The city of Guadosalam was made of thousands and thousands of interwoven tree roots. No leaves, just roots. Just like the Guado themselves, nature seemed to stretch and twist in the most peculiar of ways.
Though, none of this was really digested before a Guado man called out to them.
"Lady Yuna! The High Summoner Lord Seymour has been expecting you! I am Tromell, the steward to His Grace. Please won't you come with me?"
Yuna seemed flustered. "Lord Seymour wants to see me?"
"Most fervently! We expected you last night, as far as travel time goes."
"Our apologies," said Lulu, "we were delayed at the Moonflow by a Shoopuf stomach ache."
"Nevertheless," said Tromell, "you're here now, so come!"
Startled by the bluntness of the Guado, the party was whisked off into the city. The city was made up of overlapping bridges and tunnels, all still made of tree roots.
"I wonder if this is what being a rabbit is like." Tidus mused.
Tromell escorted them to a manor in the middle of the city, with a grand staircase that wrapped around both sides of the room.
"Wait here, a moment," Tromell prompted, before disappearing under the stairs.
Auron nudged Tidus closer to Yuna. "Stay near her. I have a bad feeling."
"Oh yeah? Yevon rub you the wrong way too?"
"I've been in Zanarkand for a very long time. Things change. Opinions change. Status of power changes."
"Vague, but threatening."
Yuna looked at Auron. "You don't think Maester Seymour is a bad person, do you?"
"People with power can abuse power, priests of Yevon have power. That's all I'm saying."
Tidus laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Yuna. Maybe he's just going to congratulate us, or give you some tips. Or something."
"I hope you're right."
Lulu nudged Tidus, and pointed to a series of portraits on the wall in front of them. "History lesson, for the oh so important husband of the summoner."
"Lay it on me."
"These are the leaders of the Guado, the last on the end is Lord Jsycal, father of Seymour."
"Wow, they all look the same."
"Now look at this side."
The line of portraits trailed off to show Seymour, but next to his predecessors, it was obvious how different he looked.
"Why doesn't he look like the rest of the Guado?"
"That would be because he's half human. Lord Jsycal married a human woman, and brought the Yevon faith to the Guado."
"Wait, so they haven't always been a part of Yevon?"
"No. Only about twenty years now. They are the guardians of the Farplane, and Macalania woods. They convened with nature, and the pyreflies."
"Okay," Tidus held up his hands. "That was a lot of information you just threw at me. What about them guarding the Farplane? Are you being literal?"
"Completely. There's a gate here, in Guadosalam, that allows us a brief glimpse into the Farplane."
"We can go there later," Yuna stated. "I heard it's an emotional experience."
"That's…crazy." He ended with.
Tromell reappeared. "The dining room is ready. Please, help yourselves to the food. You must be famished. Lord Seymour will be with you shortly." He gestured them down a hallway.
"For twisting our arms and making us rush here, there's sure a lot of waiting," Rikku remarked.
"If we keep getting delayed like this, we'll reach Gagazet too late in the season, and have to wait until the spring thaw." Auron added, with much bitterness.
"I think that's a little far…" Yuna offered. "We still have a few weeks before the ice sets in."
"And who knows how long Zanarkand will take? What if we make it over the mountain, but not back over before the ice sets in? You don't want to be trapped in those ruins for several months." Auron argued. "We press on, and if the timing is too close, we stay with the Ronso, or come up with alternate plans."
"I guess I hadn't been thinking about the mountain ice," Yuna offered shyly. "I didn't think the pilgrimage would take that long."
"It shouldn't," agreed Lulu, "but if we keep getting stopped like this…"
"Hey, no worries. We'll make up time somehow. And if we have to stay with the Ronso…that can't be all that bad. Kimahri can get us in with his family."
"Kimahri leave Ronso tribe. Runt of litter, shamed by brothers."
"Oh."
"We have a while before we even get to Gagazet, so let's all just chill out, okay?" Rikku offered.
The group fanned out, taking their concerns to each corner of the room. There were several tables of food, each stacked higher than the one before.
"The Guado may be blunt," said Rikku, "but they sure do know how to make someone feel at home!"
"Guado food, mostly plants." Kimahri muttered to himself as he picked over a fruit tray.
"Hey," Yuna brought a plate over to Tidus. "Look what I made!"
It looked like an open faced sandwich, with cheese and tomato slices.
"Hmm looks good?" He offered.
