Chapter 9: Unlikely Help

"Hey Dona," Yuna said, rather calmly, which surprised Tidus. He didn't know why, but his heart had skipped quite a few beats upon seeing her.

Dona ignored Yuna and walked up to Tidus.

"Didn't I tell you to get lost?" she said, smooth and calm, in the same tone as Yuna's. She then turned to Yuna though, and glared. After a sigh, she said, "What the hell were you thinking, telling him that stuff?"

"I don't know," Yuna said, her voice no longer calm, but soft and trembling, "I guess…"

"You believe him," Dona said, and she then turned to Tidus, "Get lost."

"No," Tidus said, surprised that he was going against her.

"You don't understand," Dona said, "There's a lot about us that you'll never understand. It seems horrible, what happens to poor little Yuna," she said this while falsely babying her voice, "but it will happen whether or not you're apart of her life. I'm here to help her."

"What do you mean?" Tidus sneered.

"Look Tidus," Dona said, her voice calm still, "Yuna is engaged. She has been her entire life. So am I, and so is Leblanc. What makes Rikku different is that she isn't. Our fathers have arranged marriages for us."

Tidus' mouth became agape, and he said, "Is that true?"

Yuna just nodded, and she refused to look at Tidus.

"Of course it's true," Dona said, "And our future husbands will be just like our fathers. Controlling, abusive…Tidus, my job here is to make it easier."

"What do you mean?" Tidus asked, looking at Yuna though, who refused to look back at him.

"Look Tidus," Dona said, "We can only rely on each other, meaning the clique, because we're the same. Half Al Bhed, daughters of the most influential people, abused, someday to be married to someone just like our fathers…it goes on and on."

"Yeah but…"

"You thought you could stop it," Dona said, matter-of-factly, "And you think you've fallen in love with Yuna, is that it?"

At that, Yuna looked up, seeming shocked to hear what Dona had just said.

"I just don't think it's right that you make her do things," Tidus said, "and beat her for not doing it."

"Oh sweetie," Dona said, putting her hand on Tidus' shoulder, causing him to jump, "It's not like that. Like I said, you could never hope to understand."

"Maybe not," Tidus said, "But that's still no reason to force her into things. And there's no reason to hurt her in return."

"But Tidus, it all revolves around hurt," Dona said, "But besides…Have you told Yuna anything about yourself?"

Again, Yuna looked at Dona, as if shocked at what had come out of her mouth.

"What do you mean?" Tidus asked, and he was suddenly feeling angry. Of course he had told Yuna about himself, hadn't he?

"Well Yuna, this shouldn't be news, but Tidus will be moving to Luca this September, to play blitzball professionally. Which means, he'll be miles and miles and miles away from you, and far too busy to come and visit. And even if he did want to carry on a relationship, he'll have so many fans swarming him that he won't be able to. And even if he gets by the fans, there'll be groupies, and knowing Tidus, he'll give into temptation in a heartbeat, and sleep with everything that comes his way…"

Tidus gritted his teeth, but said nothing. In a sense, it was all true, wasn't it?

Yuna though, looked at Tidus, her eyes open wide, and her mouth now slightly agape.

"Why did you bother making me think you liked me?" Yuna asked, slowly.

"Yuna, I--."

"Why?" she just asked, and tears started to form.

"You see Tidus," Dona said, "Everything is painful for us, because we can't have anything, even though we have it all. Do you understand? Together, we inflict more pain, but learn how to deal with it at the same time. It's my job, Tidus! So when Yuna's husband beats her to a bloody pulp, she'll know how to deal with it! So when he comes and practically rapes her, just to turn around and do it to someone else, she'll be okay with it. That's why we needed you."

Yuna began to cry harder, and Dona continued.

"But instead, you decided to have a little summer fling with her. What you were after, I have no idea…Or maybe, you had something up your sleeve? How many girls have you been sleeping with when not with Yuna?"

"None," Tidus said, "I haven't had sex all summer."

"Yeah right," Dona said, crossing her arms.

"It's the truth," Tidus said, looking at Yuna to see what her expression was. She was looking at the ground though, so there was no way for Tidus to tell.

"It doesn't matter if you lie or not," Dona said, "Get out of here."

"This is Yuna's house," Tidus said, "I can stay if I want. You can't tell me to get out."

"Yuna?" Dona said, looking at her friend.

"I want…" tears were now slipping down Yuna's face, "I want you to leave Tidus. I don't ever want to see you again."

"Yuna!" Tidus said, running over to her, and putting his hand on her shoulder "Don't say that just 'cause Dona's here. I won't let her hurt you!"

