Hey everyone, hope you're ready for more

Illusions of Life and Death

Chapter 3
Smile of a Thousand Emotions

Yuna woke up bright and early the next day. Her arm was also feeling a lot better but would still take a few more days to completely heal. For some reason she could get Tidus and the incident that happened last night off her mind. She was confused and needed answers.

Yuna walked down the stairs and met with Shuyin in his living room.

Shuyin turned around and smiled. "Ah, Lady Yuna. I'm glad that you have awoken and that you're well. Last night after we found you, you were so exhausted that you went to bed right away."

"Thank you." Yuna replied.

"I'm sorry I couldn't have been some assistance to you last night when you were attacked."

"Really, its okay. Hunters are trained to defend themselves in any situation, although I wasn't entirely prepared for last's nights." Yuna told him.

Shuyin slightly chuckled. "Well in any case I'm glad that you're alright. So let's discuss you're plans. You wish for my assistance in Besaid."

"Lately there have been a number of attacks and death's in my village. I want to find the heart of the vampires and attack from there. I believe that with your knowledge and training you can help defend our village and find the vampires whereabouts." Yuna explained.

Shuyin then began to walk around the room deep in thought. "I have been itchy for a good hunt and I too have heard reports of your Island." He then paused for a moment and looked at Yuna. "Very well. I accept your offer. We shall leave at once."

Yuna owed to him. "Thank you."

Yuna then helped Shuyin prepare to leave.

Meanwhile with Tidus, he had just returned to Besaid, running through the forest and entering a cave where he and all the other vampire's stay. He traveled through a long dark tunnel then finally reaching the main chamber. Back in the day it was a deserted temple built underground. Now the vampires live there, amongst the dark and damp walls.

"Tidus there you are!" Bickson said as he approached Tidus. "Seymour has been asking questions about you since you never came for dinner. But I've held him off for the night."

"And what about my father?" Tidus asked.

"No doubt that he and Seymour have been talking." Bickson replied.

"Tidus!!" Seymour shouted.

Both Tidus and Bickson looked over to him.

"A word with you." Seymour requested. Tidus then walked over to him slowly. "I didn't see you at dinner last night. Care to explain?"

"I was out…in the f-forest. Preying on the humans that walked through." Tidus told him.

"Even if I did believe that, you know that we only hunt in groups. Especially when you're young like yourself."

"Psh! I'm 17. I think I know how to take care of myself for one night." Tidus snapped at him.

"You still have much to learn and you're attitude is interfering." Seymour then looked away from Tidus. "Go see father. He's waiting."

Tidus then walked away from Seymour and stood in front of the two big doors that would lead him to Jecht, the leader of all vampires. Tidus sighed and entered. He then walked up to his father who sat proudly in his throne.

"Tidus." Jecht began, his eyes closed, speaking soft and calm.

Tidus crossed his arms over his chest. "Can you make this quick? I don't want to spend all day in here."

Jecht then opened his eyes to see him. "You left the island yesterday."

Tidus' eyes widened. What? But – how did he know? Tidus thought.

"I am responsible for all the vampires that live within this island. Everyone looks up to me as they're father. But you Tidus. You. You're my son. My only flesh and blood. I look at you differently then the others because of that. I don't want to be responsible if you're slain by a hunter."

"Psh!" Tidus began. "The hunters are weak. They couldn't catch me. I'm too fast for them."

"I fear for our colony. There is a new hunter that is arriving. My instincts tell me that he is dangerous. I want you to be careful. You are not trained enough to go out by yourself." Jecht told him.

"I've been a vampire my whole life, I think I'm used to it by now." Tidus stubbornly told his father.

"But you are not as strong as the others." Jecht then paused for a moment. "I want you to focus more on controlling your emotions and training."

"I don't have any emotions or feelings! Only hate and anger."

Jecht chuckled. "Young one…you have much to learn. You may not see it now by you do have emotions and feelings for that matter. But this is not the time to discuss about this. We will continue this chat later. Go now."

Tidus then left his throne room. What a waste of time Tidus thought.

Yuna and Shuyin had just arrived on the island at sunset. Right away Shuyin could feel the presence of evil right away. Baralai and Rikku then soon greeted them.

"Welcome back Yunie." Rikku began. "This must be the new hunter, eh? We're grateful that you're here."

"Thank you." Shuyin replied.

Baralai then noticed Yuna's wound on her arm that was wrapped in cloth. "Yuna, you're injured."

"This? Oh it's nothing really. Lost my guard when attacked by a vampire." Yuna replied as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Did you kill it?" Baralai.

"Yeah…" Yuna mumbled softly. Yuna began to think to herself. Actually another vampire that saved me killed it…

I couldn't explain what happened…

It was truly bizarre…but…there was something about that vampire…somehow he was different…

"Well that's a relief." Baralai replied taking Yuna's hand as the four of them made they're way back to the village.

The village elder greeted Shuyin as they reached the hunter's mansion by nightfall. Yuna showed him to his room then returned to hers.

Tidus ran through the forest, just reaching the village. Everyone was already in they're huts so at least he could get around without getting caught. Tidus looked up at the hunter's mansion, mostly at a window that was Yuna's. He ran up to the building and began to climb it.

Yuna placed her guns on her night table. She decided that she might go take a short shower before heading into bed. A soothing gust of wind pasted Yuna. She looked over at her window to see it open. Yuna walked over to it and closed it.

She then walked over to her closet and placed her boots inside.

