A FFX-2 Fan Fiction
Chapter Seven
Tangible Shadows
When Tidus had been invited to the Temple, he'd imagined a boring tour and a boring history of the summoners. He'd gone more for a lack of anything better to do than to satisfy his interest in the Temples. What he got instead was something much more interesting. The moment he'd laid eyes on the brunette, who'd been staring at him since he and Shuyin walked in the door, he felt as if he knew her from somewhere. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't remember where they'd met. If they'd ever met at all. He figured he'd remember a girl as attractive as this one.
Being the flirt that he was, he had grinned back at her. At that her face had drained of color and then she'd passed out cold, right into the arms of a tall blonde guy with an eye patch. Her boyfriend? he wondered as he moved forward to help out if he could. He hoped she was okay. He bent down beside the elfin blonde girl and peered at the brunette's face. She was even prettier up close.
"Yunie," the blonde cried as she gently slapped at the girl's cheek. "Yunie, wake up!"
The brunette's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at her friend. "Rikku?"
"The one and only," the blonde, apparently Rikku, replied. "You ok? You passed out."
"I couldn't breathe," the brunette said as she sat up. She glanced up at their concerned faces and spied his among them. A look of pure terror crossed her face and she tried to get to her feet. Was she afraid of him?
"Tidus has that effect on the ladies," Shuyin said with a chuckle and a wink.
"Relax, Yuna," a tough looking girl with short silver hair said. She flicked a lighter in front of the girl's face and examined her eyes. Yuna squinted but submitted to the girl's scrutiny. Satisfied that Yuna was fine, the tough girl nodded and pocketed the lighter. "Can you get up?"
It was then that Tidus noticed Yuna's gorgeous eyes. One was a bright emerald green, the other the color of a tropical sea he'd seen once in a travel brochure. They were intriguing, and in them he saw everything there was to know about her. She looked fragile, but those eyes that told him she was a fighter. They were strong eyes, but kind and accepting. Warm and gentle, but determined and unflinching.
When he forced himself to look away from her face, he noticed the holstered pair of revolvers and spare ammo packs on her belt. He was right. She was a fighter.
A fighter that couldn't seem to take her eyes away from his. Likewise, he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of hers. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop staring either.
He was baffled by the way it made him feel to have this girl staring back at him so intently, as if memorizing every detail of his face.
"I'm fine," she said and swatted her friend's probing hands away. "Really."
The eye-patch guy, helped her to her feet. "Easy there, superstar," he told her. "Don't want you to come crashing down again."
Superstar?
"Yunie, you sure you're all right?" Rikku asked.
"Yes. I'm fine now," she said and proved it by standing on her own.
Tidus held out his hand to her. "I'm Tidus," he said, suddenly nervous. There was something about this girl . . . his gut told him that she was nothing like the others.
"Yuna," she said and took his hand in hers. Her handshake was firm, strong, and so very familiar. Again, he felt as if he knew her from somewhere, as if he'd known her well once. Neither of them seemed able to tear their eyes away from the other. The fear in hers had been replaced by barely concealed joy.
"Have we met somewhere before?" he asked.
Rikku made a choking sound and her emerald eyes grew large and excited. Tidus shot her a curious look and Yuna sent her a scathing glare. Tidus couldn't help but notice that all her friends watched their meeting with what felt like undue interest. It made him feel like a bug under a microscope.
"Perhaps we have," Yuna said, turning her attention back to him. "In another life."
He couldn't help but smile back at her. "Maybe that's it."
"So you're a summoner?" Shuyin asked.
Yuna nodded. "From Besaid."
"Besaid, hunh?" Shuyin said. "You know, they have the worst team in the entire Blitz league."
Yuna giggled. "They mean well."
"So have you guys seen much of Zanarkand yet?" Tidus asked.
"This was our first stop," Rikku piped up. "We haven't had a chance to take the grand tour yet."
"Hey, Shuyin, waddaya say we take them on the insider's tour after we're done here?" Tidus asked, needing an excuse to spend more time with Yuna. He wanted to know more about her.
