Disclaimer: Already put an disclaimer on chapter 1, that should do :P
Heey,
chapter 2 has arrived! Sure took long enough.. but hey, better late
than never right? Okay, I usually don't get into this read and review
stuff so deep.. But I just looked on this story's stats.. and it hit
me.. 115 hits on chapter 1 and only 5 reviews? That's like.. 110 people
that've jumped in and not left a single word of review. Please, I ask
of you to spend no more than 5 minutes to write an review to make a
writer go on.. So please, R&R!
I want to thank those who've reviewed though, and here's chapter 2 for you!
Hope you all enjoy!
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Chapter
2 - Never
The sun's blazing heat continued further together with the people of Besaid as they all slowly headed back to the village. Going further in the back of the others was Rikku and the others.
All of them carrying smiles on their faces, enjoying the gwaking and purring melody of the singing birds. This had to be paradise both Rikku and Paine thought. After all that fighting and struggle merely hours ago when they all joined up with Leblanc, Nooj, Baralai and Gippal to save Spira had been exhausting. But all very enjoyful too, as they all had grown closer to each other and believed in each other's strength.
Wakka
and Lulu walked slightly behind the girls, with baby Vidina all
cuddled up in Lulu's arms and daddy Wakka smiling down at him.
"Isn't
he the cutest ever?" Wakka cooed in a fatherly way making Lulu
laugh slightly at how proud Wakka seemed to be over their child. She
too was very happy and proud.
"At
least for now, seeing that you want him to be a blitzer like you
he'll probably end up looking like you in a matter of years."
Rikku yelled from where she walked ahead of them.
"Right
on." Paine mumbled smilingly beside Rikku.
"What's
that supposed to mean?" came Wakka's disturbed voice. "I'm
not all that Shabby, Lu married me after all, ya!"
Lulu
turned to her right to look Wakka straight in the eyes before saying:
"Not
for your looks though." and walked on ahead to the girls who
stood there smirking Wakka down with joy.
"Aww,
come on..." Wakka sighed, giving up in saying anything further
as the conversation ended. "Women..." he said quietly in
his misery.
"We
heard that!" the trio ahead yelled back at him in statement.
Wakka only smiled at this. "Life's going to be good. ya.." he whispered to himself before walking on towards the girls.
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Thoughts, confusion and fear went through Yuna as the blood ran through her veins as she sat there on the beach's shore, holding Tidus close to her as he laid there unconscious. She didn't know what was wrong or what had happened for that matter. Only moments ago things had seemed perfect, Shuyin and Lenne had gone to rest, Vegnagun had been stopped and destroyed, The eternal calm was on the track of continuation again, and Tidus return.
Everything had been perfect only moments ago, and now it felt like everything was falling apart even stronger and faster than ever before. Was this how life was going to be now that her love was back? ...to see him in this state...suffering?
She couldn't bear this anymore, everything just went wrong everytime she felt happiness. Was this a curse she had to live with?
"NO!" Yuna yelled out to the world.
She wouldn't accept this curse or whatever it was. She would defeat it, she would conquer it! Just as she had said and done 2 years ago in the heart of Zanarkand Dome where she encountered Lady Yunalesca.
She had casted off her beliefs in Yevon and the false hope that it had brought with it. She would now cast off her beliefs in Spira and everything else if she had too. Not anymore...Not anymore would she ever stand by like this watching everything fall apart over and over. This time, she wouldn't stand by and watch Tidus disappear or suffer. Not anymore...
"Rikku...Paine, can you hear me?" Yuna spoke, remembering the small microphone she always carried with her. "It's me, Yuna. Listen, if you can hear me, I need help here back at the beach...Something's wrong with Tidus..Please hurry" she ended. While in her waiting she decided to try and wake Tidus out if his state. Gathering him in her arms she tenderly touched his cheek, ever so gently. Even in this unknown situation he was in, he still looked angelic to her.
"Tidus?...can you hear me? ...please, Tidus...talk to me." she whispered in hopes of him hearing her. "It's me, Yuna...please let me know if you can hear me, Tidus.."
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"I
know, Paine. I know already..." Rikku said in fustration. "In
case you haven't noticed, I've tried talking to him several times
during these past 2 years. But he kept on dreaming that their time
would come..."
"Yeah,
I guess...Not much we can do then." Paine muttered in a quiet
thoughtsome voice moments later as they walked into Besaid Village
together with everyone else.
Rikku only sighed at this, even though her brother irritated her to death, she couldn't help but to feel sorry for his current saddened state.
"Let him be," came Lulu's voice from behind, who had seemingly overheard their conversation. "Yuna gave him hints after hints that she could never feel the same way about him, not when her heart only loved Tidus." Lulu continued. "It was his choice to ignore those hints, and it is now his fault for hanging onto a dream that very much is shattered at this point. We all knew and we all know that Yuna loves only Tidus...it is better to leave Brother alone, to figure this out on his own... only then will he learn to accept the obvious, only then will he be able to accept new dreams."