Yuna sighed. She didn't know what was bothering her. For some reason she couldn't get Tidus off her mind. She shook her head. He was an enemy no matter how she looked at it. He was a vampire.

Yuna then heard a noise coming from her window. Yuna turned around to see her window open again. But there was more. A figure sat there on the ledge looking in at her.

Yuna's eyes widened in fear the instant she saw it. She ran over to her night table and grabbed her gun, pointing it at the creature as it entered her bedroom. But then Yuna calmed down, she lowered her gun.

"T - ……Tidus?" She asked.

Tidus stood there staring at her.

She then walked a bit closer to him, but not getting too close. "W-What are you doing here?"

"How is you're wound?" Tidus replied asking.

"Huh, Oh, uh okay." Yuna replied strangely.

Tidus then took a few steps closer to her but stopped when he raised her gun at him. Tidus placed his hand out in front of him to ensure her. "Please…I'm not going to hurt you."

"I……I don't know if I can trust you." Yuna replied softly. She didn't feel as scared as she thought as she would be. After all, she did wanted to see him again. But Tidus looked into her eyes, his expression on his face looked sad. And with that Yuna lowered her gun. "You're not going to bite me?" She asked.

Yuna then allowed Tidus to walk up to her, face to face. He looked down on her arm and saw the scratch wounds on her. He placed his hand on her wound, feeling her skin. It was so soft and smooth. "I don't fancy biting people, nor hunt them." Tidus then took out a bottle and dripped some of the fluid on her wound. He then rubbed it on.

But you're a vampire… Yuna thought.

While doing this, Yuna looked at him. "You're eyes…" Yuna began. Tidus looked at her. "They're not red…they're an deep ocean blue. And you're fangs…you don't have any."

Tidus then looked back down at Yuna's wound, wrapping it with a clean cloth. "My eyes and fangs only chance when I'm nervous, angry, or scared. The rest of the times they're my natural color." He told her. He then looked back up at her.

Yuna smiled. "You're not like other vampires……you're different…"

"I've been watching you Yuna. You're a vampire hunter." He chuckled. "Aren't hunters suppose to be able to handle one on one situations with vampires?" He then took a step away from her.

"I'm still new to the whole hunting thing. I just want to protect my village."

Tidus snickered.

Just then there was a knock on Yuna's door. Tidus flinched back nervously towards the wall at the other side of the room hissing, his eyes turning red and his fangs growing long and sharp. Yuna was startled by both the knock and Tidus' quick reaction.

"Yuna? Yuna you in there?" Came Baralai's voice on the other side of the door.

Yuna looked over at Tidus. He was staring at the door angrily but then looked up at Yuna nervously. Yuna then walked over to her door and slightly opened it.

"Um……………Yes?" Yuna asked him peeking through.

"Just checking up on you before I head to bed. Is everything okay?" Baralai asked.

"Oh yes, everything is fine." Yuna replied.

Baralai then heard something fall and break in Yuna's room. "What was that!?" He asked.

"What? I didn't hear anything." Yuna replied. Baralai then barged in. "Wait!" Yuna told him but he had already entered. When Yuna returned she and Baralai saw that her lamp on her desk had fallen and shattered.

"You shouldn't leave you're window open so much especially at night." Baralai told her, walking over to it and closing it.

Yuna then looked around her room curiously. Where had Tidus gone so fast?

Baralai then cleaned up the broken lamp. "Ever since you came back from Luca you've been acting a bit strange. You didn't even say anything at dinner." Baralai then stood up and looked at Yuna. She looked at him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Yuna chuckled. "I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind I guess."

Baralai walked up to her. "You know, if there is anything on you're mind, you can tell me. Has this have anything to do with the wedding?"

"What? Oh no, no, Really. I'm fine." Yuna replied.

Baralai smiled. "Okay." He then kissed her cheek and left her room. Yuna then closed and locked her door. She then turned around.

"Tidus? Are you here?" She whispered.

He then crawled out from under her bed.

Yuna keeled down in front of him smiling. "Next time don't make so much noise."

"Uhh..." Tidus replied nodding his head. He then stood up with Yuna. "You're smile…it holds so many emotions in it."

"My smile?" Yuna asked.

His eyes and fangs turned to normal as he nodded. "You're smile is like a thousand emotions flooding my mind. Happiness…joy…delight…enjoyment…satisfaction…pleasure……love." Tidus said softly.

"…Love?" Yuna asked looking deep into his ocean blue eyes. Her heart began to beat faster.

Tidus slowly leaned in closer, as she did too. But before his lips met with hers, he quickly pulled away from her. "I must go." Tidus told her, walking over to her window and opening it.

"Wait." Yuna called after him.

Tidus turned around back at her.

"Will I see you again?" Yuna asked,

Tidus nodded. "We'll see." He then jumped out the window.

Yuna walked over to her window and looked out to see him run through the village then enter the forest, disappearing.

What was that just now? My heart won't calm down…Tidus you're so mysterious yet at the same time so understanding. You don't even seem like a vampire to me. Yuna thought strangely.

Yuna then walked over to her bed and crawled in, closing her tired eyes to sleep.

Yay, another chapter done. Muah!! LOL, anyways, this chapter might seem a bit weird to you, right? Like, why is Tidus being so nice to a human since he's a cold-blooded killing vampire? So you'll find that out in the next chapter entitled, A Vampire's Past. You will learn more about Tidus and his life.