Tidus looked up to meet the bearer of such shadow. It was none other than the girl who had captured his heart and chained it hard and tight. Yuna was gazing at the pictures with a look of utmost surprise, and a blissful delight seemed to float within her cherry lips.
"Just some entertainment!" Tidus answered with a broad smile, one that lit his gentle features.
"I've come tot ell you a few tips about tonight!" she began staring back and forth as if seeking for spying eyes.
"Tips?" inquired Tidus bewildered, observing the girl's simple and fresh dress.
"What will you be wearing tonight?" the girl asked gazing at him with curious eyes, reflecting through her innocent features.
Tidus gazed down at himself, pointing with his extended arms at his white shirt, open through the chest, and the dark brown pants. The clothes were all but in perfect state, ragged and torn here and there, they looked very old and battered, although they were clean.
"I thought so." Yuna sighed for herself, motioning at the boy to follow her, "come with me!" she told the boy walking away.
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Rikku saw the two walk away, vanish into the depths of the ship's corridors. She was well hidden in the shadows, where nobody could see her, and the clothes of her choice helped to blend her in with the darkness that reigned in the gaps between the safety boats. Her spiralled eyes began to itch, and an instant later a flood of water poured from them, her lips curled and her stomach diminished in size under a tight pressure. She felt a terrible pain hitting her heart, a grief like that which she had never known before, and a sensation of loss that hit her strong and sharp into her soul.
"Tidus!" she breathed in through ragged sobs and silent convulsions.
The young woman was unable to understand why she felt so depressed, so lonely and unhappy upon seeing her friend enjoying the time of his life in the ship. It was true, however, that she missed him more than ever now, although her mind had contradictory ideas. She wanted to see him happy, as much as she cared for him, and also she wanted to be happy herself, as selfish as it might seem. After all, he was her best friend!
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"Here, try this on. I think it might be almost your size." Yuna pointed out, extending a very elegant tunic of a pale white, purple and black motives.
"Me? That? No way, it's your Fiancee!" snapped Tidus staring at the tunic hungrily, hence with some hesitation.
"Don't be such a fool, Tidus, you can't come to the Grand Saloon dressed in such…rags!" Yuna took a disdainful glance at the clothes.
"Why not?" inquired Tidus innocently, hence his inquiry was far from such, and his sentence hid a second meaning, words of rebellion.
"Well, the most important and wealthiest people of Spira are on this ship!" the girl explained, still presenting the beautiful tunic to the boy.
Tidus, reluctantly, grabbed the clothes and went to the next room to change and try them on.
"Well, so what are you doing on the ship?" inquired Tidus from the next room.
"I'm going to Zanarkand, to extend the word of Yevon through the City of Machina!" Yuna explained proudly, her voice delighted at her mission, but a hint of sadness filled her.
"Well, it's a plan I guess, but why go against the thoughts of a whole city's population" Tidus inquired poking his head out to stare at the woman seriously.
"What? Because it's the correct thing!" snapped Yuna almost angrily, staring at the boy as if she had been personally insulted.
"And just who tells you that is the correct thing?" asked Tidus again, almost innocently, but gazing at the woman seriously.
"Yev…" Yuna began but stopped dry in her tracks. She had never asked herself that question, only followed the orders and the words she had been told blindly, without questioning herself what was right or wrong. Her father had told her it was their path, so she followed it. Her mother told her that wedding was what had to happen for the sake of Spira and Yevon, and she followed obediently without asking herself what she really wanted.
"See? Nothing is right, and nothing is wrong. They are just beliefs, and you have to respect them just as they must respect you!" Tidus said vanishing back into the room.
Yuna thought for a few seconds about those words, words that were so young, naïve, and spoken in the flame of youth, and at the same time so full of wisdom. It wasn't like anything she had ever thought about, but immediately she knew those words would keep ringing in her mind forever.
"Are you an Al Bhed?" inquired Yuna innocently.
"Who, me? Why?" asked Tidus poking his head out of the door to gaze at her curiously.
"I don't know, your looks, and your thinking!" Yuna answered thoughtfully, gazing at him.
"My looks? I don't have funny spiralled eyes!" Tidus chuckled at his own words, remembering with a slight pang of guilt the green orbs of his best friend.
"I have Al Bhed blood, and I don't have spiralled eyes!" Yuna said not joining him in his laughter.
"Well, I wouldn't know, maybe my mom was Al Bhed, can't remember, well, how do I look?" Tidus came out of the room, dressed completely, and looking like a child with new shoes.