As Lulu's words sunk into both of them, Rikku's mic buzzed back and forth as the weak signal carried out Yuna's voice.
"Rikku...Paine,
can...me?...It's...Yuna. Listen...can hear me...need
help...beach. ...wrong...Tidus... hurry." was all that Rikku
managed to hear as she stared blankly at Paine who seemed to have
heard the same message through her microphone.
"Let's
go" Paine hushed under her breath before taking off together
with Rikku towards the beach, hearing Wakka's questioning "What's
up?" behind them.
"Yuna
needs help" Rikku said in a raised voice as she and Paine
speeded up towards the beach leaving Wakka and Lulu behind.
As Rikku and Paine ran out of sight Wakka turned to face Lulu, who too shared the worried look he carried. He was confused and he was lost, all he knew was that Yuna was in a pinch or something.
"Lu..."
he started before Lulu cut him off in a rush
"Go,
they might need a helping hand." she stated "Hurry, and be
careful"
"Always,
Lu." Wakka smiled as he took off after the girls.
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"Come on, Tidus...What's wrong?" Yuna continued trying to no avail, as Tidus limp body continued lying lifeless in her craddled arms. "Please..." she begged quietly, praying, hoping, wishing for something good to happen.
Minutes later she felt as if her prayer had been heard as she saw Rikku and Paine's figures run down the beach calling out her name in panic as they came closer and closer each step they took.
"Yunie, what's wrong?" Rikku asked in a tired voice as she stopped in front of Yuna's figure holding Tidus limpless one together with Paine. "What happened to Tidus?"
Yuna's worried and concerned eyes shot up to meet their as she muttered in an heart-breaking sad voice: "I-I...don't know. We were talking, and he seemed fine for a moment...but..never mind that now. All I know is that he is lying here unconscious... and that's not how it's supposed to be. I need you help to get him back to the village safely."
Rikku and Paine nodded in agreement, showing off their understandings as both of them kneeled down to each grab on to Tidus and pulling him upward. They barely managed to stand upright with him as they took on all his muscular weight onto themselves.
"I
don't think we're gonna be able to pull this off, Yunie" Rikku
groaned, trying her best to stay steady while carrying Tidus, by
having one of his arms around her neck.
"She's
right Yuna. How're we supposed to carry him up that slope by the
woods like this?" Paine came in.
"We
have to try, he needs help...and I'm not about to keep him from
getting it just because some slope." Yuna stated in
determination. "I'm not going to let anything come in my way
from helping him, guys." she then spoke in a softer tone.
"No
need to, Yuna." Wakka's voice called out as he came running down
the beach towards them. "I'm here, all ready to help, ya"
he smiled in a brotherly way.
"Wakka,"
Yuna smiled appreciation. "Thank you."
"No
prob, ya" Wakka goofed before taking on to helping them carry
Tidus motionless figure.
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"What happened?" Lulu's frantic voice asked as the girls together with Wakka entered the village carrying Tidus. Wakka only shook his head at his wife's question and spoke in a strained tired voice:
"Not now Lu, too many people around. Let's take him to Yuna's place first and talk there."
Understanding Wakka's purpose in the matter Lulu nodded in understanding as she went to open up the door into Yuna's hut, letting them all in and closing the door behind them, leaving questioning faces and eyes out. Lulu's eyes never left Yuna's as they entered, whatever it was that had happened it had very much touched Yuna's heart in ways that could not be explained in other words than; hurt.
"Here, let's lay him down on the couch." Paine's exhausted voice broke the short silence that had come upon them right after they had closed the door behind them. Rikku nodded in agreement, and Wakka was on his way to join them in taking Tidus body there. But they all stood still as Yuna refused to budge, leaving them all standing there with no chance of moving as Yuna held onto Tidus arm that hung around her shoulder firmly. "No," she had said "not the couch, we don't know if it's comfortable enough..."
"But, Yuna, it's a couch... how can it not be comfortable enough?" Wakka silently asked.
"...I don't know, all I know is that I clearly have no idea what's wrong with him. And if any of you guys know, then I beg of you to explain. But if not, then I want him to have the most comfortable choice as possible." Yuna quietly said with her eyes looking down at her hut's floor.
"What're you meaning, Yunie?" Rikku questioned her cousin in the most understanding manner.
"Let's take him up to my bed," Yuna spoke in yet again a silent voice, but outmost determined. "please.."
There was a moment when they all just stood there, watching their beloved friend Yuna stare lonely to the ground, refusing to meet their eyes as she isolated herself in her own pain...yet wishing them to accept her request, as if it was the very least thing she could do to help Tidus when she felt the very least helpful. How could they deny her wish? Never, was the answer from them all.
"Never, Yuna..." Lulu was the first to speak, catching Yuna offguard in what sounded like a denying of her request. Yuna looked sadly up at Lulu, who had come to be like a mother to her.
"Never would we ever dream of not helping you, dear." Lulu finished, and the sparkle she for an instant thought she saw in Yuna's eyes would never ever leave her memories. Never...