ok, this chapter, i really liked the song. but i'm not making this another songfic chapter. i'll just make tidus do a lot of talking to himsef, how's that.

gosh, i so want to just make a music video, but i don't have any videos!!

Chapter 11: If I Can't Love Her

The performance was over. All the enchanted plates, bowls, spoons, forks, knifes, napkins, and cups went back to the kitchen. Rikku was full from the Zanarkandian cuisine.

"Would you like dessert?" Yuna offered.

"Oh, no. I couldn't eat another bite." Rikku commented.

"Well, why not go back to your room and rest." Auron suggested. Rikku just shooked her head.

"I couldn't sleep now. It's my first time in an enchanted mansion." Rikku said, eagerly. Little Leo yawned.

"Well I'll take Leo off to the cupboard." Yuna smiled.

"Ah," Leo complained. "I'm not tired." But he yawned again.

"Come on," Yuna said. She walked him away, leaving Rikku alone with Wakka and Auron.

"Perhaps I can have a tour around the mansion?" Rikku asked. She kneeled down close to Auron. "I'm sure you know all about the place."

Auron just rolled his eyes to Wakka, who was behind him smiling and winking. Auron sighed and nodded.

"If you follow me-" Auron started, but Rikku looked up at a twisted staircase.

"Where does that lead?" Rikku asked.

She remember passing those spiral staircase when the beast lead her to her room. Auron and Wakka immediately blocked her way from coming closer to the stairs.

"The west hall? Nothing, ya!" Wakka yelled.

"It's just the attic." Auron said, trying to play cool. "Old and dusty. Nothing up there."

"Then there's no harm in looking." Rikku said, step over Auron and Wakka.

"Perhaps you like to see something else?" Auron said while he and Wakka tried to block Rikku.

"Ya! Like the kitchen?"

"The garden?"

"Or the machina library?" Wakka said, and just like that Rikku stop in her tracks.

"You have a machina library?!" Rikku asked, excited. Auron and Wakka sighed in relief.

"But of course, ya!"

"A whole collection of machina parts."

"A swarm of machina."

"Cascade of machina."

"Machina with buttons. Machina with switches."

"More machina that you can dream of!"

Together Auron and Wakka lead the way, but they didn't know that Rikku deceived them. She made sure there were out of earshot before she climbed the stairs.

Rikku was excited. The higher she climbed, the more the mansion grew quiet. Then, she reached the top landing and stared down at a dark hall. She was almost terrified at what she saw.

The long hall was torn down. Old pictures that used to hang are now teared down. Amazing vases layed on the ground, smashed to bits. On the walls were claw marks as if the beast slashed.

Rikku made her way to the door at the end of the hall. It was slightly open as she pushed in. The door squeaked slightly and she walked in. The room was dark, and it was also a mess just like the hall outside. It must've been a massive suite. A bed was in pieces, the door windows that lead out to the balcony was open.

Rikku made her way around the room and found a picture that was also slashed by claws. It was a painting of a person. The eyes were the only part of the painting still visible, beautiful and bright blue. As if it was glowing...

Suddenly, Rikku noticed the source of the glowing was coming from the other side of the room. She stared in awe as she approached closer to it. A beautiful blue rose was placed inside a glass case on a pedestal, hovering without a vase. A couple of rose petals layed on the floor, yet it still glowed in the brightest blue. Rikku wanted to touch it.

Rikku looked over her shoulder, and she carefully lifted the glass case and placed it on the floor. The rose barely moved in the wind coming from the window. Rikku slowly reached out her finger...

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!!" A roar.

"AHH!"

The beast jumped out of the shadows and smashed his way towards Rikku.

"I told you never to come here!!" He roared again. Rikku was still standing, but she was shivering in fright.

"I-I'm sorry-"

"Do you realized what you could've done?!"

"No, I-"

"Get out!"

He quickly picked up the case and covered the rose again. He glared at her with cold, blue eyes.

"I didn't mean to. I-"

"I said get out!!" He roared, and shoved her hard.

He was powerful as Rikku landed on the ground and a shard of wood from the bed slashed across her shoulder. Rikku cried in pain and Tidus suddenly realized what he did. He tried to make his voice calmer.

"I'm sorry. I didn't-" He held out his paw, but Rikku scooted away.

"Get away from me!" She yelled, scared. She held her wounded shoulder. Blood was dripped from her hands.

"Please, let me look-"

"No!" And she stood up, ran out the door, and down the hall. Tidus yelled after her.

"I'm sorry!!" But she was already down the stairs. "I'm sorry."

It was quiet and depressing.

"I didn't mean to." He mumbled to himself. He walked out to the balcony and gazed at the stars.

"I...can't do this, can I?" He started talking. "I can't show kindness. I can't escape, or have any comfort. I'm blind."

His mind was racing. Soon he saw flashbacks when he was young and spoiled.

"I'm hopeless."

He remembers when he threw food around he didn't like.

"Helpless...unforgiven...no lesson can teach me." He leaned on the white stone. "If I can't love her...then..."

He turned around and gazed back at the cursed rose. The rose made him a prisoner. It was his grief and a reminder of that dreadful day.

"I hoped I could've loved her, and set me free. I thought it was simple...but it's not." He looked down at his gates and saw Rikku dashing out into the woods and the mountains.

"If I can't love her...let the world be done with me!" He growled. He roared like the beast he was, but Rikku didn't look back.

Tidus watched Rikku disappear in the darkness, and he heard a howl from the Ronsos...

i tried not to make tidus seem like he was rhyming, but that was difficult cuz the song was packed with rhymes! i tried to make it like he wasn't talking to himself, and more like thinking and talking aloud what he's done.

anyways, please tell me what you think.