Sigh Yup...It's getting so close to the end! But hey, here's the update, as promised! The next one should be up on Thursday! (Which is my last day of school!) It may be up on Friday, because I have A LOT going on on Thursday. Oh well, by Friday at least! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 13: Saying Goodbye

"Yuna?" all of the girls said as they turned and faced her, "What are you doing here?"

"I-I came to..Um...Watch," Yuna said.

"With your costume and all?" a girl said.

"Well...I thought maybe...You know, just in case...I-Is Dona here?"

"No, not yet. If she doesn't get here soon though, she's gonna miss the show!"

At that second, Madame Belgemine came in and looked shocked to see Yuna. Shelinda came hobbling in after her, and also looked shocked to see Yuna standing there, casually, with her bag over her shoulder.

"Yuna..." Belgemine said slowly, "Didn't we tell you Sunday?"

"Yes, I just thought I'd come watch...You never know when...Um...I guess I hoped you would take me back."

"Yuna, you're a wonderful dancer. Much better than Dona. It's nothing personal that you can't dance today. It's just that we'd like to send one of our girls off to a dance university," Shelinda said, "And since I can't go..."

"I know," Yuna said softly, "I'm sorry...I'll go...Sit down."

Just then, the phone rang, and Belgemine said quickly, "Get your stuff on girls!" and ran to answer the phone.

Yuna couldn't help but listen to Belgemine's one-sided conversation, and she noticed that Shelinda too was listening in.

"What do you mean you can't do it!" Belgemine practically screamed, "Dona, we need you here now!"

Yuna took a step forward, mostly out of disbelief. Dona had quit? All on her...own. Yuna shook her head, just as Belgemine hung the phone up.

"Get your costume on Yuna. Are you ready to perform?" Belgemine said.

"Madame!" Shelinda said, "I'll go make Dona get here!"

"It's too late. The show starts in twenty minutes!" Belgemine said, and turned back to Yuna, "Yuna, get ready!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Yuna said, and hurriedly grabbed her bag and ran toward the dressing room.

"Nice job," Tidus said, folding his arms across his chest.

"You can stop twisting my arm now," Dona said through clenched teeth.

"I'd rather break it," Tidus said, but he stopped just the same.

"Alright, I quit. You can let me go now," Dona said, as Tidus still have a firm grip on her wrist.

"Not exactly," Tidus said, "It's pay back time."

"For what?" Dona asked, trying to get away from Tidus' grip, which only caused him to tighten it.

"For everything," Tidus said, "You ruined Yuna. Her confidence...Everything. And, you ruined me. I didn't tell anybody, but I've been in therapy now for a couple of months thanks to a burning ceiling that fell on my back. Didn't think I'd be able to make it back in time for Blitz. Luckily, I'm a fast learner and got over it quick."

"What does that have to do with me?" Dona sneered.

"Remember when we locked Yuna in that building?" Tidus said, "Later, it caught fire. If it wasn't for me, she'd be dead right now, and you'd be her murderer."

"You helped just as much as I did," Dona said, again trying to wrestle out of Tidus' grip, "So what, you gonna kill me?"

"I'd love to," Tidus sneered, "But somehow, death doesn't fit you. You're so damn nasty that nothing suits you. Not even the greatest torture in the world. Death on the other hand is far too nice."

"So what are you going to do then?" Dona asked, and was slowly beginning to turn white.

"Honestly, I thought about drugging you, locking you in a vacant building and setting fire to it, but the more I thought on it, the more I realized that...that I don't want to do that. So here's what I'm going to do to you: Nothing."

"Nothing?" Dona said, looking shocked, "Nothing at all?"

Tidus swallowed and said, as he tightened his grip on her arm, "You're ruined Dona. Dance was your last chance. Without it, you won't go to college. You'll end up a has-been bum living in the mosquito-infested village of Kilika, on the bad side of the forest. And Yuna...Why, she'll be something. And you'll look at her everyday and think to yourself, "If only I'd treated her right". 'Cause know what? She's not gonna show you any sympathy. She hates you just as I hate you...hell, just as all of Spira hates you. You're nothing but a damn whore that no one likes. A sneaky rotten bitch. You'll die a sad, lonely death. The worst part is, you'll have no one to blame but your own rotten self." At that, Tidus released her arm, "I got you tickets out of here in three minutes. Back to Kilika you go."

