Disclaimer: At the beginning of Chapter 1...

Oh well, turned Saturday over here just 10 minutes ago.. Thought it would be some updating time. Finally the first week of school has passed by. And I'm exhausted, so I excuse myself if there's some typos here and there. I thank them who reviewed last time, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well. Yet again, sorry if there's any typos or hard understanding. Feel free to ask if you wonder over something. Happy reading, good night (for me) and reviews are most welcome.

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Chapter 6 - Thoughts

Night had fallen upon Spira and surrounded everything with darkness and starlit stars in the sky, a magical sight for the small eyes of Vidina as he continued to stare into the beautiful sighting that he did not understand. Warmth he was given from his mother as he laid in her arms gently embraced under the night sky. It was so much that he didn't understand, but he understood this of being a feeling of safety and love. And so on he continued staring up in wonder of what those shiny dots in the black sky could be. In his own little world he only felt silence and peacefulness. He was unaware of the ongoing bonfire party going on around him and his mother.

The fire in the middle was lit up in the strongest of fire as the people of Besaid enjoyed talking to one another and partying together with drinks and food as well as tossing a few Blitzballs back and forth. The Bonfire Party of Yuna's second world-saving and Tidus return was on full-force. Lulu sat with her son in her arms by the fire, wanting her child to feel warm and cozy as he stared off in his own world of wonderment. Her eyes went back and forth through the party, looking on in amusement as she saw Wakka talk with the Aurochs about starting a tougher, harder and more joyful Blitz-training. Wakka could never let go off Blitzball she realised, it would probably be like losing a part of himself if he let it go entirely. Her eyes went from her husband to Rikku and Paine that was sitting on the other side of the fire in an up-heat conversation with Buddy and Shinra. She continued scanning through the celebration in search of the two people's being celebrated. When she did not find them, she assumed that they had yet to come out and encounter everyone.

Rikku and Paine had earlier together with Yuna come over to tell the wonderful news of Tidus awakening, but also a sad fact of his short memory-loss. She had then told them that it could be a small side-effect of whatever he had gone through and that it would probably were off in a matter of days. Yuna's eyes had lit up with hope and joy when she had said that, and she now hoped that she would be right. Apparently whatever Tidus couldn't manage to remember was a key-point of their lives that she valued strongly and wouldn't want to be the only one remembering it.

She closed her eyes for a second as she washed away all her thoughts and focused on enjoying the party and Vidina, and for this night only. Not having to think of what was to come or not to come.

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"I don't know Tidus, shouldn't you be in bed resting?" Yuna weakly asked as her worried part of herself took over. She really did feel like partying. But Tidus well-being would always be her first priority. She sat on her bed watching as Tidus with small and half-weak steps made his way back and forth in her room trying to get himself clean and ready for the bonfire outside.

"Nah, Yuna. I'm fine, promise." He tried with a smile. He didn't get far with that though. As he was met by Yuna's eyes, not the least amused.

"That's what you said earlier as well. And look where it got you, onconscious on my bed" She said, her voice all drained from joy or sweetness, only leaving sadness and concern.

Tidus looked her way in a apolgizing way as he went over to the bed and sat beside her, steading his arms on his knees as he leaned forward. He sighed before asking.

"What happened? On the beach I mean, that got me where I am now?"

Yuna was quiet at this question, her mind poundering over her answer. Did she want to tell him the truth? Should she maybe tell a little white lie for the time being to not worry him? Better yet, did she want to bring that subject up even, she asked herself. Her mind set on her answer she took in a breath before answering.

"I really don't want to get into this right now, Tidus. I just think that this party maybe isn't such a good idea. That you even agreed to this when Wakka and Lulu asked suprised me. Aren't you the least worried about your own well-being?" She went on, slightly keeping track on the conversation, but also changing it a bit into what she was most worried about at that moment.

"Of course I am, but I'm telling you that I'm feeling fine enough to be able to get out there and celebrate you together with everyone else. I can't believe that you saved Spira all over again" He smiled, she knew he was very proud of her. And she could only blush at this. forgetting everything of the conversation earlier.

"They're celebrating you too, you know" she informed smilingly. At this he only smirked charmingly and posed a bit showing himself off.

"Yeah, I know. Celebrating a Hero's return or something like that right?"

"The return of a Hero indeed...The return of my hero.." Yuna said in a whisper as she looked down to the floor in embarressment.

She felt Tidus warm arm encirkel her and holding her tight up towards his side, she welcomed the warmth coming from him. She leaned her head to rest on his shoulder as they sat their in silence.

Words wasn't needed at that moment, they knew that only actions was needed to express what they felt, and by so they sat there minutes straight, nothing said and nothing done. In each others warm closeness they found what they were searching for.

