Illusions of Life and Death
Chapter 8
A Life So Changed
Tidus lay on his bed moping around. He was miserable and he knew it. Yuna. He had to let her go. But she was the only person he had on his mind. Why did the two of them open up to each other? I guess he would never know now.
Just then Tidus could hear footsteps. He turned his head to see Jecht, his father approach.
Jecht smiled at Tidus. "You never came out for dinner."
Tidus turned his head, facing the wall. "I wasn't hungry." He simply replied.
"Tidus." Jecht began. He walked up to his bed. "I know that look you have on you're face. I've seen it before. You're mother, just before she past away."
"Uh huh." Tidus replied not really caring.
"Tidus, you're not like the others who live in this cave. You are a half breed. Half vampire, half human. That's what separates you from the others and makes you unique. And because of that, you feel emotions and feelings."
Tidus sat up. "Well maybe I don't want to be a half breed. Maybe I don't want to express feelings or emotions."
"I never had the pleasure of expressing feelings or emotions. But you're mother used to tell me about them. Sadness, happiness, love, hatred, jealousy, hurt…she said that to be able to express so many different elements of expressions made life worth living."
"Psh." Tidus hissed. "They do nothing but cause trouble."
"That's what I thought too. But ever since I met her, I never knew my life would change. And I thank her for that. Not all humans are evil and not all are good. But meeting you're mother was one of the best things that has happened to me in all of the years I have lived."
Tidus stood up and began to walk around his room. "Why are you telling me this?"
Jecht walked up to Tidus. "I know that you have been sneaking off to the village to see you're human friend. I may be old but I'm not stupid."
Tidus sarcastically chuckled. "She's nothing but a vampire hunter, dad."
"A hunter? My, my, what taste you have." Jecht replied.
"Oh please." Tidus began. "There wasn't anything going on between us. I went to see her to talk, to learn more about humans. But all I found out was their hatred for vampires. Always trying to find one way or another to find and kill us. Except her. She was a hunter but it was almost like she hated being one. She trusted me, but all I did was put her in danger. So, I told her that we couldn't see each other anymore."
"That was a smart move but was it wise?" Jecht asked.
"Wise?"
"I did the same when the villagers found out that your mother was seeing a vampire. Once people knew, that was it. I began to stay away from her for her safety. But it only made us feel even worse inside. We missed each other. All because of what others thought."
Tidus didn't reply.
"But we still secretly saw each other at night, down my the Macalania pond. I can still remember her smile, how it glistered against the moonlight. And that is when we realized that we were in love. Everyone in my cluster of vampires then thought it was a bad idea. And it scared me because later that is when I realized that they were right. She became pregnant and had you. People automatically wanted to kill you, calling you the 'devil's child.' You're mother never knew what to do; she didn't want to lose you. So she gave you to me. I raised you. The night you're mother died, I was able to speak to her before she passed on. She told me that…someday she knows that you will make her proud." Jecht finished.
Tidus stood there, his head down staring at the floor.
"I'm not going to tell you what to do son but…follow you're instincts. The choice is yours to make."
Tidus looked up at Jecht. "Thanks."
Jecht nodded his head.
Just then another vampire came rushing in.
"Father. The hunters were spotted in the forest, fully armored. They are making their way here."
"What? Are you sure?" Jecht asked stunned.
"Yes. Some others spotted them a few minutes ago. We must stop them from discovering out home."
"But its day out. The sun would burn our skin." Jecht began. "We need a plan."
Tidus stood there. How did the humans know where we hid? …Could it be that…Yuna told them? She was the only one who knew, but, she wouldn't do that…would she? What ever the circumcises, he couldn't stand by and watch the hunters come. He had to defend his home.
"We could wear black capes. They work against the sun." Tidus suggested.
Jecht nodded. "Yes, that would work. Prepare for the vampires to depart." He said leaving with the other vampire.
Tidus stood there, his arms crossed over his chest. Is Yuna with the hunters? She could get hurt. I have to do something to prevent it.
Yuna and the others walked slowly through the forest, their guns in hand, and their eyes watching every glimpse of the woods.
"How much farther till the cave?" Shuyin asked.
"I'm not sure. It shouldn't be that much farther." Auron replied becoming a little impatient.
"We should turn back…" Yuna mumbled to herself.
"Are you sure this cave is in this direction? We've been wondering around all morning." Another hunter asked. Together there were a total of 14 hunters present with Auron, Shuyin, and Yuna.
"That is what the villager said." Shuyin replied trailing off.
Just then the sound of a tree branch cracking was heard off in the distance.
"Who was that?" Auron asked.
"I don't know." Shuyin replied staring off in the direction of the sound.
"…We're not alone…" Yuna told everyone, her voice soft and quiet.
Just then from out in the distance, came arrows that whizzed by, striking the trees and hunters.
"What the hell was that?" Auron shouted. "Everyone spread out!"
More arrows came, as well as the vampires, wearing long dark capes to protect they're skin.
"Take em out!" Shuyin instructed.
The vampires began to come from all directions, surrounding them.
"There are too many!" Yuna said. Just as he lifted her gun to aim at a nearby vampire, she was struck in the right shoulder with an arrow. "Ah!" She screamed in pain, falling to the floor, dropping her gun.
"Yuna!" Came Shuyin's voice. He ran over and kneeled down beside her. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be okay…my arm…" She replied in pain.
"Hold still." Shuyin said, carefully taking the arrow out of her shoulder. Yuna moaned from the pain. He then wrapped her wound up with a piece of cloth. "Don't worry you'll be okay. Can you still fight?"