"Y-You can't force me to go back there," Dona said surely, "I-I'll march right back to the dance hall and say you...I'll say that you raped me! And then you'll go to prison and I'll–."

"No one will believe a word you say," Tidus said, grabbing her arm and squeezing it tight, as he saw pain in Dona's eyes, "And it doesn't matter what happens to me. I'll kill you in a heartbeat. Even if it was right there in front of everybody."

Dona's eyes opened wide, and Tidus released her again.

"So, to the docks then?" Tidus asked, almost as if they were friends.

Tears were swelling in Dona's eyes, and she turned around and threw a punch at Tidus. However, Tidus caught her fist in his hand, and just shook his head.

"I can and will kill you Dona," he just said calmly, "Would you like me to walk you to the docks?"

"Just leave me alone!" Dona screamed, and started running. They had been standing on the exact same corner they had been standing on months ago awaiting Yuna. Tidus watched her run, but didn't feel any sympathy. None at all. After all, he had to get to the show to watch Yuna. And to make sure nothing went wrong.

Yuna took her last bow, beaming at the applauding crowd. A young girl came out and brought her flowers right there on the stage, and Yuna could see the scouts in the front seats applauding and discussing excitedly with each other.

"It's going to stink turning them down," Yuna thought slowly, "But it's what I have to do...it's what I've decided to do."

Yuna then walked off stage, to a smiling crowd backstage, whom she nodded to, and then she walked out to the cast room with the rest of the girls, still carrying her flowers.

The scouts were already waiting for her, and all came running to her.

"Miss Yuna! Over here! I'm with The Dance University of Luca!"

"No, Miss! Over here! The Calm Land Dance School could use someone like you!"

"Miss! Oh Miss! The North Side Bevelle Dance University will give you a full scholarship!"

A lady grabbed Yuna's arm then, and pulled her away from the others. The lady was tall and had black hair.

"Hello Miss Yuna," she said, "I'm Zidana Webs from the Zanarkand School of Dance, the finest in Spira. How would a full-scholarship interest you?"

"Oh, I'm very, very pleased to...um...have the oppurtunity, Ms. Webs, but I'm afraid I cannot take it. I've already been accepted at the Yevon school here in Bevelle."

"Oh, and what a mighty prestigious school it may be," Zidana Webs said, "But surely your heart rests with dance? You are an amazing dancer. Perhaps the finest I've seen since...Well, myself."'

"Really, Ms. Webs, it's an honor, but, in order to honor my own family name, I need to decline."

Zidana Webs looked shocked, and shook her head, but said, "Here's my card. Just call me if you change your mind."

"Thank you, but really, I won't be changing my name," Yuna said, and gave the card back, "Thank you again. Really. I've made my decision."

At that, Yuna excused herself from everyone and made her way outside, where she breathed in the fresh air.

"Hey!" she heard a familiar voice, and turned to see Tidus.

"Tidus!" Yuna said, and ran over to him, engulfing him in a huge hug, "Did you see me perform?"

"Of course I did!" Tidus said, "You were...great."

"Tidus, what about Dona!" Yuna then said quickly. Perhaps if she hadn't been so concerned about her ex-best friend, she may have noticed the strange look in Tidus' eyes.

Tidus was silent, which made Yuna feel even more concerned.

"Tidus!" Yuna said, "Did you...Did you...Kill her?"

Tidus just gave a meek little smile, and said, "She won't be bothering you, ever again."

"Tidus!" Yuna practically shrieked, "I can't believe you killed her!"

"Hush Yuna," Tidus said, as a small smile crept across his face, "I didn't kill her."

"What did you do to her then?"

"Sent her back to Kilika," Tidus said with a shrug, "With the threat that if you ever saw her ugly face again that I'd kill her in a heartbeat."

"I see..." Yuna said, stepping away from Tidus, "So then...Um, Tidus, why are you looking at me like that?"