"That sounds like a plan, coz," Shuyin said and gave him a brotherly pat on the back. He shot a sideways glance at Tidus and winked. Shuyin knew what was on his mind, and he was giving his stamp of approval.
Lenne appeared before them and smiled at the group. "I see everyone's here. Shall we begin our tour?"
Gippal took Rikku's hand as they walked along one of the elevated pathways through the heart of Zanarkand's downtown. She was enthralled by the bright lights and billboards that covered every square foot of her surroundings. She'd seen images of Zanarkand a few times before, but it didn't compare to seeing it in person. She was still having a hard time thinking of all this as real. It seemed too incredible to be real.
Everything was lit up, even the huge buildings that towered to the sky, taller than Home had been. The billboards advertised a vast array of products, from shampoo to pet food to vacation packages. All around were neon signs of every color and shape, a plethora of stores and music blared from various nightclubs they passed on their walk through the city. Downtown was the most colorful place Rikku had ever seen. She could imagine living here and loving it - a city that never slept.
Up ahead, Tidus and Yuna walked side by side, chatting just out of ear shot. Rikku wished she could hear what they were saying. This Tidus may not know about the dream Tidus, but the spark was definitely there. It had been obvious the minute the two had locked eyes in the temple, and Rikku was glad. With any luck, Yuna would soon have what she had sought for so long, this time for real. Rikku hoped so, anyway. After everything she'd been through, Yunie deserved to be happy.
"Rikku, check that out," Gippal said and pointed at the massive Blitz stadium off in the distance. "I bet this place has some machina that none of us have ever seen before."
Rikku rolled her eyes. Gippal was all about machina. He even dreamed about machina. Rikku knew because she'd heard him talk in his sleep more than once. She could imagine him spending his time here going absolutely ga-ga over every piece of machina they happened to encounter. Rikku hoped that she wouldn't have to pry him away every time he encountered some new contraption that he'd never seen before, but she knew she would probably have to at some point.
"I think I'm going to like it here," Gippal said. "We don't have this kind of technology. Can you imagine what I can learn here?"
"Boys and their toys," Paine muttered.
Rikku laughed. "You've got that right. I think the only person who'd be happier here than Gippal would be Shinra."
"It's a pity he couldn't come," Paine said.
"That would be scary. Boy genius on the loose in the City of Machina? I shudder to think."
Paine chuckled and tried out her best imitation of Shinra. "I'm just a kid."
Rikku giggled. "You're pretty good at that."
"I've had a few years to practice."
Rikku nodded at the pair that walked just ahead of them. "What do you think?"
"They've renewed my faith in destiny," Paine said in a flat voice.
"Think maybe destiny has someone in mind for you?" Rikku teased.
"That's a topic I'd rather not discuss."
"Oh, come on, Dr. P. There has to be someone in your past that you fell head over heels for," Rikku said. "And how come you and Noojie-Woojie never hooked up?"
"Paine and Nooj?" Gippal said with a sneer. "As if."
"What's wrong with that?" Rikku asked, mildly offended. "I think they'd make a cute couple."
"Never would have worked out. They would have killed each other first."
"How 'bout Baralai?" Rikku asked.
"Paine needs a bad boy, don't ya Dr. P?" Gippal said with a grin. "Baralai's too nice."
Paine's cheeks were flaming, and she glared at the both of them from the corner of her eye. "Minus ten respect points for both of you."
"Ouch," Rikku said. "How many does that leave me?"
"Six."
Gippal laughed and wrapped his arm around Rikku. He pointed to the pair of soon to be love birds. "Check that out."
Rikku followed his gaze and was delighted to see Yuna and Tidus walking hand in hand. "Booya!" she cried.
"She didn't waste any time," Paine remarked. Her tone was sour, but Rikku could tell she was thrilled for Yuna.
Yuna hardly paid attention to the scenery as Tidus and Shuyin lead them through Zanarkand, pointing out the highlights. She could scarcely believe that he was walking beside Tidus, the one she'd spent the last three years mourning. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as she'd imagined their reunion would be. In her fantasies, he'd somehow returned, become real and of course, remembered all their struggles together. This Tidus was absolutely in the dark about the history they had together.
