A FFX-2 Fan Fiction
Chapter Three
Choices
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Lenne sat in the VIP box for the Blitzball tournament, a perk of being not only a Summoner, but headliner of the previous day's festivities. Though the VIP section had the very best view of the game and was catered by the best restaurant in town, Lenne was having trouble concentrating on the game. Though Yunalesca had reassured her that her actions the day before had been appropriate, she felt that she'd spoken out of place. Now, things between Bevelle and Zanarkand seemed tense and she feared it would only get worse.
"The Abes are up three with two minutes left in the game, folks. Looks like they'll be taking home another Jecht cup unless the Killika Beasts can score four goals in the next two minutes."
"That's right, Billy-Bob. The Abes have a stellar team this year. Rookie player, Tidus, seems to have inherited his father, Jecht's talent, and star player, Shuyin, everybody's favorite player this year, are both paying at the top of their game tonight. Never before has Zanarkand seen two Bitzballer's like this on the field at the same time. "
"I agree, Jethro. No one has a chance against this powerhouse
duo. Such raw talent. I believe we are watching history in the
making, folks."
On top of that, she couldn't get the image of that giant machina
out of her head. It seemed less of a dream than a premonition of
what was to come. She hoped that it was just stress causing it. It
was too horrible to be real. She wanted to ask Yunalesca about it,
but she hadn't gotten the chance. Besides, it sounded crazy. Certainly
the Zanarkand Temple didn't have a Machina like that.
"And Shuyin's got the ball! The Abes are on the offensive again, and they're going for it!"
At the mention of Shuyin's name, Lenne was on her feet. She cheered and clapped, though she felt as if she were faking it.
"Shuyin passes to Tidus! Tidus grabs the ball and shoots . . . . GOAL! Game over! The Abes take the cup for the third year in a row!"
Lenne whistled and cheered for her team and for her man. Though she hadn't paid much attention to the game, she knew he'd done his best and she was proud. They would be celebrating tonight. Perhaps that would lift her spirits a little and take her mind off the situation with Maester Yu and the dream.
She hurried down the stands, not waiting for the post game show, and went to meet Shuyin at the locker room.
The corridor was pandemonium. There were teenage girls everywhere. They bounced around and giggled and squealed over their favorite player. Everywhere, pods of girls debated which player was the cutest, which one had the nicest eyes, and the best body. Lenne smiled to herself at this and rolled her eyes. As a Summoner's apprentice, she hadn't had time to think about boys when she'd been that age. That was, until there was Shuyin.
She went to the security desk and greeted Valadya, one of the guards. Without a word, he opened the gate and let her in. Behind her, a group of girls raised their voices in protest.
She entered the locker room, which was no less chaotic than the hallway outside. The entire team relived plays during the game and individually declared themselves masters of the universe. The testosterone level in the room was so high, Lenne briefly considered running for cover. They'd be celebrating tonight and she was glad. A party was just what she needed to take her mind off her troubles.
Shuyin swept her up into his arms. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" he asked.
"Looking for trouble," she replied. She kissed him on the mouth. "You were great."
"Yes I was," he agreed as he set her back on her feet. "Go home and put on your dancing shoes, baby, 'cause we're going out."
Yuna didn't understand, and Auron hadn't explained. He'd left her alone on the beach to decide for herself what she wanted to do without a word of explanation. She was angry with him for showing up out of nowhere, making statements that implied there was some way to find Tidus, and then he'd vanished as quickly as he'd appeared. Almost everything he'd said had been cryptic and now she was troubled and confused. Could it really be possible to find him? Was there some way she hadn't thought of yet?
Even more confusing was his final statement before he'd disappeared:
"Gather your friends around you. You'll need them."
Yuna wouldn't ask her friends to accompany her on yet another quest to find Tidus. They'd already been through it once, and it wouldn't be fair to ask them to do it again. They had their own lives to live, their own problems to deal with. They had jobs and children and responsibilities. Auron should have known that she wouldn't want to put her burdens on their shoulders once again, especially for something that amounted to little more a wild chocobo chase. If she did this, she'd do it on her own.
