"Tidus, stop!" Wakka bellowed, his alarmed voice echoing painfully in the canyon. Tidus barely heard him over the sound of the blood rushing in his ears. He was trying vainly to tear away the rope fastened around his waist. All he could see in his mind's eye was Yuna's face as she plummeted down the cliff face. He could not locate where she landed. It was as if she had disappeared. Where was she? Could she have somehow managed to roll into the bushes at the side of the cliff in time to grab a handhold? Maybe her cloak got snagged on a sharp rock, or a twig, or-
He had to get this damn rope off!
"Tidus, calm yourself!" Lulu snapped, a hint of panic tingeing her normally stoic voice. She reached up to grab his wrist, trying to halt his desperate attempts to cut himself loose. "Do you want to get us all killed?"
Rikku had already wiggled out of her rope harness and was scrambling dexterously down the rock face, blind to the danger of falling. Her youthful face was grim and determined.
Auron joined her, having swiftly sliced through his own rope hold. He too began crawling with surprising agility across the cliff, nearly matching the young Al Bhed girl's pace.
Tidus froze as the two of them disappeared into the bushes, fighting back a wave of nauseated horror. What if they were too late? Oh aeons, what if Yuna had truly fallen to her death? Wakka was heatedly praying under his breath, his russet eyes fixed on the shrubs. Lulu was immobile, closely resembling a marble statue. The wind pushed her regal black hair around her face gently.
Suddenly Rikku screamed and Tidus distinctly heard Auron's katana being rapidly unsheathed. A hoarse, guttural cry rose up in chorus with another voice that Tidus keenly recognized, a voice begging for Auron and Rikku to be still.
It was Yuna. She was alive.
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A few weeks ago, had someone told Tidus that he would be standing face to face with the last Ronso tribe of the Gagazet Mountain Range, he would have laughed and shaken his head in disbelief.
But now he found himself staring open-mouthed and wide-eyed at the impressive warriors striding towards him, primitive but efficient weapons held out at the ready. For a moment he was awestruck at the sight of them. They had intense gold and amber eyes, strikingly catlike facial features, and the tallest of them stood at an impressive eight feet in height. Their fur colours ranged from vibrant indigo to dull grey, and they all had long manes arranged in braids and plaits. Their clothes were rugged mountain garb, made from leather hide and animal fur. The size of their feline claws and teeth alone made their weapons look unnecessary.
It was only when he saw Yuna, Auron, and Rikku walking in their company that he could force himself to move. Taking note of the fact that the three of them appeared to be unharmed and in no state of alarm (although Auron and Rikku looked a bit on edge), he only let his hand linger on the hilt of his sword rather than pull it out. His nerves were still taut. Yuna hurried towards him and threw her arms around him.
"It's all right," she whispered in his ear, nearly gasping as he returned the embrace with all his might. He shivered against her and she kissed him softly.
He sighed shakily and allowed her to pull back, but he kept one arm around her waist protectively. His eyes fell once more to the cluster of Ronso before him, of which there were only seven, he came to realize. It looked as if there were three females and four males. One of the males stepped forward, and instinctively he knew that this one was the chief. He was not exactly the tallest or the most powerfully built, but everything about his presence spoke of a true leader.
"This is Kimahri, my old caretaker. After he left Besaid, he came here to gather his kin and form a tribe again. He saved me from the fall," Yuna explained quickly, smiling fondly up at the Ronso as he approached them.
"Friends of Yuna," Kimahri said suddenly, and Tidus recognized the deep guttural voice he had heard earlier. "Welcome. You stay with Ronso tonight." His voice, though throaty and hesitant when speaking in the foreign tongue, was pleasantly soft somehow.
"We would be honoured to," Lulu said smoothly, stepping forward. "The privilege alone would be worth this entire journey."
Tidus wanted to raise his eyebrows quizzically at her comment, but then he suddenly realized that he was the only one standing upright. Auron, Rikku, Lulu, and even Wakka were all kneeling to the ground.
"The Ronso are extremely formal," Yuna explained in a hushed whisper, speaking close to his ear. "Courtesy and manners are very important for first impressions."
Taking the hint, Tidus quickly dropped to one knee and bowed ceremoniously, feeling Kimahri's gaze on him in particular and trying not to let the heat rise to his face from embarrassment.
When they rose to their feet, Kimahri and the other Ronso all politely nodded back in acknowledgment. Kimahri cleared his throat and flicked his ears in what looked like a contrite gesture.
"Ronso apologize for setting trap. We not know Yuna and friends travel through Gagazet."
Tidus opened his mouth to ask why the Ronso were setting traps in the first place, but Rikku cut him off with impeccable timing.
"That's okay!" she said brightly, moving forward to greet the other Ronso warriors. "Mistakes happen, right gang?"
"Uh, right," Wakka agreed, inching forward nervously as Rikku dragged him behind her. "Mistakes are . . . mistakes can be forgiven, ya?"
Gradually the rest of the Ronso party moved to introduce themselves to the travelers, most of them only able to say their names in the common tongue.
