back doors, pick up the documents, and leave. She stopped dead in her tracks, however, when she realized that the Bevelle Brutes were having their 'Welcome Back to Blitz!' party.
She must have stared at the building for five minutes, contemplating on whether or not she should enter. Although she knew she couldn't be with Tidus, much for his sake, it still couldn't change the way she felt toward him. And honestly...she didn't even know how she felt toward him. All she knew was that as long as she didn't see him, ever again, she'd be fine.
Deciding she'd just have to stay away from the main hall, Yuna went in through the back door, hearing music from the main hall where the Blitzers were all celebrating. Taking out her key ring, she unlocked the door that said, "Yevon Officials Only", and went into the little office area, and picked up the documents that were lying on her father's desk.
She was about to leave, when a thought suddenly hit her.
"Maybe," she told herself, "I should...Just see if I can see Tidus...Just one last time. I'll just go up on the staircase, look for him, and then–No...I can't. I can't be associated with him. He could go to prison, or die...or..."
A little tear ran down Yuna's face, as she realized how much she really did just want to see him. Just to see him, that's all she wanted. But she knew she couldn't. But she had to. She just had to!
At that decision, Yuna went through the door that said, "This Way to the Grand Hall" and was greeted by an even louder blast of music. She almost giddily ran over to the balcony of the stairway, and her eyes scanned the many people, trying to find a glimpse of Tidus. However, she didn't see him.
Sighing, and deciding that it was for the best, Yuna clutched the documents to her chest, and decided right then and there that she would say her goodbyes to Tidus.
"Goodbye Tidus, wherever you are," she said, and then, looking up the staircase to her right, realized that the best place to say 'goodbye' would be the balcony. The balcony outside where Tidus and she had first kissed. Nodding, Yuna started up the stairs.
She had never noticed before, but really, the balcony was up quite a ways. She had to climb one flight of stairs, turn, and then go up another.
As she started up the stairs, she heard the door from the balcony open. She looked up, only to see none other than Tidus coming down the stairs.
At first he appeared shocked, but then just continued walking toward her, and she continued walking toward her.
They both looked at each other, but gave no sign of recognition. They passed each other then, and Yuna couldn't help but turn around.
She turned and watched him continue down the stairs, as if he hadn't even seen her. Then, slowly, he too, turned around. They both stared at each other for a while, although neither showed signs of recognition, and then, Yuna finally turned back around, and continued up the stairs.
Tidus watched her for a while, and then turned back around. They both reached their doors, both of separate ends, and opened them, leaving the staircase area vacant and quiet. Yuna said her goodbyes on that night, and from then on, both gave a silent vow to each other that they would forever be strangers.