"It's for you! It's pizza!"
His eyes widened. Indeed, she had remembered his instructions from the night before. Oh how vague he had been.
"Aw! Yuna, this is wonderful. Sorry I didn't recognize it at first. I didn't really describe it that well last night."
"No?"
"Well, first of all, it's cooked. Usually in a wood stove. The dough is soft, then you add tomato sauce, and then shredded cheese and other toppings. You bake it until it's melted and golden brown."
"Oh…" she looked sad. "Well, I don't have an oven…"
He held her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. One day, I'll make you a proper pizza." He took the plate from her. "I'm going to eat this anyway, because it was the nicest gesture anyone has made for me…in like, forever. Thank you."
Yuna smiled broadly.
"My my," spoke a smarmy voice from the door. "So many guests, it's been so long." Seymour entered the room, and offered a bow, which only half the party returned.
"You wanted to speak to me?" Yuna asked, humbly.
"Yes, My Lady Yuna. First, I would like to share something with you and your party."
Immediately, the room erupted in a glowing light. A hologram, projecting a huge city, filled the room.
"Zanarkand!" Tidus exclaimed, recognizing it immediately.
"Correct, the Holy City, as it appeared a thousand years ago. These images are gathered from memories from the Farplane"
"Amazing machina…" Rikku whispered to herself, more about the hologram program than the ancient depictions.
"You recognized it so quickly," Said Yuna.
"Sure!" He pointed out a tall building. "This is a condo, and this one here is a bank. This one has a grocer on the bottom that sells really good chicken sandwiches."
Wakka and Seymour both looked at him curiously, but said nothing.
Instead, Seymour drew attention to himself. "She lived here, all those years ago."
"Who?"
The hologram changed, this time to a bedroom, with a woman sitting on the bed.
"Oh, Lady Yunalesca!" Yuna explained.
"The first to defeat Sin. Your namesake. Your destiny!"
Tidus gave the others in the room a quick glance. Rikku met it and rolled her eyes.
"Um, my father named me that. But I think he just liked the name."
"You do not believe in destiny, My Lady?"
A holographic man in armor entered the room, opening his arms wide to embrace his wife.
Seymour looked at the couple with longing. "Two hearts bonded for eternity, unflappable loyalty and love. This truly was the key to stopping the unbeatable Sin."
Now Tidus turned his gaze to scrutinize Seymour. He was looking at Yuna in that way again, the eyes of a predator.
Yuna seemed to squirm under that gaze.
"Lady Yuna, I would be honored if I could speak to you in private?" He gestured to a corner room as the hologram faded.
"I…uh…" Yuna stuttered.
Auron shoved Tidus forward. "He goes with. That's all the privacy we will allow."
Seymour looked disappointed, but beckoned them both along to the little room.
"What is this all about, Your Grace?" Yuna asked.
Tidus stayed silent, but right at her side.
"Seymour is fine, My Lady. If I can return the favor?"
"Yuna is fine as well, and this is Tidus."
Seymour didn't seem to care. "I am ever so grateful that you granted me an audience. I know being a summoner is a busy ordeal—"
"Would you just spit it out, already?" Tidus muttered.
"Something the matter, Sir…?"
"Tidus," he repeated, like he hadn't just been introduced. "I'm sorry. We've had a…stressful day, and we're anxious to get on with our journey." He tried to be polite, but there were just too many red flags flying in his face.
"I understand. Then, I will not beat around the bush anymore. Yuna, I believe it is for the benefit of Spira that you and I wed."
She jolted. "What?!"
"Think of the joy it would bring. A maester of Yevon, and a High Summoner, bonded in Holy Bliss! Would it not bless Spira? I would only aim to aid in your Journey as well."
"I…" Yuna just stared in shock, her mouth fighting for words.
Tidus, while never the one to back down from a fight, had a feeling that Seymour would ignore him if he protested. So he rested his hand on Yuna's shoulder, and gave her strength.
She took a breath and found her center. "While I am extremely flattered you would ask this of me, I must decline. I am already married, you see. Tidus is my husband."
Seymour frowned, and his steely blue eyes flashed with a definite hate in Tidus' direction. "You were not married at the Mi'ihen Operation, though."
"We were engaged." Tidus fudged the timeline. Yuna didn't object.
"So you've only been married, what? A few days?"
"About two," Yuna clarified. "The ceremony was performed at the Djose Temple."
