The Echo
Chapter 21: Calm

I could hear her whistling upon the wind, a faint and desperate trail of sound, calling out over empty waters for someone that would not come. Someone that could not. It was like a testimony to all of it, the last painful months. Yuna had continually called for something that wasn't real, something that, in all truth, wasn't there. She continued to do so. And I was right along with her, my heart filled to bursting with painful hope… my eyes filling with tears at every whistle.

From where I stood, on the docks, I could see her clearly. She was alone as we guardians had ever allowed her to be. I continued to watch over her, even now, when danger was virtually erased. The only thing I could not protect her from was her grief. Her body was shaking with the sobs she wouldn't let surface, her proud summoner's stance shrinking as the morning went on.

I leaned against the cold, cool marble piling behind me in an attempt for the cold stone to soothe my nerves. Her sharp whistle cut through my attempts as she tried once again. Her long sleeves flew behind her in the breeze off the water. The lack of urgency in the air was beginning to frighten me. Nothing was ever this calm… nothing had ever been. I didn't remember the last Calm, I was much to young to know what it felt like to have no worry. I was Al Bhed… even in the Calm, I would not have known rest. Her whistle was as I felt… despairing, urgent, and anguished, all at once. Hope was there, but slowly, her whistles were growing less determined and more shrilly.

Quiet footsteps echoed down the walkway. I glanced up, wiping my eyes as Lulu approached.

"How is she?" she asked quietly, watching our summoner with concerned eyes.

"Not too good…" I answered, sniffling quietly as I watched Yuna staring out at the ocean.

"And you?"

"… I'll be okay. I'm just worried about Yunie." Lies, woven with truth. Lulu saw through it.

"It's time… the stadium is full.. Sphere cameras are everywhere. I don't know if she'll be able to handle it."

We watched her silently for a moment. "As long as they don't mention the fact that we're two less in size, I think we can make it through the speech…"

Normally, the maesters would announce the coming of the Calm. We'd survived them, this time. There were none left. The summoner who was responsible could announce it now, thanks to the dream we'd seen fade. As I watched Lulu walking towards Yuna, I couldn't help but think that the dream was burning more brightly than I'd ever seen it burn before, despite the fade.

They conversed quickly, and Yuna followed her after one last glance out to sea. Lulu passed me, leading the way toward the stadium doors. I gave Yuna a gentle hug before taking my place in the rear. We entered the elevator that would take us to the top box without another word. The doors opened and we stepped forward, Yuna in the lead. Kimahri and Wakka waited for us, standing to the side. Yuna stepped forward to the microphone that was ready and waiting. The blast of cheering from the stands hit me like a gust of wind as I took my place just behind her on the left.

We were without the two of them, Tidus and Auron… I knew we would suffer for it. For a moment, though, as I looked out at the thousands that were packed into the stadium, I understood. We'd lost them, and these people had gained. Each of them was given a life for our loss. I smiled… for a few minutes, our suffering and loss were worth it. But only for a few minutes. I smiled encouragingly at Yuna.

"Everyone… everyone has lost something precious. Everyone here has lost homes, dreams, and friends. Everybody. Now, Sin is finally dead." The people began to clap out in the stands, and I looked steadily ahead at all of them, listening as my cousin's voice cut through the air. "Now, Spira is ours again. Working together, we can make new homes for ourselves, and new dreams. Although I know the journey will be hard, we have lots of time. Together, we will rebuild Spira. The road is ahead of us, so let's start out today."

The crowd burst into wild applause at this, and I smiled at her once more when she looked back uncertainly. Her eyes scanned the four of us, gazing at the two empty places beside Lulu and Kimahri that should have been occupied. She turned back to the thundering crowd. "Just one more thing…"

I waited as she took in a hesitant breath. The familiar stature of her confident summoner self returned for a moment as she began to speak, immediately silencing the crowd. "The people and the friends that we have lost… or the dreams that have faded…" I took in a sharp breath as she paused. A lone pyrefly brushed her cheek, and she smiled sadly at it, her eyes shining with hope, sadness, and accomplishment. "Never forget them."

And with that, she stared out at the people for a moment, and with a graceful turn, stepped out of the light and back to the four guardians that remained. We five alone knew what had transpired and what healing truly meant. We five alone exited the stadium together, in a silence that didn't need words, but only appreciation.

