Writer's block is the biggest bully around. Seriously.

I hope to put up another chapter before next Friday (June 9th) but this all depends on if the writer's block has finally let me be. If not, I will try to post a new chapter as soon as possible. Internet connection might be terrible, though, since I am leaving school for the summer and the home connection is way worse.

Chapter 11: Promises of the Future

"Neither Lucil nor Elma have heard from or seen Clasko since before Sin's defeat," Lulu announced as she entered the airship's bridge, where the rest of the party awaited. "They promised to contact us if and when they find him."

"Rin's no help," Cid informed everyone, ripping off the headset and throwing it forcibly to the ground. "He says he'll get his contacts at the Travel Agencies to keep an eye out, but he's starting to sell all of 'em to make way for a new enterprise. He even tried to sell one to that O'aka character!"

"Damn," Wakka punched a fist into his palm. "Who else could possibly know Clasko?"

"Wantz?" Tidus tried, scratching his head. "But, we don't know where he is either. What about . . . uh, well, there's . . . someone help me out here!"

Yuna bit her lip, worrying it between her teeth. "What about Shelinda? O-or Dona and Barthello? Maybe they have seen Clasko around."

A man tapped rapidly at the consoles near the pilot's seat, a man Tidus remembered vaguely from Brother's rushed introductions seven months prior as Buddy. There was a pause as the machina whirred and the console flashed, but Buddy turned to them and said in traditional Spiran, "I haven't got a trace of either Dona or Barthello, but I've located Shelinda. She's on the line."

Scurrying around Buddy's station and causing the man to flinch and shrink into his seat, Tidus and Yuna took the forefront of the group and saw Shelinda's image on the screen. Shelinda seemed reluctant to be near the machina, but when she saw Yuna's face she brightened considerably and cheerfully said, "Hello, Lady Yuna! It's great to see you!"

"The same to you, Shelinda," Yuna bowed her head briefly. "Shelinda, I hate to be abrupt, but have you seen Clasko? It's an emergency."

"Clasko?" Shelinda tilted her head, finger on her chin. "Hm, well, I haven't seen him in a while, but I did see him as I was traveling up to Bevelle to try and repair Yevon. Did you know, they have machina here in the city! Actual machina, like what the Al Bhed have! It's such a crime against our doctrines—"

"Shelinda, focus," Tidus interrupted. "Where did you see Clasko?"

"Oh, I saw him east of Guadosalam, in the far south Thunder Plains region," Shelinda blinked curiously. "He was saying something about finding a chocobo and opening a ranch. He said he was going to head up north to the Calm Lands when he caught a chocobo. Or was it south to Mi'ihen Highroad? No, no, it must have been the Calm Lands, because he was talking about carnivals, and did you know they are opening a carnival up in the Calm Lands? Such a place of history precious to Yevon and they're going to open games there! I heard they were going to use fiends as part of their entertainment!"

"We never would have known without your help," Lulu put in dryly. "How long ago did you see Clasko?"

Shelinda looked over her shoulder for a minute as someone outside their vision addressed her, and she shook her head and replied inaudibly. Then she returned her attention to the party. "It was a week ago. I remember because that's when Maroda asked me out on a date! I almost said yes, but then I realized I had to go to Bevelle and he was heading down to Mushroom Rock. Still, it was flattering—"

"Shelinda!" everyone exclaimed.

"Oops, sorry," Shelinda bowed sheepishly. "But yes, it was most definitely a week ago. I tried to convince Clasko to join me on my trip to Yevon, but he thought that the church wouldn't allow him to open his chocobo ranch. It was pretty saddening."

Tidus nodded, thinking privately that Clasko may have had more reasons than simply his chocobo-fetish (for once) for avoiding Yevon's grip. He let Shelinda have her blissful ignorance, though, and thanked her for the information.

"Oh, no problem," Shelinda grinned. "Farewell, Lady Yuna! And feel free to return to Bevelle at any time! We'll be happy to have you!"

Yuna maintained a forced, perky smile until the transmission ended, after which the smile disappeared in a blink of an eye. "I won't be happy to have Bevelle for a good long while yet," she whispered almost too quietly for Tidus to hear. He smiled encouragingly at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing gently.

"Alright then!" Cid shouted per his usual way, striding to the sphere oscillo-finder in the center of the bridge. "If Clasko was here," he used a stylus to hover over the southern-most edge of the Thunder Plains and east of Guadosalam, as Shelinda said, "a week ago, and he was here yesterday, then his rate of travel with a chocobo should land him . . . right . . . here!" He jabbed the stylus near the entrance of Macalania Woods, going straight through the holographic map. "This is where we're gonna find Auron and Rikku!"

Seated in the pilot's chair, Brother twirled around and exclaimed, "Whaa—Rikku! Oui sayh so meddma cecdan Rikku? Oui dumt sa cra fyc yd Bikanel unkyhewehk aqlyjydeuhc fedr Gippal!" (You mean my little sister Rikku? You told me she was at Bikanel organizing excavations with Gippal!)

Sighing, Cid glared at his son who had abandoned his station. "I lied, oui pnyd. She went and got herself into trouble again, this time with that overgrown, red-fetish idiot of a—" (you brat)

"Uncle Cid!" Yuna admonished.

"—Er, I meant . . . Auron," Cid substituted reluctantly.

Brother seemed no less insulted that he had been left out of the loop, and with a cry border lining an indignant wail he stormed to his father, jerking his arms and crying out in gibberish that didn't even qualify as Al Bhed. Before Cid could retaliate with a smack upside Brother's head, Buddy grabbed his friend by the shoulders and forcefully steered him out of the bridge. Brother's loud yelling slowly melted into the ruckus of the airship's engines.