Yuna felt Tidus right hand gently caress her left cheek and she pushed her right cheek deeper into his shoulder, wanting to feel him the way she had done that time in Macalania where she had found her true love. She slightly felt her cheeks blush a shade of red as the memories of their first kiss displayed like a moving motion picture inside her head. Their first kiss, in the lakes of Macalania, in a moment of desperete need for love and trust they had shared it. She only wished that it could've been her first kiss that she shared with him, but unfortunately it didn't turn out that way, as her first kiss was stolen by someone whom she now looked back on with a disgusted face. Seymour Guado, leader of the Guado people in his living days, child and proof of a love between Guado and human was possible. Seymour Guado, one of the four maesters of Yevon had turned out to be a psychoman who searched to be Sin and free Spira of all its sorrow and suffering by destroying it all.

What a nice way to free Spira, Yuna thought in a sarcastic way. She had trusted Seymour, she had looked up to him and his strength so with admiration. She had let him be her pillar of strength when Tidus had always been the one. It hurt her deeply to know that she had accepted Seymour's proposal of marriage in order to give the people of Spira something to distract them from the pain Sin continued bringing.

She remembered how Tidus had acted back then, even though he tried to hide it from them all, as well as his feeling for her, she had seen right through him how he was hurt by her decision of marrying Maester Seymour. Fortunately for them, Yuna had found out about Seymour's evilness as she watched the sphere Lord Jyscal, father of Seymour had left behind before she sent his sould to the farplane a second time, to forever rest in peace. Seymour had indeed killed his father with his own hands, and Yuna knew she could never marry such a crazy man. When she had told her friends that she would meet Seymour to talk the marriage over, she had in fact been planning in confronting him about his dreadful deeds. Her friends came after hearing as well, and they all fought together side by side and they killed the Measter. At least they thought so, Seymour's spirit continued to live on, holding on to Spira and refusing to fade to the Farplane. Seymour forced her upon a marriage in order to save her friends. He had been the stealer of her first kiss. How she was angry at that time, but her anger was nothing compared to the disgust she felt of having his lips upon her own.

The gentleness of Tidus hand caressing her face further brought her back from her bad memories of Seymour and back into the present where only they existed in the moment. She leaned in deeper into his hand and let out a sigh of pure happiness. She lifted her eyes up to meet his and was frozen with the moment as he looked back. She felt his hand sneek to the back of her head with and slowly bringing her head closer to his as he leaned down to her face. His eyes never broke the contact with hers and he searced her eyes for any signs of hesitation as he brought her closer.

All he could see was love and devotion. No hesitations, no regrets. He saw only Yuna in those eyes. With that he slowly and ever so gently closed the gap between them as he touched his lips to hers in a soft kiss that would make their second. It was pure and innocent, as his lips only brushed hers in soft divine. Both had their eyes closed as they both enjoyed this moment where they felt connected more than ever after being two years apart.

All the worries or other thoughts in each of their minds were forgotten for that moment only, as all they felt was warmth and love in each others presence.

After what only had been a few seconds but felt like an eternity to them, they slowly broke apart. Both feeling a new sensation of strength and satisfaction for the small and innocent moment they just had shared with each other after being apart for so long.

Tidus smiled down at Yuna as he went to stand up. He took a hold of her hand and gently pulled her up with him and drew her close to him.

"We should head out there before they send a search party after us. After all, the party for us has been on for some while without us there." he said with an mischievous smile.

Noticing that he showed no sign of backing down from attending the party going on outside Yuna merely breathed out a "Yeah, I guess you're right..." she then turned to meet his smiling face

and shoved her worries down for that night only and smiled back. "Let's not make them wait any longer" and with that said they both left Yuna's room and headed down to meet the others outside.

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"Yeah but, it's not like that Paine." Rikku protested in a rather nervous voice. "I tell you, you've got it all wrong."

"Oh do I?" Paine asked with a knowing smirk. She knew that Rikku had a thing going on for Gippal, half the fun of this conversation was seeing her friend deny it in a low convincing manner.

"Yeah, you do!" Rikku stated, trying her best to keep her voice steady. "Anyways, it's not like I'm the only one here. You've got the hots for Baralai." Rikku said in a blurt, half admitting that she did have the hots for Gippal without noticing it, and turning the conversation on Paine.

"I do not!" Paine now said quickly. "You're being delusional, better get some sleep, kiddo."

"Who are you calling 'kiddo' you're not that much older than me! Besides, the one delusional here is you, thinking I have a thing for Gippal...hmpf, must dumb thing I've ever heard" Rikku shrugged off.

"Is that so? That must make me the smarter one between us." Paine simply said, a smirk of victory almost finding itself in her expression.

"Oh yeah? And why's that?" Rikku mocked. She was starting worry as she had heard Paine let those words out. She greatly feared that her mouth once again had messed it up for her again as it had done on many occasions.

"Oh nothing, only that you, unlike me just admitted that you weren't the only one between us that had the hots for someone. So you see, it's not just only me, but you as well since your mouth came in at the wrong time, which it's so famous of doing." Paine smiled. She thought of herself taking the victory home in the conversation, but when she saw the smile one Rikku's face grow wider, she started to worry. "What're you smiling at?"

Rikku's smile remained as she looked on at Paine before saying in a knowing voice. "You just confessed as well.. I knew you had it for Baralai! I knew it, I knew it." Rikku cooed in a silly manner of joy.