She paced her apartment trying to decide what she would do. Dump Baralai and go looking for answers? Try to put Tidus behind her and move on? She didn't know. She'd thought she was ready to move on.
Lulu knew something had upset her and had spent an hour spouting pragmatic statements about how it was good to be married, about how Baralai was a good match and she'd be a fool to think otherwise. The people of Spria would rejoice at their marriage - the High Summoner who defeated Sin marrying the Praetor? What a wonderful thing. As the wife of the Praetor, Yuna would be in a unique position. With Baralai's help, she could restore order and trust in the powers that guided Spira on it's road to recovery. It was practical. It made sense.
Poor Lulu. She thought Yuna's foul mood was due to a case of cold feet, when it was so much more than that. She had not shown Lulu the sphere. Lulu didn't know the real source of her misery. If she had, perhaps she would have played the big sister and comforted Yuna, but there still would have been some kind of speech about how she owed it to herself to move on.
Yuna still didn't know what to do. Everything sucked. She flopped on her couch and stared up at the ceiling, depressed and lonely. Fat tears had just begun to roll down her cheeks when she heard Rikku's voice at the doorway.
"Yunie? Anybody home?"
Yuna wiped her cheeks and sat up. "Come in," she called out. She hoped she didn't look as if she'd been crying.
Rikku and Gippal entered, followed by Baralai, who was probably the last person she wanted to see at that moment. "What a surprise," she said, happy to see them, but at the same time, put off because they'd come right in the middle of her sob fest.
"Gippal and I decided to see how you were doing," Rikku said. "And when we got here, Baralai was just getting off the boat from Luca. So, here we are!"
"It's nice to see you," she said, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.
"Yuna, are you all right?" Baralai asked. He placed his hand on her arm. "You look like you've been crying."
Yuna was embarrassed. "I'm fine. I was just resting."
Rikku shook her head. "You were never a very good liar, you know," she said. "It's the sphere isn't it?"
"How did . . .?"
"'Cause I know you so well," Rikku said cheerily. "You can't fool me."
Yuna looked at her feet and then sat down. "It's not just the sphere, Rikku," she said. "Auron said to gather my friends around me, and here you are. Not everyone's here, but . . ."
"Auron?" Rikku asked. She sat beside Yuna and took her hand. "Yunie, Auron's dead."
"Of course I know he's dead," Yuna said. "But, dead or not, he was here last night." Yuna explained her conversation with Auron the night before. While she talked, everyone took a seat and listened intently. The story didn't make sense and it sounded crazy, but she could tell by their expression that they believed her.
"So Auron's dead, but he's more than just dead?" Rikku said. "And Tidus was a dream, but not?"
"What does that even mean?" Gippal asked.
"I don't know," Yuna said. "And I don't know if I want to find out."
"Oh, Yunie," Rikku sighed. "What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," Yuna said again. She hated the note of desperation she heard in her voice. "If I don't find out what Auron meant, I may regret it for the rest of my life. But if I follow my heart . . . "
Rikku looked at her, sympathy in her eyes. "You poor thing. This must be tough."
Yuna nodded. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "Rikku, what am I supposed to to?"
"Only you can figure that out, Yunie, but whatever you decide, I'm behind you, one hundred percent. Gippal too."
"Hey!" Gippal exclaimed.
Rikku looked at him and smirked. "Where ever I go, I know you'll follow, so you might as well not fight it."
Despite herself, Yuna laughed. She knew from experience that Gippal was crazy about Rikku and would do just about anything to please her, whether he let on or not. He pretended to be annoyed with her, but it was just an act and everyone knew it.
"I need to think about it for a while," Yuna said. "Perhaps I should spend some time at the Temple."
"I think that's a good idea," Baralai said. "The Fayth may not be there any more, but I still find the Temple a comfort in difficult times."
"Me too," Yuna admitted. "Rikku, you should go visit with Lulu. She's dying for company. Wakka too."