"Annoying brat," Cid muttered under his breath. "Can't stand the girl when she's around, and yet throws a tizzy when he finds she's not here. Tyshat hiecyhla." (Damned nuisance.)

"Cid, he's only worried for his sister," Lulu reminded the older man.

"Ya, it's what older brothers do," Wakka put in. "I did the same thing with my own brother. Don't be so hard on him, ya?"

Grumbling, Cid snapped, "I'll deal with my own brats. You better worry about what you're gonna do when yours start acting up."

Wakka blinked, taken aback. He hadn't thought that far ahead of Lulu's pregnancy, but pondering over it now made him a bit queasy. Fathers had never impacted his life before, so how would he know what to do with his own child?

Sensing his rapidly-increasing anxiety, Lulu put a hand on Wakka's arm and whispered in his ear, "Wakka, relax. Eight months before a baby is due is too long in advance to think about disciplining young children. I have confidence in your abilities as a good husband and a good father."

Tilting his head slightly to her, Wakka whispered back, "Ya think so?"

Lulu arched a brow. "I know so, Wakka. And I will never waiver in that belief."

The others had gathered around the sphere oscillo-finder as they spoke, discussing where best to intercept Clasko and the children. Kimahri finally proclaimed, "Take five hours to reach Macalania. Get food, get rest. No can retrieve children if tired."

"But—" Cid started, wanting to take as much action as possible. A level glare from Kimahri, however, stopped Cid in his tracks.

"Kimahri's right," Yuna nodded. "We need rest and food if we're going to—if we want to take good care of Auron and Rikku."

Nods of consent from all around, everyone turned and headed out of the bridge with the kitchen in mind as the destination. As Tidus followed everyone out, however, he watched as Yuna went the opposite way, heading for her room, with a wilted look to her. Looking between the larger group and the solitary figure, Tidus turned and followed.

She ought to be in the kitchen getting something to eat. But the thought of Rikku and Auron, as defenseless children, out in the world alone diminished her appetite extravagantly.

Sighing heavily and leaning her head against the tightly-sealed window, Yuna watched as the clouds swept past beneath the airship. She wondered if Auron and Rikku were safe and warm.

Of course they are, Yuna chastised herself. Clasko wouldn't let harm come to them. Unlike us, who lose them almost every chance we let them out of our sight.

"Yuna?" the one voice she both wanted desperately and loathed to hear intruded on her thoughts. She turned to the door, where the light from outside the room cast a dark shadow over Tidus' frame. "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, nothing really," Yuna played it off, rocking back and forth with her arms locked around her knees. "Just thinking."

"And taking everything on your shoulders, right?" Tidus accused gently, leaving the door to sit beside her. The door shut noiselessly.

Yuna aimed her face downward, away from Tidus. "Sorry. I guess . . . I guess I do that a lot, huh?"

"Yeah, well, that's what made you a good summoner," Tidus nudged her. "But you can't do it all the time. You've got us to carry you. We're gonna help, whether you like it or not." He tilted his head curiously, then angled her head toward him by her chin. "What brought all these thoughts on, anyway?"

Yuna's eyes saddened. "Auron and Rikku . . . they're out there without us. We swore we'd take care of them, of each other, but instead we lose them. We've lost them twice now, and they've gotten into so many scrapes . . . what kind of parent am I, that I can't take care of two children?"

"Hey," Tidus protested. "For one thing, it's Auron and Rikku. Trouble goes wherever they do, if they're adults or children. I mean, fiends practically flocked around Auron all the time back in Zanarkand! And Rikku, sheesh, being a thief isn't exactly a safe profession—thievery being against the law and all that—and plus she actually operated a machina under water to kidnap you. Electricity and water don't mix in the first place, and she tried swiping you out from under her own guardians' noses!"

"And number two?" Yuna prompted with a weak smile at his logic.

"Number two? Ah, well, for number two you're a new parent! Just like most of us! When we get our own kids, we'll have way more experience and take care of them better! So this is just a learning experience!"

Five seconds after he blurted that out, Tidus realized what he had said and froze with apprehension. However, Yuna's smile strengthened. "'When we get our own kids?'" Yuna repeated. "Is that a promise?"

Sensing that Yuna was neither angry at his assumption nor overzealous about the prospect of children, Tidus went on, "Yeah, sure! We'll settle down, get married, and have lots of kids! O-or, at least, one boy and girl," Tidus scratched his head. "And then we gotta have a dog, because dogs are awesome! Or, hey, maybe a dolphin! And we can name him Mr. Dolphin!"

Giggling, Yuna nearly replied when a knock resounded from the other side. Wakka shouted, "'Ey! Anyone in there? We got lots of sandwiches and soup ready to be eaten, and I can't have an eating contest without my number one competitor, ya?"

"We're there!" Tidus hollered, pumping a fist needlessly. He turned and grabbed Yuna's hand, pulling the woman to her feet. "Yuna, I promise you: we're gonna find Rikku and Auron, and we won't lose them again. And then we'll settle down, and have a family. I will keep this promise, like Auron has kept his own, like Kimahri has, and like Rikku has."

He leaned in swiftly and kissed her. As he pulled her out the door, Yuna smiled brightly. I believe in you, Tidus. I always have, and I always will.

But we are not having a pet dolphin.

Let's hope for the best for an update by next Friday. If not, I apologize profusely and hope that the next update will be totally awesome to make up for it.