This made Seymour smile. "Only two days? Then there's nothing to worry about. The records wouldn't have made it to Bevelle yet, and we can easily annul the whole thing."
"HA!" Tidus laughed. "Annulment?! Are you serious? Like we would ever—…" he stopped when he noticed that Yuna was thinking it over. "Yuna, we wouldn't…right?"
She looked at him, lost, totally thrown for a loop. "I don't know."
This angered him. "You don't know!? It should be obvious! Unless you regret this? Regret me?"
"That's not…I only meant…"
Seymour hummed. "I can see this isn't an easy decision for you both. Of course, an annulment must be mutually agreed on. I'll leave you two to discuss it. I hope you reach the right decision, Sir Tidus." And the bastard left.
Tidus let out a yell, which startled Yuna. Then he followed it with, "Who does he think he is?! Thinking I'd go along with whatever he wants just because he's a Maester! Disgusting!"
Yuna hunched her shoulders and clasped her hands in front of her chest.
"Well? What's it going to be?" He asked, tone much harsher than he intended.
"If it would be for the good of Spira—"
"No. Yuna. I'm not married to Spira, I'm married to you. Use terms like 'I think' and 'I feel' don't just…regurgitate things that have been said to you!"
She flushed, and turned her back to him. "I need some water."
He went to the door and opened it for her, taking deep breaths with each step. "Sure, let's get you some water." He tried to keep his voice steady.
Out in the parlor, Seymour loitered with the rest of the party. When the door opened, they all turned to look.
"You okay, brodda? We heard you scream."
"Peachy. Just peachy."
Yuna walked with purpose to the drink table and downed a glass of water.
"What about you, Yunie? Your face is all red."
"Lord Seymour asked me to marry him," She said sternly.
"And?" Asked Auron, "you're already married."
"But only recently, there's still time for an annulment," Seymour prodded again.
"Yes, the High Summoner gave up her marriage to someone she really cared about to marry for politics. Sounds very romantic and I'm sure Spira will love to hear it." Auron bit. "Yuna and Tidus were married so that Yuna could have a support pillar during her journey, not so that the world could feel a little better for a day. When it all comes down to it, Sin must be defeated, and this is a distraction."
Tidus was going to hug that man the first minute they were alone.
"But easing the suffering of Spira is the job of the summoners. Even if it was just a little while, Yuna has the ability to do so, and should act on it." Seymour offered, with a grin that seemed pleasant. Then he tilted his head as he studied Auron. "If you'll excuse me Sir. Why are you still here?"
Auron did not answer.
"Forgive me, we Guado are very keen to the Farplane scent."
"If you saw what I saw, you'd be drenched in the Farplane too." He answered coldly.
Then Seymour noticed Rikku, who had been doing her best to stay in the background. He frowned again, "And an Al Bhed as a guardian to a summoner? Isn't that rather unbecoming, Lady Yuna?"
"An Al Bhed?!" Wakka blurted, before whirling to look at Rikku. "You're—?"
"Yes…"
"She can't be a guardian! She doesn't believe in Yevon!"
"Yuna wanted her as a guardian. That's all that matters," Auron challenged.
"Are you kidding? Al Bhed aren't allowed in the temples! How is she supposed to be a guardian? And just because you're the most experienced one here, doesn't mean you get to be the ultimate authority, ya?"
"Kimahri not like situation."
"No kidding. I need some air." Tidus left, without so much as an 'excuse me'. He rushed out of the mansion, passing a smug Seymour, and doing everything in his body to not punch his lights out.
Outside, Tidus climbed the bridge to the Farplane entrance, and sat on the edge, legs dangling.
"Damn Seymour." He muttered. How quickly everything had dissolved. A few well placed questions and everyone was at each other's throats. Why bring up Rikku being an Al Bhed? Was he just trying to get everyone to doubt Yuna's judgement?
How gross.
"It's not you, you know." Yuna interrupted his thoughts. She knelt on the bridge next to him.
"What? Is this the 'it's not you, it's me' speech?"
"No, because it's really not you that's at fault. You've been wonderful, Tidus. I've never been married before, but you're the best husband I could ask for."
"Then what? Was our marriage just…a game to you? Just something fun to do on the journey? And now that someone with power comes along, you want to ditch me? For a marriage with meaning?!"
"That's a very cruel thing to say."