"Biran," one of them rumbled, thumping his chest emphatically. He then pawed at the burly male next to him and added, "Yenke. Brothers of Kimahri." Tidus nodded understandingly.
"Tidus," he replied, pointing to himself.
"Tsuva," a female growled, crossing her arms and nodding curtly at him.
"Gengi," a second female announced, tapping the butt of her javelin against the ground in a Ronso gesture of respect.
"Shadov!" a third and very bright blue male declared, grinning cheerfully at him. He looked much younger than the others and was smaller in size. He held out a paw in a curiously human greeting, but just as Tidus was about to accept, the last female cuffed Shadov upside the head. She hissed something to him as the fur around her neck bristled, narrowing her yellow eyes in obvious annoyance. Flattening his ears shamefully, Shadov withdrew his paw and backed away. The angry female turned to Tidus and he smiled uncertainly.
"Tidus," he stated, tapping his chest. "What's your name?"
"Anka," she replied simply. "Shadov mother. Shadov young, foolish, no manners. Forgive him?"
"Uh, of course," Tidus said, trying to sound as considerate as possible. Clearly he had witnessed some kind of lapse in Ronso civility and hadn't realized it. He could have sworn he heard Yuna giggle behind him. When he turned around to peer suspiciously at her, she quickly coughed and looked away, busying herself by talking with Kimahri.
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Seymour tapped his long groomed nails against the table's surface impatiently. On top of having to spend the entire day struggling through a dismally hot desert riddled with Al Bhed filth, he could not even rely on his own officers to arrive when he specifically said when to meet him. He was tired. He reeked of dust and sweat. His personal hunters and trappers failed to bring anything appetizing to the dinner table, and now he had to worry about soldiers getting heat stroke. The Gagazet Mountain Range was getting closer, and Seymour still could not get the men to move quick enough. At the pace they were moving, the chances of reaching Bevelle before Tidus and Yuna were slim to none. Something had to be done, and fast.
When the stammering lieutenant burst into the tent, nearly getting entangled in the entrance flap, the Maester flew to his feet with surprising alacrity.
"Where have you been?" he snarled, the blue veins around his eyes bulging. "I sent for you fifteen minutes ago."
"M-my ap-p-pologies, Lord. I was m-momentarily det-t-tained at th-the-"
"The what?" Seymour interrupted maliciously, curling his lip with disgust. "The whorehouse? Well then forgive me, lieutenant, I hadn't realized your wife was working tonight."
The young man flinched at the barbed remark, and averted his gaze.
"No, sir," he replied, his voice calmer with suppressed anger. "I was n-needed at the roster's tent. It appears th-that one of our soldiers is m-missing."
"And that is what kept me waiting for your useless presence?"
"The s-soldier's name is Wakka Fabaddon, m-my lord. He was c-close with that heretic T-Tidus."
Seymour paused in mid pace and turned to fix the lieutenant with a suddenly very guarded look. "Indeed? And when did he go missing?"
"W-we estimate that he l-left-"
"Left? You mean to say he is gone of his own free will?"
"Again, my lord, o-only speculations so f-far. His c-comrades say that he l-left about two days ago."
The Guado sucked on his teeth thoughtfully for a moment, digesting this bit of news. So, Tidus may have acquired a new ally in his flight with Yuna. Very well. One less idiot the world will soon have to forget.
"You w-wanted to speak with me, Lord?" the lieutenant ventured, after a period of silence passed by.
"Yes. I want you to send for an airship to take me straight to Bevelle from here."
The lieutenant, who had been staring down at the floor out of respect, snapped his head up to stare at the Maester in unabashed shock.
"A m-machina airship, my lord?"
"You heard me, you dolt. Stop gawking and make it happen."
"B-but . . . may I ask wh-"
"Do not question my orders!" Seymour growled, hurling a wine goblet at the unsuspecting man. The officer stiffened as the red liquor drenched his face and neck, dripping down his chest and staining his uniform. "Just do as I say. Great Yevon, man! How on this earth did you manage to become a lieutenant with a brain as small as yours?"
The stuttering officer bowed and then hastily darted outside to carry out his orders, trying valiantly not to wipe at his eyes where the alcohol stung.
Rubbing at his temples, Seymour sat down at the table and listened to the desert wind howling outside the canvas of his tent.
If the army could not get to Bevelle fast enough, than he would simply have to go and meet the little party himself.
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Tidus found Yuna leaning over a hollowed out gourd behind one of the Ronso huts, retching violently. He had noticed that she disappeared quickly after dinner, and Rikku told him that she had seen Yuna hurry outside towards another hut.
After a split second of hesitation, Tidus rushed towards her and pulled her hair back out of her face. Startled, she glanced up at him and opened her mouth to speak, but she did not have a chance to say anything before she shuddered and vomited once again.
When it appeared that she was finished, Tidus politely looked away as she emptied the gourd off to the side into some shrubs. She walked back towards him, looking pale and disoriented. He could see quite clearly that her hands were shaking, but otherwise she looked stable.
"Are you all right?" he asked, frowning with concern as she tried to straighten out her hair and clothes. She smiled thinly at him and nodded.