Quietly, I made sure that Telan was sleeping soundly in her crib. Wakka and Lulu had gone already, and tucked little Vidina in with her. The two were resting quietly together, facing each other as they slept. I smiled softly, and looked toward the soundly sleeping Gippal on my bed. With a lasting glance, I pushed the linen aside and walked into the main room of Tidus' hut. He stood there, waiting for me, a serious look on his face. With a whisper he held the door flap open. "They left half an hour ago." The two of us walked into the village square, which was eerily empty in the pre-dawn light.

"Where are they waiting?" I asked, hesitant to disturb the silence with my own whispering voice.

"The statue. Yuna already went to the Chamber this morning with the three of us. I wish Kimahri could've come."

I nodded as we left the gates, glancing at the silent temple behind us. Four years ago today, we'd slain Sin for good. Four years ago today, Tidus and Auron had left us. Four years, and so much had changed. And yet… as we walked up the hill toward the prayer statue, I glanced down at the little village below… so much was the same. I trailed off as Tidus stepped forward, coming over the hill a short while before I did. Yuna was kneeling before the statue, her head bowed. I watched as Tidus clumsily prayed before taking his place next to her. Wakka and Lulu stood to either side, and as I came up the hill, I stood behind Lulu. I'd only ever prayed when I thought the moment commanded respect. This moment certainly did, but that was not my way as a guardian, and so that was not my way now. We were quiet as the sun rose, touching every bit of the island and the world we had saved with its light.

We'd had an unspoken agreement to come together, during the morning. For the past years, Yuna had visited the temple in the early morning hours, accompanied by those guardians that had been watching over her when she entered her first Chamber of the Fayth. I joined them later. For the first two years, only the four of us had gathered paying our respects to the pilgrimage we'd completed and left behind in terms of years, but never in our hearts. Last year, Tidus had joined us, and I'd returned to Djose following breakfast.

Silently we stood, until footsteps approached from the beach pathway. I glanced toward the walkway and smiled softly as Kimahri's catlike figure approached. We hadn't expected him to leave his sacred mountain and his people. Silently, he took his place next to Yuna, a silent guardian, as always. I could barely hear the whirring motor of the Celsius in the cove over the chirping of the birds, greeting the day.

Yuna finally stood and reached out to hug Kimahri. We took our hugs in the order in which we'd joined the group, Lulu after Kimahri, and me last. With happy tears in her eyes, Yuna looked at each one of us. "We're all here…"

Wakka watched the glittering ocean waters. "Not all of us."

"No, he's here, too. He always popping in when he's least welcome." Tidus followed Wakka's gaze as we chuckled together. "Giving advice no one understands or asks for, having answers without having any possible and conceivable way of knowing them… that sort of thing."

We stood together for a long while, watching the ocean. Each of us looked toward Zanarkand in the north, the ruins that continued to stand as a testimony to the people lost and the dreams faded. The monkey population was finally under control once again… Paine and Baralai had put plenty of work into that, and into the preservation of the old city. The ruins were off limits to people not accompanied by the Praetor, the Mevyn, the Machine Faction Leader, or those who had embarked upon the Final Pilgrimage, as it was called now… us.

The village below was beginning to stir with the coming of light. Distantly, I could hear mothers calling to their children to wake up, dogs barking… the six of us trekked silently down the hill and into the village once more. An old woman waited in the center circle, and she offered us rolls and juice for the morning. The elders always anticipated our morning jaunt, and for the last four years, one had been waiting with breakfast upon our return. We sat together and ate, each of us remembering the fire which had burned upon the ground and in our souls inside the City of the Dead. Today was a day of remembrance. As the village woke up, we took the time to be silent together once again.

I sat in bed, Telan and Vidina sitting up in my lap. The younger was still wobbly as she sat, and I kept a supportive hand behind her back each time she looked as if she would flop over. Vidina was surprisingly gentle with his small friend, offering her various teething rings each time her small hands dropped the one she was currently drooling on.

Rikku entered the room quietly as I listened to the young ones chattering. She smiled and sat next to me, careful not to knock Telan over with the sudden weight change. The cloth in her hand held two rolls, and a cup of juice provided something to drink. I grinned and caught her lips in a gentle kiss as she handed the food over. "Thank you."

"Thank you. I'm sorry we were gone so long… Kimahri came. We took a little longer than normal… it's the first time we've all been together today since… well, since then."

I glanced at the children and took a bite of a roll. "I understand. They were good, just woke up and started baby talking to each other… well, Vidina is actually talking, sort of, and Telan's baby talking, but still…" Rikku laughed, and I stuck out an instinctive hand as our daughter began to wobble. She dropped her teething ring once more.