Paine's faced turned horrified, she thought back through her lastest words and soon realised her misstake and where it was said. It all played over in her mind as she sighed in regret. It seemed that her mouth was just as bad as Rikku's.

"..you weren't the only one between us that had the hots for someone. So you see, it's not just me, but you as well since your mouth..."

Paine couldn't believe her misstake, and now realised that there was no getting out of this now that she had put herself in it, she silently cursed before turning on a new expression and turning to face Rikku. "At least Baralai isn't a punk like Gippal!" she said faintly, in reality she didn't think of Gippal that way. But she had to get back on Rikku for getting her to spill her secret out.

"Gippal's at least not a Yevon-obessed guy that still believes in the very religion that betrayed us all!" Rikku said back furiously, having to hear Paine trash Gippal as a punk just wasn't going by her.

"Well excuse him for at least believing in something other than digging in the sands of Bikanel and Machina!" Paine then fired back, she realised her misstake yet again in trashing someone's loved one in their faces. She saw a flicker of pain and sadness behind the amount of anger that Rikku's eyes gave away as she went in for a new response. But fortunatley for them, Buddy and Brother broke in.

"Give it up will you two!" Buddy said lamely, he always saw their endless fighting as, well..endless and meaningless.

"Buddy right, Rikku. You like Gippal, and Paine like Baralai.. Okey?" Brother said, pointing out the obvious. Rikku in her better state of mind wondered if she would really take a moment of care to listen to her brother's words. But she really didn't have a say in the matter as Buddy and Brother talked on.

"Brother's right, you two don't need to go trashing each others love-interest like that just because you two in some stupid way slipped your secrets out." Buddy said

"Yeah, what Buddy said! I thought you to be smarter than that, Rikku. I am ashamed of you for behaving..in..uhh..in such.. hmm" Brother said, losing the word he was looking for as his English had only slightly inproved in the last couple of days.

"In such a manner?" Shinra put in curiously, as he too had witnessed the on-going and pointless fight Rikku and Paine had on seconds earlier.

"Yes! I am ashamed of you behaving in such a manner, Rikku!" Brother then ended his earlier sentence with the help of Shinra.

"Is that so, Brother?" Rikku questioned, the look on her brother's face unbeatable as she went on. "I then have five words for you; I don't give a care!"

With that Brother only turned his back on them all, muttering a silent curse under his breath before walking away in a defeated way. He never really could get through to Rikku, and in reality.. The only one he felt ashamed of, was himself. He felt worthless as he over the passed few years never really had been able to control his younger sister or take care of her as a brother should do. Rikku had always been a girl of her own, and that made his heart sink silently as he envied her free spirit. She sometimes made him feel worthless unpurposely. He couldn't blame her for not seeing it, since he always covered all his pain and sadness up with his goofy attitude. He thought that if he acted this way, he would at least get some of his younger sisters acknowledgement and time. Even if all they ever said or spat to each other was words of curses and difference. Being that was how their relationship seemed like, he could at least at some level not always have to fake himself up. He was happy of the times he had with her, even how un-happy they turned out to be. At least he got to be there and watch over her in secret. He treasured the journey they all had been on those past weeks. He had come to prove his existance, if only a small amount, that he was there for Rikku always. It had always been Yuna, Rikku and Paine to be the ones to most oftently leave the airship to execute the missions and get the spheres. But from above, he always in some way got Yuna to watch over his sister. He had at a few moments gotten Paine to it as well. But mostly Yuna. He trusted them all with the same value, but Yuna was somehow special. He had clearly showed off to all of them that he had deeper feelings for Yuna than just friendship. It was after all only for Yuna that he tried so hard to improve his English. This was another part he felt ashamed off... His crush on Yuna. The very crush was not the problem, but the fact that he held on this long, when knowing that the feeling wasn't mutual, was what he was ashamed of. Yuna had only joined the Gullwings for one reason, she had only become a Sphere-Hunter for one reason; to find Tidus, to find her loved one.

And while knowing so, Brother had continued his interest for Yuna. Only to hurt himself deeper in the end. Tidus was back, Yuna was happy. Everyone was happy, while his own heart ached for the misstake he had himself caused. He deserved this, he concluded. He had this coming, and still he held on.. Hoping for a time together with Yuna, that would never come. Not even if Tidus hadn't returned. Brother felt miserable, he felt alone and ashamed. But he would look up, he was Brother. Son of Cid, leader of the Gullwings and commander on the Celsius. He would keep his faith up as he had always done earlier, and he would fight for Yuna's love. He would prove himself to be better than that blonde Tidus-whatever guy. He would be the protective brother and be there for Rikku when she would need it the most. With that in his mind he straightened his back and walked off in a proudly way instead of a defeated one, leaving all who was behind him confused and dumbfounded.

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That's it for this time everyone. I hope you enjoyed, review what you think and thought of it. I'll get a new chapter up as soon as possible by next week. But with school going on, I can't promise anything. Thank you all for reading!

Alexiel91