Braska ate the scrambled eggs that he cooked for himself. Yuna stared at her plate, her fork twisting around the food but not quite reaching her mouth. They sat at the table, in the room behind the shop. The sun was bright in the sky, indicating another warm day in Zanarkand. The city's last breath withered away, getting quieter and quieter. Of course, Zanarkand woke in the night, and now it succumbed to a pleasant slumber.
"I must go," said Yuna, pushing back her chair. She realised that she had not slept a wink that night. Her hours were stolen by the conversations she shared with Bartz. Now, her muscles weighed heavily on her.
"Wait Yuna." Her father's voice was soft, but she could feel the iron in it. "This young man that you've brought back here…"
Yuna's heart was in her throat. She tried to avoid staring into his eyes, because the guilt seeped under her skin. She fought to keep her tears at bay.
Braska sighed, a weary sigh. His forehead crinkled. "I'll just hope that he's a friend and no more. Remember, you're someone's wife."
"Of course, father," she replied.
But she knew he had more to say; much, much more.
:::::::::
The second weekend was a break from the Phantom Train. That was how the classes were run. In the midst of the scorching day in Zanarkand, Yuna waited near the foliage, checking the dainty watch on her wrist now and then. She fanned herself with her hand, her white patterned skirt undulating like waves in the light of a breeze. She contemplated how long it had been on the Phantom Train, since her life took a topsy-turvy turn.
Almost two weeks. That did not seem like a long time, but so much had happened in that space that she was unaware of it.
The sunlight filtered through the leaves, the wind whispering through branches while they swayed slowly. Yuna sighed, believing it was best to go. After all, she treated him so coldly when her father entered the room. What if she hurt him, and now he hated her? She did not know how she would ever respond to that.
Just then, she heard footsteps approaching, quickly. "Sorry I'm late."
Bartz was breathless as he bent, hands on his knees, his face flushed from running. In his blue tee and cotton trousers, he resembled summer itself. Next to him was a German Shepherd, whose tongue wagged to the side. "Yuna, this is Boko, my pal. Boko—"
The dog barked, before jumping up to lick Yuna's face. She was bewildered at first, but then she laughed, and it was not long before Boko was sprawled on his back, enjoying the belly rub.
"You never said you had a dog,"
Bartz smiled. "Yeah, Boko's been with me for a long time." He tilted his head. "Man, he really pulls the girls in. Boko and Zidane have one thing in common. They're both studs."
Boko responded with another bark, licking Yuna's fingers. She tried to imagine the dog and Zidane as one person, and her tummy fluttered from laughter.
Bartz placed his hands behind his head. "Speaking of which, Zidane told me that I'm a stud for getting to go on a date with you." He shivered. "But really, I think he's a master with girls."
She blushed, forgetting that Bartz acknowledged their time together as something romantic. Or perhaps a true date was not meant to be romantic? Yuna was never sure. When she was younger, she had a huge crush on a local boy named Chappu, but he loved the ocean more than anything else. And so, he was claimed by the ocean forever. Yuna had been devastated, but her love was never returned. Chappu chose an older girl over her.
Then came Tidus when she turned eighteen…and within two years of dating, they married on Braska's request.
But with Bartz, it was different. She could not explain it why. Was it the Phantom Train, messing with the strings of fate? She understood that a lot was at stake, especially now that her father knew. Braska had enough power to have Bartz excommunicated from Zanarkand—because Pope Yevon had such control over the city and the whole region around it, including Besaid.
But the painter's cheerfulness instantly dissipated her worries, to the point where she wished to be like him. She wanted to breathe him in, and merge into something that was him. So, she cast aside her fears, and smiled. And when he walked with Boko by his side, she followed demurely.
Her hand found his while he chatted away. Bartz paused, staring at their hands. No sooner, his fingers intertwined with hers, and it appeared that they would remain like that for most of their time in the zoo.
"How about you start with that lion. Ifrit, was it? Let's see if he's as much of a dud as Squall," he joked. Boko wagged his tailed, either falling back or running ahead of them, of flopping to the floor and allowing excited girls to rub his belly.
:::::::::::
The sunlight shifted through the leaves as she crossed the sandy bridge. Lightning had been to the zoo before, but that was only to keep an eye on Serah and Snow. She wanted to make sure that her sister chose the right boyfriend. Men came in all sorts of trouble. Of course, Serah was never too happy about having her around, though Lightning found it difficult to understand why. All she did was protect her and keep her from harm.