Vidina had another ready. "Here!" he said jubilantly, holding out another toy for the baby. She cooed at him and took it from his hands, sticking it in her mouth and gumming it without pretense. We both laughed at the sight. As I finished my breakfast, Rikku got the two cleaned up and lathered some of Lulu's special sunblock on their bare skin. The rest of the day would be spent on the beach, according to Rikku, and Telan would be staying under a big umbrella so she wouldn't get any sort of sunburn.

I grinned when Rikku fussily placed a little pink hat on her head, and plucked a blue one from Vidina's bag and plopped it on his head. I packed up the toys and slung both diaper bags over my shoulders as we got ready to go, sighing in disbelief at the fact that I, Gippal, was carrying diaper bags. "Rikki?"

"Yeah?"

I tucked the shabby ring box into my pocket before looking over at her once more. "How many people are going to be down at the beach?"

She shrugged, settling Telan on one hip and Vidina on the other as we made our way out of Tidus' hut. "It depends. There's always lots of food and stuff, so the whole village will turn up at some point, but usually… at least last time I stayed the whole day… we stay with our own little group of friends. Why?" She asked as Paine approached us from Yuna's tiny hut across the way. She handed Telan over to Paine and looked back at me expectantly.

"Just wondering."

Lulu sat with the baby and the toddler as the rest of us horsed around in the shallow water. Yuna fell face first into the water when Gippal shoved her from behind. With a growl of fake anger, she sprang up and began to chase him through the shallows. I whistled as he ran, shirtless and tan, through the water. Paine laughed next to me. "Do you remember the last time we had to haul out the bathing suits?"

"The hot springs… that was pretty fun." As Gippal tripped in the water and fell over with a loud cry, and Yuna toppled down over him, squealing as she too was lost under the water, I laughed. "I think this is better, though."

"Yeah, me too." She sighed and glanced up at the sun, shading her eyes with a hand. "I'm gonna go help Lu… I can't believe you fools left her alone with both little monsters." I shrugged and gave her a small wave as she walked off across the sand.

"Rikku!" Tidus called, tossing a blitzball over to me. "Whaddya say?"

I shrugged and tossed it back, walking toward where he stood. "I'm not up to snuff on the blitzball, I don't think." I looked over my shoulder. "Tubby!"

Wakka turned to me from where he and the soaking Yuna and Gippal were chatting with another villager. "Don't call me that!"

"Come play blitz with Ti!"

The two men left Yuna with the villager and made their way towards us. Gippal cracked a smile at me and I sighed, grinning back. "Can I join in on the blitz, too?" he asked, expertly twining an arm around my waist as I twirled a strand of hair around my finger. Tidus rolled his eyes and pointed at Gippal moodily.

"Only on one condition."

Gippal raised a playfully dangerous eyebrow. "Oh?"

Tidus nodded. "You know what it is already. Let's blitz!" Wakka and Tidus took off across the water, putting a bit of space between the two sides. I began to walk toward the shallows when Gippal caught my hand lightly in his.

"Rikks, stay with me." He smiled and I grinned, that strange weak in the knees feeling coming over me. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I can't win with these two… help me out, will ya?"

I sighed and cocked my head to the side, smiling back at him as I chewed on my lower lip. "I dunno…"

"Please? You know you blitz like a pro… we make a good team." I laughed as he pouted. "You know you wanna…"

"What do I get out of it?" I asked with a smile, looking back to where Tidus and Wakka were passing the ball back and forth.

He shrugged. "A kiss-" his lips met mine in a gossamer touch "-and a lifetime of happiness."

I giggled and pushed him away, holding my arms up as a signal to start the game. "Yeah, yeah, fine."

I looked out over the glittering bay as I sat next to where everyone had gathered to eat. Telan was in my arms, chewing tiredly on one of Vidina's precious toy blocks. The day was almost over… I smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. She would sleep tonight, I knew, for she'd only had a small nap during the entire busy afternoon. I'd never attended a celebration with the actual pilgrimage group all in one place. It was rowdy and loud, boisterous and even insane at times. It was fun, though, more fun than I'd anticipated from an ex-summoner and her devoted guardians.