Yuna smacked Tidus' hand off of her shoulder, and looked at him, anger showing clearly in her water-filled eyes, "I don't want to see you!"

Tidus just shook his head, unable to comprehend her words. He looked from Dona to Yuna, and then back to Dona. Finally, he landed his eyes on Yuna, and kept them there.

"I guess this is goodbye then," he said softly.

"Get," Dona just said, her hands on her hips, "You've been here long enough already. We have a big party to get ready for."

"Right," Tidus said, "Sorry I took up your time."

Yuna had stopped crying, but her lip was trembling uncontrollably, telling him that she was threatening to cry again.

Tidus walked to the door, and turned around slowly, and said, "But I really did love you, Yuna."

And with those final words, he walked out the door, letting it shut on its own behind him.

-

"Dude, you're a mess!" Gippal said, "I can't believe I'm missing that party over at Rin's to sit here with you. Can't you quit bumming around?"

"I just had my first ever major break-up," Tidus said with a sigh.

"And you're acting like a girl about it!" Gippal said, "I'm going to leave you."

"Go ahead," Tidus said, "I don't want you around anyway.

The two were sitting in a small Al Bhed café, and Tidus was on his fifth milk shake.

"I mean, seriously," Gippal said, picking up an empty glass, "At least drown yourself in liquor, or something…"

"Not in the mood," Tidus said, "Seriously, get lost."

"Fine," Gippal said, "I'll be at Rin's, so when you change your mind, come over."

"Whatever," Tidus just said, and he sighed as he said it.

Gippal sighed as well, and left his friend, who raised his hand to order another milk shake.

"Hey, Tidus, right?" he heard a voice chirp, so he looked up, only to see that the waitress that came wasn't the one before, but instead, Rikku.

"Rikku?" Tidus said, snapping out of his depression momentarily.

"Hiya," she said, "I'm friends with Yunie, you know."

"Yunie…? Oh, Yuna! Yeah, I know."

"You're all she talks about, you know," Rikku said, and she giggled, "I can see why."

"Rikku, you've seen me at school, haven't you?"

"Yeah, but you were always surrounded by some slimy chick. So I never really saw you up close," Rikku said, leaning her nose close to Tidus', as if to get a better look.

"How come you're not at Yuna's party?" Tidus asked.

"I have to work," Rikku said, and she sighed, "Besides, I'm not…really in the clique anymore."

"What? How did you leave?" Tidus asked, deciding it was time to get some real answers.

"Because I'm full Al Bhed," Rikku said, and laughed, "Besides, I was always kind of the 'little one'. The geek of the group, if you will. Sure, you'd think it was Yuna, but she basically complies to everything they want. It's sad, really…So, anyway, you look depressed, what's up?"

"Yuna told me to get lost," Tidus said, "Because Dona told her I'd been cheating on her, and she told her that we couldn't be together anyway…but although the last part is basically true, I haven't slept with anybody!"

"Yeah, but Yuna thinks you did," Rikku said softly, "she told me that Dona said the two of you…"

"No," Tidus said, unless you count Dona pinning me to the couch and kissing me against my will cheating…"

"I told Yunie you probably hadn't," Rikku said, sighing, "But Dona's so convinced that Yunie needs to have a man do it with her and then dump her. She figured you'd be the perfect one."

"I know," Tidus said, "But I really liked her…"

"Exactly, and that made Dona jealous," Rikku said.

"Hm, I never thought about it like that," Tidus said.

"Yeah, she's so jealous," Rikku said, "But she's just jealous of Yuna in general. So she turns around and is extra mean to poor Yunie."

"But Yuna's old man…he beats her, doesn't he?"

Rikku's mouth dropped, and her lips closed instantly.

"She said he does," Tidus said, thinking that perhaps Rikku would say something if she knew that he knew."

"Tidus," Rikku said, looking at him as if he were crazy, "Yuna's dad is dead."

"But, he's a Maester of Yevon and everything!" Tidus said, shocked.

"No, Tidus, he's dead. He's been dead for four years."

Tidus just sat there, unable to move.

"Why did Yuna lie? She knows, doesn't she?"

"Because," Rikku said, staring at her hands, "She doesn't want people to know that Dona and Leblanc beat her up like they do. So she lies and says it's her dad. Besides, she lives by herself, and she's not technically supposed to…Well, she can now, I guess, being that she's eighteen, but…"

Tidus just sat there.

"So there's really…no rule against anything she does?"

"Nope, just Dona," Rikku said, "Anyway, I gotta go. See you around?"

"Maybe," Tidus said.

He sat there dumbfounded for the longest time, before standing up. He was going to that party, and he was going to get Yuna.

With that in mind, he ran out the door.