She stared at the fading sunlight, which punctured through the leaves, holes on paper.
"Claire." At the distance, Zest waved at her. He was dressed in such formal clothes, that she was surprised no one sent him odd glares. He was surrounded by a crowd of people; other chess players she presumed.
She rubbed her head. "I don't even know why I'm doing this," she muttered. Shaking her head, she said, "Some things just have to be done."
In her plain tee and snug jeans, Lightning could not help but feel a bit underwhelming next to the fancy class of chess players. The lot were just like General Light himself, except for the young teenage boy that could pass as a runt from the less privileged areas. He kept flicking his nose, blue eyes shining with mischief (especially at wallets) and blond hair gleaming in the sunlight. Also, she recognised Squall's father—a man who still jumbled over his words and acted like a complete moron at the age of fifty. It was no wonder Squall pretended he was still an orphan. Then again, his father, Laguna Loire, often forgot that he even had a son.
Some things just had to be done…
"Claire, this is Mateus—" The person next to Zest was a well-groomed man with silky golden hair. He could have passed as a handsome face, if it were not for that slimy grimace that gave him the impression of a despot. In addition to that, Mateus lifted his nose with such arrogance, as if all were less valuable than even his little toe. Of course, Lightning recognised him as one of the politicians who was rallying to be president, but thank goodness it was not in Zanarkand.
"This is Laguna—" The man with the black hair raised a hand, a friendly smile encompassed him. "This is Y'shtola—" The only woman in the team, her foxy face held a wisdom far beyond her, as if her soul was older than the ancient trees. "And this is Vaan."
"Glad to meet you," said Vaan. "You're a soldier too?"
Lightning crossed her arms against her chest. "What does it look like?"
Y'shtola smiled. "Glad to have met your acquaintance. It's always a pleasure to meet another woman who enjoys chess. Our gender lacks interest in such a rewarding activity."
"Still, you women are not good enough against me," said Mateus, in a voice that was repulsive. "Let's hope this soldier knows how to checkmate."
Lightning frowned. She glanced at Zest in askance, wondering if he had anything to do with her reputation, but the Warrior of Light simply blinked as if nothing had passed.
"I'm not much of chess player," she admitted. "I just watch."
"No way!" Vaan pressed his hands against his cheeks. "You have to play some chess. I can show you how."
"Thanks but I'll pass."
"Come on, Lightning," said Laguna. She was surprised he remembered her nickname. She tried so hard to bury Claire in the past, and it worked in Balamb. "Perk up, will you? It's like you never changed at all. That's abhorrific."
She wanted to tell him that such a word did not exist, but some rustling the bushes stopped them. Out stepped a young man with messy dark hair. He was carrying fishing equipment, a picnic basket in his hands as he whistled and took up space by the bridge. "Don't mind me," he said. "I'm just fishing again."
Y'shtola titled her head, rubbing her chin. "That boy escapes his guards too often."
"Hey Noctis, how's it going?" Vaan raised a hand. The young man gave a shrug but no sooner he held his fishing-rod and settled by the bridge.
"Shall we start?" Mateus added, with a flair of impatience. "I have a meeting later this evening in Palamecia."
"Let us begin," said Zest.
Lightning sighed in distress. She had been a fool to agree with this.
::::::::::::
She might have talked endlessly. She even told Bartz about her concern for Firion, and how relieved she was to know that he was getting discharged soon. He had listened to her, and gave her encouragement, all the words she wanted to hear. Yuna tried to absorb some of his positive energy, like how a plants absorbs sunlight. She suddenly wanted to breathe him in, like fresh air, and fill herself with his essence—until she too could be as sunny as him.
If she had to place a season for him, then Bartz would be like the summer. She could not imagine living in summer forever, but being with Bartz was just that. Tidus used to make her feel such a way in the past. His wild enthusiasm always attracted her. Hit with guilt, she paused for a moment.
Bartz tugged at her hand, and she quickly smiled.
"You looked a bit lost there," he said. "Everything okay?"
"Yes," she replied, avoiding his gaze.
He chuckled. "You're not very convincing sometimes."
"What?" She clasped her hands together. "Oh no…not you too?"
"Was it something I said?" The painter seemed utterly confused. But Yuna was afraid. She was scared that he would see through her lies one day, and her temporary paradise would shatter completely. She held his hand and urged him to follow.
"Let's go see the penguins."
He beamed. "Sure!"
"Yuna? Bartz?"