"Perfect!" Yuna exclaimed with a happy, delighted smile.
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"Then you are going to that dinner with all those vultures in eagle skin!" Rikku exclaimed once in the dirty, auster chambers they had been placed into, her tone dry.
"Yep, I think it'll be one cool experience!" Tidus commented delighted, not catching the voice the woman had been emphasizing.
"Have fun then!" the girl said turning around, not daring to look at the boy in the eyes.
"Rikku!" Tidus said trying to catch her attention, "I hope you could come with me!" he said truthfully, staring at the woman with soft, gentle eyes.
"There is a party at the third class dining room." The girl said turning around to stare at the boy with sympathy, "see you there after ok?" she said gently, smiling weakly.
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Tidus was waiting at the entrance of the Grand Saloon, watching the crème of Spira come back and forth. Various of them directed him curious glances, interested, several women shot him sweet and insinuating smiles, all accompanied by old men. Most, however, were completely indifferent to his presence. Then his eyes glittered like sparkling snow, there, coming down the stairs with a careful pace, was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.
"Yuna…" he sighed staring at her eagerly and hungrily, absorbing every inch of her beauty.
The girl simply smiled at him with an innocent look sparkling in her delicate features. Tidus bowed, and presented his arm to be held by the young girl. Intertwined their arms, both entered the Grand Saloon to dine. Tidus knew the basics about manners, explained rushed and rapid by Yuna the previous afternoon, so he was not so worried. OR wasn't until they were seated and the boy saw a collection of cutlery he had never seen.
"Are all this for me?" he gasped in a chocked whisper.
"Start from outside to inside!" Yuna whispered in a hushed voice.
"So Tidus, how is life in third class?" inquired Seymour, sneering at him maliciously.
"Well, it's ok, the food is chewable, and I see most of the rats are up here!" Tidus answered, glaring at him. He was delighted to see Seymour inflating his chest with fury, and trying to keep the desire of punching his face.
"Tidus!" hissed Yuna under her breath, touching him lightly from under the table to keep him silent.
The boy simply stared at her with a look that clearly said "He was looking for it!", and Yuna could only response with a warning glance at him to keep his manners while sitting on this table.
"Well, why is Lord Tidus going to Zanarkand?" inquired Yuna's mother staring at him with familiar curiosity.
"I want to be a Bliztball player, and I've heard the Zanarkand Abes is the best Blitzball team in whole Spira!" Tidus explained with pride, smiling brightly.
"Yes, an old friend of mine was a Blitzball player at the Zanarkand Abes!" commented Lord Auron, Yuna's Guardian, "Poor idiot had a wonderful life, a beautiful Al Bhed wife, a wonderful son, and he ignored them both. The brat got himself killed driving home one night after one of his wild parties." He finished, shaking his head sadly.
"I can't remember my father, and my mother died when I was young, so I have been living in the streets since then!" Tidus explained shaking his head, them smiling lightly to show the presents he was fine with his luck.
"That is so sad!" Yuna commented looking bewildered.
"I'm fine, I can't change it, why mourn over it?" inquired Tidus shaking his head, then grinning.
"It is still sad!" Yuna commented looking at her almost empty plate.
"Yuna, stray dogs are happy with their luck as long as they can find some garbage to eat!" Seymour commented, sneering at Tidus, hitting him where it hurt.
"Yes, the best of it is the freedom to do as you wish every time, not being conditioned by some stupid and foolish manners only so nobody criticises you!" Tidus said with a delighted smile, watching with a mischievous joy how the Lord was becoming more and more irritated.
"Well, men, I believe it's time for dessert!" Cid commented standing up and kissing the hands of the various women that accompanied him for dinner, "My ladies, it has been a pleasure to be able to share dinner with you!".
"What are they doing?" inquired Tidus bewildered at their behaviour.
"Now the men are leaving to smoke and praise themselves for being the owners of the Universe!" Yuna commented in a soft whisper, looking at the group of men retreating with a look of sad disgust.
"Would you like to join us, Tidus?" Seymour said with a disdainful look at the boy, without calling him with the polite title of Lord, nor being considered worth it.
"No thanks, the bed bugs are waiting to be fed!" Tidus sneered at the boy, feeling angry at his courage.
The men retreated and Tidus simply stared at them with a bewildered look of surprise, not catching the main idea of such meeting. He took a hold of a napkin and a pen (borrowed from Sir Auron) and scribbled a quick note without being noticed. He then placed the note in Yuna's hand when he held it to kiss it.