"Okie dokie!" Rikku replied. "Come on, Gippal." The tiny Al Bhed girl grabbed Gippal by the hand and practically dragged him out the front door, leaving Yuna and Baralai alone.
There was a long, uncomfortable silence between them. Yuna couldn't meet his eyes, and he seemed unable to speak. He sat down on the couch beside her and put his arms around her. Yuna welcomed his comforting gesture and leaned her head into his shoulder.
"Yuna," he whispered, "I knew I was done for as soon as I watched that sphere."
She pulled away. "Baralai . . ."
"No, it's ok. I understand. I saw how much you loved him, and how difficult your journey was together," he said. "If there's any chance that he's out there somewhere, then maybe you should try to find him."
"Baralai . . ."
He flashed a sad smile at her. "I wouldn't want you to marry me when you aren't ready to give your heart away. You'd never be happy with me if you didn't find out for sure. That's why I wanted you to have the sphere. I love you, and I'd like for you to love me back, but your happiness is even more important to me. I want you to be happy. I want you to have no regrets about any of the decisions you've made."
"Baralai," she said, "Are you telling me you want me to look for him?"
"If it'll bring you peace of mind, I think you should go for it. I'll even help you look, if you like."
Yuna was astounded. She'd underestimated Baralai's inner strength. It took a strong person to give up their own happiness in order to make another's dreams come true. He was more like Tidus than she'd imagined. In the end, hadn't he done the same? This unselfish act made part of her want to give up her search and be with him. Part of her wanted to give up on the whole silly quest and settle down. It was a simple life, an easy one. She could picture it. She and Baralai getting married, having children. Growing old together. It was easy and predictable.
Easy and predictable. But would it be happy? Would she really be able to completely give her heart to Baralai, without regret?
She didn't know.
"Are you sure this is what you want me to do?" she asked.
"I'm positive," he said. He took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I want you to be happy."
Yuna began to cry. Baralai hugged her again and pulled her into his lap. He understood her far better than she had ever realized. Baralai as a good man, better than most and she recognized that she might lose him if she chose to case after a ghost and came up empty handed.
"Thank you," she whispered and got to her feet.
A new journey was about to begin, and she needed to be strong.
Trouble was, she wasn't sure where she was supposed to start.
"Auron, you understand what it is that we've asked of you?" The Fayth asked.
Auron nodded. He looked out at the waterfall and remembered how speechless he had been the first time he'd seen it. It still left him without words, though he was used to it by now. This was where he came to think. The roar of the water and the dew soaked air calmed his nerves.
"Changing the past is no delicate matter."
"I understand," Auron said. "I will do my best."
"You may only accompany Yuna as far as Zanarkand. Then, you return to us."
"What if she needs help?"
"You may not provide any assistance once she reaches Zanarkand. She will have guardians for that."
"And if she fails?"
"Then the entire course of history will change for the worse and we will fade away. Spira will die."
Auron was frustrated. He had failed the Fayth more than once. His first attempt, the pilgrimage with Lord Braska had failed. He had not understood what was expected of him. The second, Yuna's pilgrimage he had also failed. He'd stuck his nose where it didn't belong because of a promise he'd made to a friend, and it had earned him a one way ticket into servitude. This was his last chance to become part of the Fayth.
"Why must Yuna be the one to do this?" Auron asked. "Hasn't she done enough for Spira?"
The Fayth laughed. "Yuna has already earned her place among the Fayth, that is true."
"Then why?"
"Because she is connected to those she must reach. She knows their story."
"Lenne and Shuyin."
"Yes," the Fayth said. "And Tidus."
Auron shook his head. "You are sending her to witness his death. It will break her."
"It will motivate her."
Auron disagreed. He had watched over Yuna for the last three years. He had seen how she'd mourned the boy. She'd lost him once, and Auron didn't believe that she would survive losing him again.
"I know you do not understand our reasons, Auron, but believe that all of this is necessary," the Fayth said. "Now go. Guide her to Zanarkand."