We'd wasted the day away, swimming around the cove, playing blitzball or endless water games. A huge tug of war with the villagers had even taken place after mid-day, and all of us were shamed to say that the women had won. Vidina and Telan had bonded throughout the day on their spot under the big umbrella. Today was the first time any of us had truly heard her giggle, and it was the most adorable sound I'd ever heard. My baby girl was growing up, despite how much I wanted her to stay small. She squealed excitedly when Rikku and I took her into the water, clapping her little hands clumsily as the waves touched her squirming feet.

And yet, the one thing I'd been trying not to think about was finally there. I had to ask her. Tonight was the night, the only time, the perfect time. One year ago, we'd been completely together for the first time. One year ago, we made our baby girl together, and one year ago, I'd fallen head over heels in love. What better day to ask her?

Sighing heavily, I pulled my eyes away from the glowing ocean and walked back over the tired sand to where Yuna was sitting. She looked up with a grin, setting her plate of food in the sand. "She tired?"

I nodded and scanned the sands for Rikku. She was lying on a blanket with Tidus and Paine, laughing with them. I grinned softly and handed the baby to her. "Yeah… You haven't had much time with her, so I figured you'd want to take her for a little while."

Yuna laughed and pulled the baby close. Telan rested her head on Yuna's shoulder, staring up at me with a coo of exhaustion. "You bet I want her!" She rolled her eyes and glared over at Tidus. "Y'know, seeing you and Wakka with kids makes me wonder what Tidus would be like with one of his own…"

"He'll be great when you two decide to start a family." I grinned and pointed at the pier. "I'm going to go over there for a little bit… need to think for awhile."

"About what?"

I sighed as I strolled away. "Life, love, and how to put the two together." She laughed at me as I crossed from sand to wood, and I smirked. I wasn't joking.

Yuna sat down next to me, Telan in her arms, and I grinned up at her, relaxing in the late evening warmth. The baby had her fingers around a strand of Yuna's hair, but Yuna didn't seem to mind. I laughed inwardly as I watched Tidus' eyes go gentle at the sight of Yuna with a baby.

"Did Gippal hand her off?"

"Yeah… he said he thought I'd like to hold her for a little while."

I sighed and rolled onto my stomach, tickling Telan's foot lovingly. "Did he go to get something to eat? I haven't seen him eat all night."

"No, he went over onto the pier. Said he wanted to think." She bounced Telan softly as she whimpered tiredly. "Go to sleep, girly, you've been so good all day…"

I smiled as I pushed myself onto my knees and reached over to straighten her little dress. "Yes, she has. I'm a proud Mama." Tidus chuckled beside us, pointing at Paine. Lulu and Wakka were curled together under the umbrella, and Vidina was falling asleep where he sat, destroying the sand temple Wakka had spent an hour making. Paine sat next to him, surprisingly gentle with children. She picked him up and he instantly closed his eyes, leaning on her shoulder as she walked him up and down the beach.

"They both did well, today. Last year, Vidina was just a little thing, like Telan, and Yevon, was he crabby. Lu left halfway through the day to calm him down, and he was still pissed off when we got back to the village." He glanced over his shoulder toward the pier. "He looks kinda lonely over there, Rikku. You should go take him some food."

With a sigh, I stood up and grabbed a pair of my old green shorts from my bag, pulling them on over my bathing suit. "I'll be back in a little bit!" I called over my shoulder as I walked to the buffet line.

"No, you won't!" he called back.

Truth be told, I was worried about Gippal. Since we'd gotten to Besaid, he'd been a little off. I couldn't place what was different, but he seemed more cautious. I hadn't mentioned it so far, because I didn't want to bring up something that wasn't there, but his lack of eating wasn't something I was willing to overlook. With a plate piled high with meat and island delicacies that I knew he loved, I strolled over to the pier.

"Gippal?" He looked up at me, breaking his gaze with the water below, meeting my eyes instead. "I brought you something to eat." He smiled up at me holding out a hand for the plate.

"You didn't have to do that."

"I thought you might be hungry. You've been running around all day without eating a thing." Carefully, I lowered myself onto the smooth wood of the old pier, hanging my feet next to his over the side. He set his plate in his lap and took a bite out of a sweet honey roll, sighing deeply.

"I really like this island, Rikki."

I grinned and leaned my head on his shoulder, pulling him closer and stealing a bite of his honey roll. "Reminds me of Home. Remember? When we used to sit out at the docks before salvage missions and all that? Before you left for Crimson?"

He laughed. "Yeah. And I'd push you into the water and you'd get pissed and drag me in, too."