Of course, the Tidus she'd fallen for was the dream version. This one knew nothing about her.
But, this one was real.
Which meant there actually was a chance this time for them to be together.
"So, Yuna," Tidus said, "You're a summoner."
"Yes," she said.
"Not to sound like an idiot or anything, but what does a summoner do?" He asked. "I mean, I kind of have an idea, about the Aeons and all, but what do you do with them?"
Yuna smiled. This question reminded her of the early days, when Tidus had first appeared in Besaid. He'd been so clueless. "The Aeons are part of the Fayth. They're the protectors of Spira. Summoners can use them in battle, should there be a need. Summoner's also send the dead to the Farplane."
"So, you like, fight fiends?"
"To get the Aeons, a summoner must go on a pilgrimage to each temple. It's a long journey, and in some places we do have to fight off the fiends. It's not much fun, but it's either fight them or be eaten by them."
"Don't you ever get scared?"
"No. I'm not afraid of anything." It was true. She worried sometimes and she had her regrets, but she'd never been afraid, not even when she faced the toughest of foes. She hadn't even been afraid when she began her journey to defeat Sin and believed that she would die. Instead, she'd been happy to do it, to be the next summoner to bring the calm. She'd believed that it had been worth her life, and she wasn't scared.
"Wow," he muttered. "Not even death?"
"Not even death," she confirmed. "I've seen what it's like on the other side, and there's nothing to be afraid of."
"You've been to the Farplane?"
She nodded. "It's beautiful there. Some people think it's creepy, but I think it's peaceful. Happy."
Tidus was quiet for a moment as he digested her words. Then he said, "I've never met anybody like you, Yuna. I mean, I know Lenne, but she said she was afraid of the fiends."
"It's ok to be afraid," Yuna said. "The trick is to get over your fears and do what you have to do to survive."
"That's an interesting way to look at it," he said. "But really, what I meant was that all the girls I know, except Lenne, are kinda silly. They do whatever their friends do, like whatever their friends like, and they only like me 'cause I play Blitz. You don't seem like that. You're, I dunno, more mature or something like that."
Yuna laughed. It was a classic Tidus statement. "I don't know about maturity," she said. "I can act silly too, sometimes, especially when I'm with Rikku. She has a tendency to encourage me to do things I wouldn't usually do."
"What about your other friends?" He asked.
"Well, Paine is the exact opposite of Rikku. She's quiet and kind of serious, but she's someone you want on your side when there's trouble. And Gippal, he's Rikku's boyfriend. He's almost as bad as she is."
"Sounds like an entertaining bunch," Tidus remarked. "Wish I had friends like that. You know, people to rely on when the going gets tough."
"It must be tough, growing up without a family," Yuna said without thinking.
Tidus stopped and looked at her, shocked. "How did you know that?"
Yuna looked at her feet. She had to think of a lie, and quickly. "Well, you know, you are famous," she said. "Word gets around."
He looked thoughtful for a minute and then continued walking. "I forgot about that," he said and scratched his head. "You know, it's weird. I feel like I've known you a long time, and we only just met. When I saw you in the Temple, it was like looking at a friend I hadn't seen in ages."
Yuna took his hand and smiled. "I felt the same way."
Shuyin returned to the Temple after walking his cousin to the train station feeling happy and less stressed than he'd been all week. For some reason, the arrival of this Summoner, Yuna and her guardians seemed like a good omen. Lenne seemed happier to have experienced help at the Temple, and Tidus was already half in love with Yuna. Everyone seemed happy, and that made him happy too.
He entered Yunalesca and Zaon's private quarters and found Lenne lying on one of the luxurious velvet lounges in the sitting area. She looked up and smiled at him, and the lines of worry that had creased her face for a week were gone. "Hi there, lover," she murmured.
"Hey, baby," he replied and kicked off his shoes. He took a seat beside her on the lounge and she reached up to massage his shoulders.
"How was the tour?" she asked.
"It was fine," he said. "I don't think Yuna paid much attention, though."
"Why not?"