Tidus had to admit that he was a little jealous of Shuyin. His older cousin had it all. A brilliant career as a ball player, a great apartment and a gorgeous, talented girl to go home to at the end of the day. It wasn't a bitter kind of jealousy, it was more of a longing to have the kind of life Shuyin had. Shuyin was lucky all the way around. He had parents that loved him, that had been there for him and encouraged him to do whatever made him happy. Tidus hadn't been so fortunate. His father had disappeared and was presumed dead. His mother, longing for her missing husband had died of what his neighbor had called a broken heart.
Even at that young age, Tidus had wondered, what about me? Was a child not important enough to stick around for? Was there something wrong with him that made his mother not care if he survived? Jecht had been everything to his mother, and when he'd disappeared, she'd fallen apart and left him to fend for himself. He wanted to hate her for that, but had ended up hating his dad instead. If he hadn't gone to practice drunk, maybe his mother would still be alive.
He supposed it could have been worse - at least Auron had stuck around to take care of him. Not that Auron was the greatest parent in the world, but at least he was there. At least someone was looking out for him.
He should have been happy. The Abes had won the title and he had a new "Rookie of the Year" trophy to put on the shelf at home. There were thousands of adoring fans falling at his feet everywhere he went, yet he felt like the loneliest guy in the world. He only had Auron to go home to, and that in itself was depressing. Auron wasn't exaclty forthcoming with praise, which was something Tidus needed and deserved more than anything from the one trustwothy adult in his life.
The waiter passed his table and he grabbed another beer from the tray. He'd already had too many, and he was aware that his team mates were keeping count, since his father had become an alcoholic, but he didn't really care what they thought. Not tonight. He was supposed to be celebrating, and he was determined to look like he was. Let them judge if they wanted to.
Across the room, there was a commotion.
He wasn't surprised to see his cousin had sat down at the piano for an impromptu recital. Even more entertaining was the sight of a drunken Lenne preparing to sing for everyone who would listen. They were quite the pair, Lenne and Shuyin. The Golden Boy and the Girl Next Door. Except they were much more than that. Both were gifted in more than one way, and of that, Tidus was also envious.
He watched the pair, half amused, and half depressed by the scene they were causing. This was clearly a performance for one another and not the crowd. Others just happened to be watching as they performed. While Shuyin played, his eyes never left Lenne's face, and Lenne sang only to Shuyin. It was obvious that the two were deeply in love with one another. It radiated off of them like heat from a slow burning fire.
Though he'd told Shuyin that he'd rather not be tied down, he'd lied. That was exactly what he wanted. He wanted a girl who loved him for who he was, not some groupie who knew nothing about him except his Blitz stats. He wanted a girl who was interested in more than hitching her wagon to a star. He wanted something real, something special but he doubted that he ever would find someone like that. Everyone he loved eventually ended up leaving him.
"Tidus, your coz is a trip. Is he always like this?" Merka asked. Merka was a second string player who'd spent the entire game warming the bench. Tidus didn't much care for the kid because he was too cocky, but Tidus kept his opinions to himself.
"Around Lenne he is," Tidus replied and took a sip of his beer. It had already grown warm. He set it down on the table unfinished.
"Guess you're not like your old man after all," Merka noted.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, ya know . . . "
"Do me a favor. Don't mention my old man again." With that, he turned and walked away.
Shuyin, who was obviously beyond tipsy, cornered Tidus as he approached the door. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm going home. I'm tired."
"Oh, no sir," Shuyin said. He shook his head violently and blocked the exit. "You, my man, are coming out with me and Lenne."
On any other night, Tidus would have been happy to go out bar hopping with his cousin, but not tonight. He felt too down in the dumps to celebrate, even if it was in his honor. "Nah, you guys go ahead."
"It's not an option, good buddy. You were voted Rookie of the Year and I am the Most Valuable Player. You must celebrate with us. You must!"
"I don't want to be a third wheel. Maybe some other time."
Shuyin patted him on the shoulder. "You break my heart, coz."
Tidus smiled. "Don't worry about it. You won't remember this in the morning, anyway."