Tidus had been staring at her almost distantly, still with a small smile on his face.

"Yuna," Tidus said then, as he bit his bottom lip and took her hands in his, "I have something I want to tell you."

"What?" Yuna asked, smiling also, although for some reason, she felt as if it was wrong to smile.

"I..." Tidus smiled wider, although his eyes looked sad, and said, "Yuna, I'm going to Zanarkand."

"What...?" Yuna said, her smile slowly fading.

"The Abes want me Yuna!" Tidus said, "Yesterday-Yesterday they saw my performance. I didn't even have to sleep with anybody's daughters Yuna! They want me for who I am! Because I'm...Because I'm as good, if not a million times better, than my old man! Yuna, they want me!"

"That's...That's great!" Yuna said throwing a smile on again.

"I know," Tidus said, as he looked away from Yuna and bit his bottom lip again, "But Zanarkand is kinda far away..."

"It is," Yuna said, nodding.

"And if I play for the Abes, I'll never have any free time..."

Yuna just nodded.

"So...That means..." Tidus dragged the "s" out for a while and said, "That means I won't be able to...see you anymore."

"I-I'll come see you!" Yuna said quickly, although her insides were screaming, "BRASKA WILL NEVER LET YOU GO!"

"No Yuna, I'll be everywhere. A-And the only time I'll be in Bevelle is when we play them. But I won't have any time. I don't even get an off-time. But I'll be in Zanarkand with the team I always dreamed of playing with. The team...Oh Yuna, I've wanted this my whole life."

"Tidus, I'm not keeping you back," Yuna said, as her voice cracked when she said 'back', "Do what you have to do."

Tidus just nodded, and said, "Um, wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure," Yuna said softly. Tidus took her hand and the two walked down the dimly lit sidewalks of downtown Bevelle. Yuna still carried her flowers in her arms, but somehow, their brilliant red color seemed much duller.

They walked in silence for a very long time, before Tidus said, "I'll be on the sphere all the time, ya know..."

"Mm..." Yuna just said, looking at the ground as they walked. She felt Tidus' eyes on her, but she didn't feel like looking back at him.

"We can still...Call each other," Tidus said.

"Tidus," Yuna said, closing her eyes, "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow, bright and early," Tidus said.

Yuna opened her mouth to say something, but nothing could come out.

"Yu–?" Tidus said, as he stopped, for she had stopped, "Yuna, it..." He didn't finish, and he tilted her head up to look at him, only to meet tears coming from her eyes.

"Don't Tidus," Yuna said, pulling her head away from him, "I-I want to be happy for you! I don't want you to see me cry!"

"Yuna, I understand," Tidus said, "But we can still...See each other all night...?"

"No Tidus, we can't," Yuna said, wiping her tears off, "You should probably take me home now."

"But..."

Yuna let go of his hand, and said, "Actually, we're about in the middle between your house and mine. I'll just walk the rest of the way by myself."

"Yuna, it could be dangerous!" Tidus said, "And...I don't want to just–."

"Tidus, you have to go, just like I have to stay here!" Yuna said quickly, "Don't feel guilty. We'll both move on. But it won't work out. We can't keep our relationship."

Tidus was silent for a very long time, as the two just stood there.

Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "May I just kiss you, one last time?"

Yuna wanted to say no, but couldn't bring herself to do so.

"Of course," Yuna said.

The two slowly walked up to each other, before finally allowing their lips to meet. They kissed for only a few seconds when a few sprinkles of water landed on them.

"It's going to storm," Tidus said, looking up at the sky, and sure enough, a roll of thunder was heard in the distance.

Yuna nodded, and said, "I'd better get home. I'll be fine...I walk these roads all the time."

"I know you will be," Tidus said, and said, "Goodbye Yuna."

"...Goodbye Tidus."

At that, they both lingered, staring at each other. The rain picked up then, and they both turned their opposite ways, heading toward their homes.

Yuna managed to walk a few blocks before she suddenly turned around and fell to her knees, crying.

"Goodbye Tidus..." she said again, only this time, only the sky was listening.