"Yes," she replied in a soft voice. "I suppose I just had a reaction to some of the Ronso cooking. I had forgotten that some of their food is a bit hard to get used to."
Tidus nodded, but an inner instinct nagged at him that her words were not entirely truthful.
"Well, lean on me until we get back to our cave. You look a little drained."
She gratefully accepted, taking a hold of his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I'll be fine," she assured him as they began heading back to their sleeping cave. "It's getting better already."
When they reached the guest cave, Tidus dutifully guided Yuna onto her pile of sleeping furs and helped her settle in. The Ronso all lived in a series of caves throughout the mountain, most of them within walking distance of each other or connected underground by a multitude of tunnels. The guest cave was simply and modestly designed, but accommodative with rich animal fur mattresses and cloth curtains to separate different sleeping quarters. It was dark, but a campfire and a few torches and lanterns provided sufficient light.
After Yuna rinsed her mouth out with water and freshened her breath with a slab of hard peppermint (a treat found in Rikku's bag), she lay back down and smiled up at him.
"Thank you," she sighed, reaching up to run her fingers down the side of his face.
He kissed her palm and the two of them regarded each other in quiet mutual fondness. The firelight flickered in her hair and eyes, making her glow a pale gold. Tidus doubted he would ever get used to her beauty.
Would he even have a chance to get used to it?
It was in that moment when a realization came to Tidus, a swift understanding that was so sudden and powerful that he gasped and jerked away from her.
You have to leave her.
Tears stung his eyes, appearing so rapidly that he hadn't even noticed them until they spilled down his cheeks. "No . . ." he whispered, shaking his head slowly. "No."
It will kill you to lose her. Leave now. You can save yourself from it all.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Yuna gasped, scrambling out of her furs to reach him. "Tidus, are you ill?"
He sat numbly as she kneeled down next to him, her warm hands searching desperately to check his temperature.
You won't be able to stand watching her die. You will go mad.
"I . . . I can't," he choked, blind to Yuna's frantic ministrations.
"Can't what? Can't what?" she pleaded, pressing her forehead to his in a last distressed attempt to reach him. "Tidus, talk to me. Answer me! Can't what?"
'I can't leave her.'
But you must. There is no other way. She does not need you, none of them do.
"What is going on in here?" Auron's sharp voice demanded from the cave's entrance.
"I don't know!" Yuna cried, turning to gaze up helplessly the older guardian. "Something's wrong, Tidus isn't responding to me!"
Auron crouched down in front of Tidus, who was staring blankly ahead as if through the rock wall of the cavern itself.
"Tidus, can you hear me?"
You are useless to them. If you leave, you'll be doing everyone a favour.
'I will not be a coward!'
You let your emotions get in the way. Your feelings for her have already compromised your judgment. You will fail her if you stay.
"Tidus, say something."
You got her this far. She will be fine with the others.
"Tidus, please! Auron, what do we do?"
"Go get Lulu, Rikku, and a Ronso healer. He must be having some kind of fit."
Your part is over.
'No . . . '
Tidus was, in a sense, perfectly aware of what was going on around him. He could see Auron's face before him and feel the man's strong hands gripping his shoulders tightly. He could feel Auron shaking him. He could hear Yuna rushing out of the cave to obey Auron's orders. But none of it seemed to matter as he struggled to contain the grief inside of him.
He didn't want to leave, but he couldn't bear to stay.
What if his conscience was right? What if he really had done all he could do for Yuna? Would it not be better to save them both from the trauma of losing one another in the final confrontation? Why should he not cut off all contact now before sinking deeper into his rapidly growing love for her?
It felt so wrong and yet so right at the same time. He could not silence the voices encouraging him to leave, but did he really have the strength to just abandon Yuna and his friends?
He stared over Auron's shoulder into some kind of oblivion, the internal battle reaching a frenzied state. Go. Stay. Go. Stay. Go . . . stay . . .
There is nothing left for you here. Just leave it all behind you. Everything will be fine.
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Tremath opened his eyes and inhaled sharply as his head cleared. He tore his gaze away from the fire and took a deep gulp of wine, banishing the lingering remnants of the mind spell. Before he could stop himself, a wickedly gleeful chuckle escaped his lips, and he turned to stare from beneath his cloak at the horse that had wandered into his possession not to long ago. She tossed her silver mane and stared back defiantly, nostrils flaring as if daring him to make some kind of remark.
"Well old girl," he said in a silky voice that made the mare's ears twitch. "It appears that my spell worked. I did not think it would be so simple to enter that boy's mind and toy with his thoughts. Perhaps he is weaker than I was lead to believe."
The animal nickered quietly and lowered her head to nibble discontentedly at the sparse grass growing at the base of the mountain. Thankfully, after accepting that the rope around her neck would not be released, the mare had resigned herself to following her new master around glumly.
At her response to his jibe, Tremath only laughed harder.
"It will only get easier for me," he continued with a satisfied sigh, glancing up to the stars overhead. "The boy is full of self doubt now. All I need to do is push him until he finally breaks and leaves his little friends behind. Amazing what a simple mind spell can do, isn't it?"