As he left, he caught a glance of Shuyin in Lenne in a lusty embrace and felt that longing for companionship again. It hurt him to watch the way they smiled at one another. With a sigh, he walked to the elevator and hit the button.
How depressing was this? This was the biggest night of his life so far, and he was going home to his apartment before the celebration had even gotten into full swing.
And he was going alone.
Shuyin looked up at Lenne, who was dancing with abandon on the bar and felt a surge of desire wash through him. He wanted to take her home. Now. Wanted to make love to her until they both passed out from exhaustion. Wanted to make her breakfast in the morning. Wanted to spend eternity with her.
He put his hands around her waist and set her back on the floor, where she threw herself into his arms. "Dance with me," she pleaded.
With a laugh he spun her around and dipped her. Somewhere behind them, a camera bulb flashed. For a second, Lenne's face was caught in the white-blue light of the flash and Shuyin drew in a sharp breath in shock at what he saw. In that pale light, Lenne appeared to be dead, her face colorless, her eyes empty and dull, her skin waxy and her lips blue.
An icy terror raced through him, more intense than any fear he'd ever known before.
I'm going to lose her.
"Shuyin, are you all right?" she asked. Her brown eyes were wide with concern.
"I'm fine," he lied. "Hey, let's get out of here."
Lenne nodded and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for taking me out. I needed this."
"So did I," he agreed. It had been a good night, until now. Still shaken, he took her hand and lead her from the club. He wanted to get her home as quickly as possible. He wanted Lenne home safe and sound where he could watch over her, protect her if needed. Driven by fear for her life, he almost dragged her out the door and down the street to the lift.
They made it home without incident. There were no murderers or thieves waiting for them in the alleys. No hired hit men waiting in the shadows. In fact, they'd only encountered a handful of people on their way, mostly young people like themselves, all dressed in club clothes and apparently on their way home. However, he thought that once they were inside, his fear would abate but it didn't. He was still afraid that something was going to happen and she'd be taken from him.
Lenne kicked off her high heels in the kitchen while Shuyin double checked the locks on the door. He was aware that Lenne was suspicious of his behavior, but she only watched without comment as he checked the locks on the window and peeked behind the drapes for any intruders that might be hiding there. He was glad she didn't ask any questions. It would sound crazy if he tried to explain it.
When he checked the locks on the door a third time, Lenne took his hand and pulled him to the couch. She lay down and pulled him down beside her, took him in her arms and let him his head against her shoulder. He was grateful that Lenne was aware that something had spooked him, and that she didn't ask questions. She could read him like no one else, and it was a comfort to be in her arms where he could hear her strong, steady heartbeat for himself. There was no need for conversation now, just a need to be close to her.
As he drifted off to sleep in her arms, the image he'd seen in the light of the camera flash came to mind again. On the fringe unconsciousness, all the could think about was how he couldn't live without her.
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Author's Notes:
Thanks for your reviews and your comments! I appreciate them much. The more reviews I get, the more I write! Thanks to the hit counter they've added, I know people are reading, and this one has apparently gotten a lot of hits...if you read it, please review it.
Pretty please?
UPDATE NOTICE: I made a mistake in the first chappy regarding Tidus' age...it was supposed to be 'Until he turned eighteen,' not sixteen. A boo boo on my part. Actually, the problem with the age came from combining two stories...originally, the Shuyin/Lenne story and the Yuna/LoveQuest were going to be two different stories, but I decided to combine them to make it more interesting.
BabyRose---- I think you've been around since the beginning, since FFOnline, right?...you're my bestest reviewer ever. Thank you.
One review stated something about Yunalesca being Yu Yevon's daughter...if that's true, I missed it while playing FFX - will double check that info-perhaps you've confused Yu Yevon/Yunalesca with Seymore and his mother? Or have a different version of the game - I know there are at least two and the ending is different for the international version than it is for the US release...perhaps some story elements are different as well? I don't know. Anyhow, as the summary says, this story is slightly A/U, so if there are one or two changes made, that's why. Had to take some artistic liberties with this one to make it work.
...Everybody else...thanks again for the reviews...keep 'em coming!