"She was too busy bonding with Tidus," Shuyin said. He smiled to himself at the memory of the pair walking hand in hand, even though they'd just met. It was good for Tidus, though. Shuyin hadn't seen Tidus this gone over a girl before, and Yuna seemed like a stable, sensible girl. Not at all like the groupies that frequented the sphere dome during practice and home games.
"Really," Lenne said, surprised.
"He's quite taken with her," he said. "And it looks like she's pretty head over heels herself."
"That's great," she said. "Tidus needs a girlfriend."
Shuyin smiled to himself. "He said he felt like she was the one."
Lenne leaned her forehead against his back. "Hmm. Just like us."
"My thoughts exactly."
"Well, good. I'm happy for him," she said. She leaned back against the arm of the lounge and placed her feet in his lap. "What did you think of them?"
Shuyin thought for a moment. "I liked all of them. The one girl, Paine, she's a little off, but I've got a feeling she's as tough as she looks. The rest of them seem like a lot of fun."
"Did they seem . . . trustworthy? I mean, you don't think they have something to hide, do you?"
Shuyin looked at her, surprised. Had she seen or heard something that would make them suspicious? "I thought they were ok. Why?"
"It's just that, Yunalesca said there have been some strange things going on lately. I just want to be cautious."
"You want me to keep an eye on them?"
"No, I'm sure everything's fine," she said with a smile. "I feel like we can trust them."
Later that night, Lenne had the dream again. She sat up straight in the bed, gasping for breath. Was this her last breath before she died? Had the bullet pierced her heart? Where was Shuyin? She felt her chest and found it unmarked by any wound and when she looked around, she found herself in Yunalesca's quarters, not a dungeon. Shuyin was beside her, sleeping soundly.
She let out a breath, glad that she had not woken him this time. There would be more questions. She got out of bed and pulled on a long satin robe. There would be no more sleep for her tonight. She decided she'd go to the office and go over some paperwork and have a cup of coffee. Morning would come soon anyhow, and Yunalesca was due back some time today. There was much to do before she returned.
She entered the main dome and saw Yuna staring up at the stained glass rendering of Valefor. Lenne was surprised to see that Yuna was still awake after such a long day and such a long journey. She walked across the room to stand beside her.
"Valefor was my first Aeon," Yuna said quietly.
"Mine was Bahamut."
"So you're from Bevelle?"
"No, but I studied there when I was a girl," Lenne said.
"So did I. Until I was seven."
"I began my studies when I was nine. You must have been exceptional for them to allow you to study so young.
"I suppose," Yuna said. She turned her attention away from the stained glass. "Can't sleep?"
"No," Lenne said.
"Me either," Yuna said.
"Because of Tidus?" Lenne asked with a smile. "Shuyin told me you two hit it off pretty well."
Yuna blushed. "It shows?"
"A little," Lenne said.
"I suppose it does," Yuna said. She suppressed a giggle.
Lenne decided that she liked Yuna. Her instincts told her that this girl was trustworthy and that she could count on her assistance if an emergency should arise. "You have a lot of Guardians. Most Summoner's travel with two at the most."
Yuna nodded. "I wanted my journey to be full of laughter and with people I loved and trusted."
"They must be very good friends."
"They are," Yuna said.
"Perhaps tomorrow, we could train together," Lenne suggested. "There's no one here for me to spar with except Yunalesca, and I've trained with her so much that I can predict her every move."
"Of course," Yuna agreed. "I'd be honored.
The two were silent for a moment. Lenne had planned on finishing up paperwork, but she was glad for Yuna's company. It had been so long since she'd had female companions, someone to confide in. She hoped that maybe Yuna could become that kind of friend.
She decided Yuna should see the sphere from Bevelle. She suspected that it would not be a secret for much longer anyway, and she thought maybe Yuna could give her opinion.
"There's something I should show you, especially since you wish to serve our temple," she said to Yuna. "It's a sphere from Maester Yu."
The look on Yuna's face suggested that she already knew everything.
Notes: Fluffy goodness. Action and turmoil to come.
Hey, guys? Thanks to that hit counter, I know you're reading, and reading all the way through. So please be kind: Review. Review or in the next chapter, I'll blow Zanarkand up using Vegnagun and everyone will die! Just kidding.