She jumped with fright. That voice…
Golbez graced them with his elegance. He walked alongside a younger man with beautiful silver hair. The pair of them could have been sent straight from the moon itself, with their pale complexion, blue lips and moonlight hair. Golbez wore a face of bemusement, and Yuna felt the heat creep up to her face. Her secret was no longer a secret now. Golbez could tell everyone in the train that she was with Bartz. Alone.
The man next to Golbez turned out to be his younger brother, who was on the way to a chess club. "And what brings you here?" Golbez added.
"We're on a date," Bartz interrupted, much to Yuna's horror. She could imagine her face as red as a beetroot when Bartz threw his arms around her shoulder. "Yuna suggested the zoo, actually."
Cecil raised a brow. The way he stared at her made her want to disappear into the floor, perhaps sink into the bottom of the earth. "You look familiar," said the moonlike man.
Yuna tried to speak but her words came out like bubbles of confusion. She could barely form a sentence. What if Cecil knew who she really was? Not many had seen her face in Zanarkand, but those who did caught on that she was married to Tidus.
Golbez placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. Cecil was a tall man, but his elder brother made him a midget, and Yuna barely reached Golbez's elbow. "Cecil, we must carry on with our own path," he said. "Let Yuna and Bartz enjoy their date."
When Bartz beamed again, Yuna avoided the urge to twist his ear. "Well gee, Golbez. You're really considerate."
They left, but Cecil gave another queer glance over his shoulder.
"He's a nice guy," Bartz chimed. "His brother's cool too. Hey, maybe I should offer him to join the Phantom Train."
"Let's…" Yuna exhaled, releasing all the boiling anger and fear inside her. "Go to the penguins, Bartz."
:::::::::::::
Lightning reminded herself not to accept any invitations by Zest anymore. She wasted a lot of effort trying to understand the stupid rules to a stupid game. She did not understand why the king-piece was so weak, or why the knight was useless and the pawns true pawns. Though Mateus of Palamecia enjoyed turning his pawns to rooks and eliminating all of them on the chessboard.
"Like a true ruler," he added. "Kneel before me, you lowly worms."
"I hope that was a joke," said Laguna.
Vaan snorted. "He thinks he's an emperor because he won a chess game."
"Indeed, such an ego is ill-fitting of you." Y'shtola sent Mateus a ruthless grin. The latter glared at each of them, clearly offended.
"A win is a win," Zest intervened. "And Mateus has outwitted us all with his intelligence. He truly deserves the title of a champion."
"Don't make him a royal though. They suck the tax right out of us," said Laguna, laughing.
They heard a choking sound. It appeared that young Noctis had snorted some water he was drinking, and now he was trying to blow it out from his nostrils.
"Hey, the royal family in my place is pretty nice," said Vaan.
"Yeah, but just watch," Laguna responded, shrugging. "Archades will make them a pawn in their game. Their horizontals don't look too good."
"Not if I become ruler of Palamecia," Mateus added. "Then we'll see how Vayne will use Rabanastre in his ploy."
Lightning perked a brow. She did not expect such a ragtag group of senile-souled bores to pay attention to politics. Zest sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"As long as there is light, there is hope," he commented.
"I'm all good with it. But any king that demands tax from me, gotta expect a rebellion," said Laguna. "Like that no-good Caelum family in Lucis."
They heard a splash from the bridge. Young Noctis had fallen off the bridge.
::::::::::::
She took her leave when she saw Golbez attend the chess club with Cecil Harvey. Of course, Zest Light had to invite his trainee. Cecil was opting to apply for captaincy pretty soon, which meant in almost three weeks, the young man displayed a great deal of prowess and skill.
"Another woman in the chess club?" Cecil chuckled. He seemed oblivious to the deathly glares he received from both Lightning and Y'shtola. "Perhaps I should bring Rosa over next time too."
"Tough luck, 'cause there won't be a next time for me," added Lightning. Without a second glance, she spurn on her heel, and walked off. It felt oddly satisfying to leave a group of old-fashioned bores behind. Zest caught up with her.
"Claire, thank you for coming," he said, struggling to keep up with her pace. For a man as tall as him, he stumbled over his habitual elegant gait, and resembled a complete and undeniable moron. "I appreciate it."
"Thanks, but no thanks," she sighed. Thinking back on height, she was tall for a woman, and not many men she met in her life could attract her attention with their short statures. She liked how General Light stood a head taller than her. "It's too bad I still can't understand how to use a knight or a rook on the chessboard."