He growled to himself, pulling on his hair. "I'm sorry, I'm just—" he sighed, finding a piece of patience. "Do you remember that girl I told you about? She and I were seeing each other in Zanarkand?"
"Yes?"
"Well…she did something like this before. Not marriage. But she would…break up with me. And she'd go and date someone else for a while, and then when it didn't work out, she'd come and declare we were dating again. And I never tried dating anyone else in those breaks, because the pain of her rejection always hurt. She would just…try for something better, and she knew that when it didn't work out, I'd be there waiting."
"That's awful."
"It is. It sucked. I know this isn't the same thing, though. You don't love Seymour. You don't even like him, do you?"
"Love's got nothing to do with it. I have to do what's right for Spira."
"You're already doing something huge for Spira by going on this pilgrimage! And we're going to defeat Sin! Isn't that enough?"
"Tidus...I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like I was using you. I care a lot about you, or else I wouldn't have asked. But...I rushed into our marriage. I don't want to make any decisions I regret. I want my journey to be meaningful."
"I thought you wanted it to be full of laughter?"
She paused, staring at him. The words went unsaid. If they got their annulment and she married Seymour, there would be no more laughter.
"I think I want to see my father," she said. "He'll have some answers for me."
Tidus shrugged, noncommittally.
"I'll go see if everyone else is ready to visit the Farplane."
Kimahri had followed Yuna, as was his way, and he stood back silently as they talked. When she rose to leave, he came over and rubbed Tidus's head.
"Hey!"
"For what it worth, Kimahri like Tidus for Yuna. More than anyone." That was all he said, and all he ever needed to say.
Tidus swallowed thickly, emotion bubbling up inside of him.
Was he losing his wife to someone she didn't even love?
Why did he care? This wasn't a marriage of love either. It was a bucket list item. She was really giving him an out.
So why did he want to fight so bad?
Auron rubbed his head, just like Kimahri had. "Are you crying? I heard you're quite the cry baby."
"I'm not crying."
"Sure."
"But I appreciate you standing up for me."
"I wasn't necessarily standing up for you, more just against this whole thing. I don't know what Seymour's aim is. He certainly has enough fame and notoriety. And bringing up Rikku's lineage? Low blow."
Just then, Rikku and Wakka came out of the mansion, arguing. Lulu stood nearby, arms crossed, maybe as a mediator. Yuna stood a few paces back, looking anxious.
"How can you say that Machina is harmless when it's very clearly the cause of Sin?!"
"It's not clearly the problem if it's still allowed by Yevon!"
"Only some things are allowed! And only if we use them humbly and for help, not to rise to power. Those weapons you people used at Operation Mi'ihen is probably the reason Sin came there in the first place!"
"First of all, I had nothing to do with that Operation. My family thought it was a bad idea, and we stayed away. Second of all, they had a Sinspawn as bait, so don't place the blame on a few cannons!"
Auron spoke up. "Rikku! Wakka! That's enough! You'll never agree on this, and arguing is pointless. You both want to protect Yuna, right?"
"Yeah," said Wakka.
"Yes!" Said Rikku.
"Then that's what matters. Do that, and you'll get along great."
"Really duct taping the team back together, aren't we, Chief?" Tidus asked, with much sarcasm.
"I could just let them yell at each other in the street. Then everyone in Guadosalam will know Lady Yuna travels with a band of hooligans."
"Kimahri not a hooligan. Kimahri is Ronso."
Tidus smiled at him. "Okay big guy."
Lulu rounded up the two combatants and Yuna, like they were baby ducklings, and corralled them up towards Tidus.
"To the Farplane then?"
"To the Farplane." Yuna said, the only one with any enthusiasm.
As everyone walked on ahead, Tidus fell into step beside Yuna. "Hey."
"Hi."
"I'm sorry for yelling."
"Don't apologize. You were justified in your anger."
They walked a while in silence, slowing their steps to put distance between them and the others.
"I just want you to know…this marriage means more to me than I thought it would. I get that it was for convenience and to fulfill a pipe dream, but I like being with you. I liked waking up next to you the other night." He flushed. "Um, what I'm trying to say is that if you're trying to give me an out, or an excuse to leave, don't. I'm content to stay." Then he sighed and took her hand. "But if getting an annulment and marrying Seymour is what you want and what will make your journey easier, then I'll let you go."
She squeezed his hand back. "I appreciate it. I'll have your answer after I speak with my father."