"I don't know. I'm not so good with my left hand." She replied.
It wasn't long after that before the vampires had all the hunters surrounded.
"So you thought you can overpower us, did you?" Seymour, the head vampire of that pack began. "Drop you're guns. All of you."
The hunters did as told.
Seymour smiled evilly. "When will you mortals learn that you can't defeat us, or do you need another demonstration like last time?"
"Go to hell!" Auron cursed.
"Already been there." Seymour laughed.
"You monster…" Came the voice of a female hunter.
Seymour glared. "If you wish to live, I suggest you leave now before we decide to kill every last one of you. We'll spare your sorry pathetic lives this time. But if anyone dares to come back into the forest, you will be hunted down and killed. Now go!"
"He's…sparing our lives?" Yuna asked confused.
"Its seems so. We've been outnumbered this time…but it won't happen the next." Shuyin replied helping Yuna up.
The vampires moved out of the way, allowing the hunters return to the village.
Yuna looked back to see Seymour staring at her. It sent shivers down her spine in an uncomfortable way. He then turned around with the other vampires and began to walk away.
Yuna stood there, her hand on her wound. I should have seen that ambush coming…
Just then there was a noise from the nearby bushes. Yuna turned around to see Tidus emerge forward.
"Tidus…" She began softly.
"Yuna, you shouldn't be here." He told her.
"But…" Yuna said.
"You're hurt." He walked up closer to her, placing his hand on her wound. "Why did you come here with the other hunters?"
Yuna turned her head away. "They know about the cave Tidus."
Tidus looked at her. "How? Did you tell them?"
Yuna looked at him. "I would do no such thing! A villager saw you leave last night and followed you here."
Tidus sighed. "I want you to go Yuna, and don't come back. I won't be able to protect you anymore. You might get hurt, even worse then this."
"…I…can't do that Tidus…" She looked away.
"Why? Why must you stay here?"
Yuna looked into his eyes. His beautiful eyes of his she adored so much. But they were bloodshot at the moment. His expression was saddened. Yuna tried to hold back her tears. "I…" She began.
Tidus gazed into her eyes flustered.
"…I'm in love with you Tidus." She confessed. "I don't know how or why but I am. That is why I can't just think of you as the illusion you want me to believe you are."
"Yuna…" He began softly. "Please don't do this…"
"I had to tell you how I felt. The worse feeling in life is regretting something you haven't said. I know you and I can never be…we're too different, right? But even still, it makes me feel so much better you knowing what I had to say, and I don't regret it." She paused for a moment, wiping her tears away. "But if you want me to go…then…I'll go. I just wanted you to know."
Yuna then turned away from Tidus and began to walk back to her village.
Tidus remained in the forest. He stood there, watching her leave.
Yuna……why? It's not suppose to be like this…"There you go." Lenne said as she finished up cleaning Yuna's wound then wrapping it up with some cloth.
Yuna smiled. "Thank you Lenne. It's a good thing you're here after all, not many people in the village are doctors."
"Well as long as I can help people."
Shuyin smiled, walking up to the two girls. "We were unprepared for the ambush today Yuna. But we have to get them next time."
"Right…" Yuna replied nodding her head.
"Yeah. So that's why I'll be returning to Luca for a few days to round up some more experienced hunters. Also I know its not my choice to make but I think it'll help out a lot if you train Rikku and Wakka to fight. We need all the people we can get to help us fight."
"I'll talk to them in the morning about that." Yuna told him.
"Good. Well I'm going to pack and catch the night ship to Luca and arrive there by morning."
"I'll help you Shuyin." Lenne said. And with that the two walked off to Shuyin's room.
Yuna stood up and returned to hers.
Once there, she lay on the bed. Yuna began to have second thoughts about what happened earlier.
'I want you to go Yuna, and don't come back.'
'Why? Why must you stay here?'
'Please don't do this…'He sounded as if he never wanted anything to do with her anymore. It saddened her greatly hearing him say those things to her. Why did he? Did he not care at all anymore about her?
Tidus walked back and forth in his room, deep in thought about what happened earlier.
I never meant any of the things I've said to you Yuna…but…why? Why can't you just accept the fact that we're just too different? I did what I had to do for you're safety. If anything were to happen to you…I couldn't forgive myself.
Tidus stood still.
But even so……you stayed with me. You allowed yourself to trust me. And I did the same with you, which only leaves me with one option. To do what I think it's best for us.
And with that, Tidus left his room, making his way to see Yuna.
"Maybe I should just forget about everything and go to bed." Yuna said to herself. She stood up from her bed and walked over to her desk, removing her boots and necklace. Yuna then looked down at her father's diary. She picked it up and held it in her hand.
"I guess I'll read it tomorrow…" She told herself, placing it back down on her desk. She sighed.
As Yuna then began to walk over back to her bed, she stopped in the middle of her room, looking over at her window from a sudden noise.
She then saw Tidus open her window and jump in, then closed her window behind him.
Yuna stood there in bewilderment. "Tidus…? But…what are you doing here…?" She spoke softly, feeling overjoyed that he had come back to her.
"Yuna…" He began. Tidus walked up to Yuna, placed his hands around her waist and kissed her passionately.
And there is another chapter for you all. I hoped you liked it, lol, I know I did, especially the ending. So Anywho, what will happen in the next chapter with this love couple? Will things turn out well or will everything go wrong? Keep reading to find out and don't forget to review.