"With practice, you will shine." His gaze was so indolent, as lazy as the sunlight that streamed the sky. She found herself staring at his face for a bit longer than she intended. His eyes were feline, slanted and grey. She found herself admiring them.
Snap out of it!
Did she, of all people, find the Warrior of Light a spectacle to behold? Lightning clenched her fists. There were far more important matters to think over; like how to deal with Serah and Snow's budding relationship, Firion's slow progression in the hospital, and the dreaded painting classes in the Phantom Train.
"I don't think so," she said, albeit a bit sadly. "I just can't do chess." Like how she can't paint. Was she only ever good at fighting and hurting people instead?
"Your company was pleasant. I think the others might even like you." He grinned. Was that meant to be a joke? She could not tell, but she smiled back, despite herself.
A playful breeze whipped past them, and with it carried the chimes of laughter. Lightning turned to the right, and her eyes beheld a rather endearing sight. Seated under a large oak tree were Bartz and Yuna, hands held together. They shared a large bag of popcorn between one another. Bartz spoke mostly, while Yuna laughed like a silly little girl. A large dog lay sprawled underneath them, its tongue rolling out of its mouth.
Lightning was impervious to someone's private life, but when it came to Serah, she found herself watching her sister's moves like a hawk. And if Yuna, who was sitting close by, turned out to be her beloved childhood friend, a fragment of her past, then she was just as important to Lightning as was Serah. Firion had told her who Yuna was—the wife of a famous soccer player.
Surely Yuna had more common sense than spend lone time with another man? In all of this confusion, was Bartz aware of everything? Had they made a pact to have an affair while Yuna's husband was away? She doubted it; both were not the type to do so. In fact, she could hardly remember Yuna ever showing interest in Bartz. She pried through the little time spent on the Phantom Train, but no. Nothing came up from buried events she would rather forget.
"Claire, I'll be off so," Zest interrupted. She prevented herself from shrieking at him. He was stealing her attention again. "So, goodbye?"
"Yes, yes, bye," she said, then paused.
A blonde-haired woman, dressed elegantly in a gossamer white maxi, treaded her way towards them. The woman was well endowed, with magnificent green eyes that seemed to sparkle like gems. Her smile was sweet yet poignant. Upon her arrival, Zest smiled—a warm smile that Lightning did not think he was capable of.
"Cosmos, I did not think you'll be finished at this time," he said. His arm went round her shoulders, and they glanced at Lightning. "Claire, I was hoping to introduce you to my fiancée. Cosmos, this is Claire whom I've been talking about. I think the two of you will get along."
Suddenly, she felt so small, and so stupid. Her heart hammered in her throat, rage and sadness washing into one sentiment.
Cosmos held out a soft hand, and Lightning wondered what expensive products she used for such silkiness. Perhaps she pranced around with Zest's credit card. After all, he was making more money now that he had been promoted.
"Lightning Farron, am I right?" asked Cosmos, in a sweet voice that made Lightning's stomach churn. Disgusting.
"At least someone calls me by my right name," she muttered. She shook her hand free, clearing her throat. "Well, it's been fun."
"Should we all have dinner?" Zest suggested.
"No!" Lightning paused, and said with less force, "No. Sorry. I'm having dinner with my sister tonight."
"We will have to arrange a dinner one day," said Cosmos, with that stupid voice that Lightning wanted to strangle. "I'm glad someone keeps Zest on his shoes at work. He's awfully rigid otherwise." Her and Zest shared a short laugh, while the woman's fingers traced through his silver hair.
Lightning avoided rolling her eyes. "Someone's gotta do it."
"You wound me, Claire," Zest replied, with salient mirth. "But I am glad we push aside our professional lives. You are a worthy friend."
For some reason, that struck her like a knife to the heart. She watched him while he bid her farewell, walking with Cosmos into the distance. She glanced for Yuna, but her and Bartz had also vanished. The zoo was strangely quiet; forebodingly quiet.
The only sound she heard was the Phantom Train, cackling in glee. The echoes haunted her ears the rest of the night. And when her head met the pillow, she found herself next to its train tracks, hearing the metallic music of its imminence. She was separated by glass, and Zest stood at the tracks, staring at her with his stoic expression. She called out his name, banging her hand against the glass. The Phantom Train loomed closer, it's bright eyes blaring like blinding stars. An ugly sinister grin was plastered on the head of the vehicle.
She screamed for Zest to move, but he did not. No sooner, the Phantom Train collided with him, and in a burst of crimson, she woke, shaking. A single tear rolled down her cheek.