With a giggle, I made a face at him. "Yeah, well… you used to piss me off pretty easily, way back when."

He shrugged and tugged on my hair lightly. "What can I say?"

With a sigh, I looked at him as he ate. His eyes shifted upon the water, as he sat quietly, kicking his feet in the open air unconsciously. With a smile, I dug in the pocket of my shorts. The same coin that he'd offered me on our first night here rested there, and I pulled it out, flipping it at him as it sparkled in the evening sun. "Gil for your thoughts?"

He smirked at me, shaking his head. "I don't know if I should tell you."

With a sigh, I reached around his waist, tugging him closer as I kissed his bare shoulder. "Why not?"

He frowned and set his plate of food to the side, putting an arm around my shoulder as he nuzzled my loose hair. "You might not like what I'm thinking…"

I let my hand rest over his tight muscles, and sighed when he didn't relax. A hint of worry was starting to bite at my mind. Nervously, I pulled back a bit, staring him in the eyes. "Is it… bad?"

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "I don't think it is. I'm just scared that you won't like it."

With a small smile, I kissed his hand, pressing it against my cheek. "Just tell me. I don't want you to be scared of what I like or don't like." He grinned and let me pull him in for a slow and deliberate kiss. Our lips grazed over one another softly, barely touching in a gentle, leisurely union. His sweet breath whispered against my cheek as he pulled back and kissed each of my closed eyelids and the tip of my nose.

"Marry me…" he whispered softly, so quiet that I thought my imagination was playing tricks on me. I pulled away quickly, staring at him uncertainly. He just cupped my face in his hands, brushing his thumbs over my rosy, blushing cheeks. "I love you… I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He reached clumsily into his pocket and pulled out a shabby box, opening it up to pull out the least shabby ring I'd ever seen. He kissed my stunned lips softly once more, and ran a nervous hand through his hair. "That's what I'm thinking, Rikku…" A nervous smile graced his features. "I really hope y-you like that."

Her face was unreadable. Her eyes were concentrated on my chest, though it didn't seem as if she could actually see me. My heart was pounding, but I didn't want to say anything. I was already afraid enough as it was. My nervous smile began to fade as I waited for her to say something.

Finally, she met my eyes. I ran my thumbs over her smooth cheeks once more. Her eyes were teary… that frightened me. "Rikku?"

"I thought you weren't ready," she stated softly, shaking her head between my hands. Her bottom lip quivered softly, and I hesitantly pressed a finger to it, trying to be tender.

"What do you mean?"

"You… you said so. Y-you said that you d-didn't want to get married or have a f-family yet… but you didn't have a choice a-about Telan, really…" she began to chatter softly, but I pressed against her lip more firmly, silencing her.

"That was a long time ago." The ring that I still held tightly between two fingers slipped dangerously as my hands became slick with nervousness. I carefully set it to the side in the center of a large plank to be certain that it wouldn't fall through into the water before looking back at Rikku with wide eyes.

"But… but…"

"I want this, Rikku. I love you. What I said in the past was what I said in the past. What I'm telling you now is what matters. But I need to know how… how you feel."

A single tear leaked from her eye, uncontrolled, and I kissed it away and she shook in my arms. Tenderly, I kissed her lips softly, trying to control my own nervous tension and make her comfortable. I was afraid, and it seemed that she was, as well. Her fear was more important to me, though.

When I pulled away, her beautiful eyes were shut, and she was biting her lip again. I played with her hair distractedly. "Say something, Rikku… please…"

She looked at me, and with a heavy emotion in her voice, she took my hand in hers. "I love you."

Shakily, I gave her an uncertain smile. "Does that mean that you'll be my girl, then? Forever and always?" My confident external appearance, or what I hoped was one, was false. Completely false.

She smiled softly as the tears began to leave her eyes in a flash flood, as she brushed her cheek against mine and whispered in my ear, "Forever and always…"

Relief flooded through every particle of my being as I kissed her again. I felt like fireworks were exploding in my brain. Numb, I remembered to grab the ring, and with a small laugh, I slid it onto her finger. She hugged me tightly as I stroked her hair, as both of us laughed happily together under the setting sun.

So, big thanks to FairyIce in helping me get past the fear of being too cheesy in that last section, and for all of the encouragement. Thanks to all you reviewers, as well! I really hope you guys liked this chapter, it turned out pretty much how I wanted it to. I'm going to start 22 in the morning, but for now… sleep. Thanks for reading!

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