"I'll see you Yuna!" he winked so faintly only her closeness detected it.
He retreated, then Yuna gathered the courage to read the mysterious note, her insides burning with curiosity.
"Meet me at the entrance if you'd like to join me to a real party!" read the note in a very untidy handwriting.
"Excuse me!" she coughed at the women, pretending to be tired and retreating to her chambers.
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Tidus stood calmly at the base of the staircase. His blue eyes glimmered, and his lips were forced to stay calm, passive, without grinning. He had heard Yuna approaching, he could almost see the calm and mannered smile plastered on her delighted lips. Was that a secret eager he could sense sparkling in her eyes? Indeed, the girl couldn't wait to see, to become part of this real party.
"Yuna! You've come!" Tidus chocked happily, turning around and smiling at the woman.
"I have!" Yuna responded with a smile, and nodding vigorously as it was in her character.
"Come on!" Tidus grinned and held her hand to drag her out of opulence and immerse her into the ease and simplicity of third class people.
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Music roared across the room. The tables were mouldy, humid and nearly rotten. A rancid smell of spirits alcohol filled the room, which made Yuna curl her nose disgusted at first. A cloud of thick smoke floated lazily around the ceiling, observing the people beneath the shapeless form. People drank, played games, smoked, and dance as if it was their very last one. Yuna wouldn't have been surprised if a stallion came prancing along.
"Tidus!" gleamed a girl who came stumbling across the people to join them.
"Rikku!" beamed the boy as if she was the last woman on earth, "come, let me introduce you to Yuna. Yuna, this is my best friend, Rikku!" the boy explained.
"Oh, hi!" Rikku was surprised to see the girl joining them here, but, although her presence made her feel uncomfortable, she smiled pleased and resumed her giddy personality.
"A pleasure to meet you!" Yuna said with a bright smile.
"Yuna, would you like to dance?" Tidus offered presenting his hand at her.
"Oh, no, I don't know how to dance this music!" she shook her head, "All I can dance is the Song of the Faiths, to send the souls towards the Farplane." She finished smiling sadly and shaking her head.
"Come on, you just have to follow the music!" Tidus insisted, his eyes glittering.
"Oh…no Tidus, please, I'd rather see you and try after, ok?" Yuna responded with a timid smile.
"Ok then, Rikku?" Tidus then turned to look at the young Al Bhed.
Rikku had been absent, gazing sideways, feeling as if a terrible hand was crushing her heart with cruelty. She had never felt that way before, so miserable, as if nothing she could say would heal the terrible pain that throbbed in her soul. It was then that she heard her name, pronounced in the most gentle and sweetest voice she could ever desire. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, caressing the walls with the tips of such silky structure. Blue eyes stared back at her green ones when she looked up. Such blue eyes that were part of the ocean, gazing at her with a blazing sparkle. Happiness, joy, and some kind of hidden emotion seemed to reflect past the truthful orbs.
"Ok!" she smiled and giggled at the youngster.
Both went to the centre and Rikku's hands intertwined with the larger, manly ones of Tidus. They approached, then retreated, turned around themselves, swirled here and there like a whirlpool, to finally land into a calmer pace and a smaller gap between the both.
Yuna saw with pain in her eyes that there was something she could never compete against, her noble nature and the truth her eyes were revealing created a thick wall of immense height she could not get past. The way they nearly stopped, their paces slower, the eyes locked into each other's. A delighted smile had vanished, a smoother, more gentle grin to curve the slips slightly. The way the girl gazed at him eagerly, almost hungrily. Tidus' blue eyes sparkling with a warmth only she could ever dream of receiving. At the same time, the oblivion in which this sentiments lay hidden under the thick, impenetrable veil of friendship.
The woman held her breath, taking in a deep gulp of viced oxygen. The couple had come to a stop, eyes locked, lips slightly parted, and breathing uneasy. They seemed to be leaning in, Rikku's lips pursed eagerly, desire ignited in their hearts. Yuna could only be glad to see such demonstration of care, although inside her it was eating her alive.
When it seemed that the both of them would join lips…
To Be Continued…
AN: Sorry for the delay but I have had a busy week and couldn't reach my computer. Anyways here it is, the next chapter, and I hope to be going on with this and finish it soon. I'll try to post the next chapter for Human Spirit as well, just give me some time. Well, how are you liking this? Please, review.