I awoke with a start the next morning. Rikku was at the foot of my bed. I groaned. "What are you doing?"
"It's time to get up!" she said brightly, grinning broadly. "C'mon, sleepy-head!"
Suddenly the blanket was ripped off of me. "Hey!" She giggled, staring at my boxers, the only article of clothing I was wearing. "Hey—would you—would you get outta here!" It wasn't that I was embarrassed. Well, not really.
Rikku closed the door and called, "Yuna wants to talk to you! She's already outside."
Yuna wanted to talk to me? I pulled on my pants and grabbed my shirt. I pulled it on, on my way out of the inn. At first I couldn't find her, so I went behind the inn, where the sun was rising. I didn't say anything, just watched her eating an apple. After a few minutes, she glanced back and saw me. I waved and she waved back. "Rikku said you wanted to talk to me."
"I brought you an apple." She handed it to me, smiling. She seemed more cheerful than she had been last night.
"Thanks." I took a bite and, with my mouth full, asked, "So, what did you want to talk about?"
She looked surprised, as if she hadn't expected me to ask. "Oh. Well, not about anything in particular. It's just, talking to you makes me feel…I don't know, better. Like what I'm doing is the right thing."
"Of course it's the right thing!" I exclaimed. "Yuna, you're going to save Spira, and I'm going to help you. We all are."
"I know." She looked up at me. I almost thought I saw tears in her eyes. "See? I knew you'd make me feel better."
"Is something wrong?" I had to know. She seemed so forlorn lately. I tried to catch her gaze but she avoided it. "C'mon, Yuna. You haven't been acting like yourself." I put my hand on her shoulder and she shuddered.
"Yuna, Tidus." Lulu stepped in between us. I crossed my arms, moodily. "We'd better move on. I heard some of the locals talking about Sinspawn in the area. We can't risk being distracted." She gave me a meaningful look and I rolled my eyes when she turned away.
"Thank you, Tidus, for cheering me up," Yuna whispered as she walked by.
I shrugged. "Don't mention it."
Within the next few minutes, we set out, and all day long we fought. Fiend after fiend…mile after mile. We hardly stopped to rest at all. As night fell, so did the temperature. The environment was changing to a much colder climate. We set up camp at the bottom of a cliff, underneath an overhang.
I warmed my hands by the fire. I just knew the sound of water dripping into the gorge was going to keep me awake all night, even though I was exhausted.
"What's bothering ya?" Wakka asked, sitting down next to me.
"I just can't sleep, that's all." I breathed warm air onto my hands and rubbed them together furiously.
"Look, Tidus, I know ya too well for you to get away with excuses like that." He narrowed his eyes and asked, "What's bothering ya?"
"You're not gonna like it," I said, shaking my head.
"Tell me," Wakka demanded.
"All right," I agreed, annoyed, "but you're not going to like it." I sighed. "It's about Yuna. How could she marry him—Seymour?"
"You're right. I don't like it." He stood up.
"Wakka, come on," I pleaded. He stopped and turned to look at me. "I know it isn't right and I know it's not my place, but I think she's making a mistake! There's something funny about Seymour, something I can't put my finger on. But it's there!"
"Look, Lord Seymour is the leader of the Guados—he's a maester!" Wakka exclaimed.
"This is why I didn't want to tell you," I said angrily. "You think that doing anything in the name of Yevon is for good, but that's not the way it is! It never was! Behind every religion is a man, and behind him are a dozen other self-righteous ones." I stood up and marched over to him. "You're wrong on this one, Wakka."
I set my sword on my shoulder and started walking. Sometimes Wakka could be so thick-headed. He just didn't get it. I mean, I respected Yevon and its teachings, but it didn't seem right for Yuna to marry Seymour in the name of Yevon. Did she love him? Did she even like him? She hardly knew him!
"Lady Yuna—no, all summoners—are charged with bringing peace to Spira. But this means more than just defeating Sin. She must ease the suffering of all Spira. She must be a leader for the people."
I kicked the dirt angrily. Marrying Seymour could ease no one's suffering but Seymour's. He had it in for Yuna, not that I could blame him. She was young, strong, and beautiful. But he was in it for all of the wrong reasons. I just knew it. He wanted power and fame, and Yuna could give him these.
I couldn't get her words out of my mine. "If my getting married would help Spira…if it would make people happy…If I could do that for people…maybe I should do what I can." Ever since I met her in Besaid, I imagined beating Sin together, and then taking her to Zanarkand—my Zanarkand. I'd take her to see a blitzball game and she'd be in the front row, jumping and cheering me on. But now…well, now I didn't even know if I would ever see my Zanarkand again, let alone show it to Yuna.
"Yuna is strong. She would make a great leader of Spira," Lulu said slowly. I looked at her. I knew from her eyes that she regretted her own words. "I…I know how you feel." It seemed like it was difficult for her to get the words out. I shook my head. Another speech—just what I needed. "She's like a sister to me. I want her to be happy, to make the right choices. It was…much easier…when she was younger. Now, she is a woman with a mind of her own. I can only advise her now, and hope she makes the right decision."
Lulu watched me for a moment, and then walked back to camp. I didn't sleep that night.