Chapter Two: The Waterfall Ruins and Tidus's Proposal

As a new day dawned on Besaid, Tidus awoke to find Yuna still curled up next to him. He tried to move as softly, so as not to wake her. He kissed her cheek and got up to shower. After the shower, he got dressed in his usual Blitzball clothes and headed up to Besaid Falls, looking for a way to climb to the top. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned quickly and saw Yuna walking to him. She was dressed in her usual Gunner outfit and Tidus could not help but smile at just how beautiful she had become.

"Yuna! You're awake! Did you sleep well?"

Yuna nodded and yawned. She walked to the Falls and looked into the watery veil.

"Hey I think there's something behind this! Let's go check it out."

She jumped through the curtain of water, Tidus close behind her.

"Wow its dark in here. Probably fiends lurking in the shadows too. That reminds me. Here Tidus, your sword."

She handed him the Brotherhood, the blue sword still shining with the power of water. He swung it, testing to make sure it was intact. A Grendel appeared behind Yuna.

"Yuna! Watch out! A fiend!"

Tidus quickly assumed his battle stance and slashed at the Grendel, but the tough scales of the creature deflected the blow.

"Damn. I don't have a strong enough sword. Yuna, sorry but I can't fight anymore."

Yuna drew her twin guns and shot the creature, one bullet between its eyes, the other in it left front leg. The Grendel fell to the floor of the cave, not quite defeated yet. So Tidus used a special attack. He leapt at the fiend, and did a flip slash.

"Spiral Cut!"

The Grendel burst into a shower of pyreflies and disappeared into the darkness of the cave. Tidus looked at her, very impressed.

"Looks like you're my guardian now. So what is this place? Wish we had some light or even a fire. Wait!"

He swung the Flametongue he carried and lit two sticks, making makeshift torches. He handed one to Yuna and motioned for her to follow him. He walked deeper into the cave, and stopped dead in his tracks at what he saw. He pointed and fell to the floor.

"What is that? Looks like an ancient machina, and a very powerful one."

Yuna knelt beside it and found a switch. She flipped it, and lights came on all around the cavern. The former shadows revealed an ancient village. Both of them were awestruck. Yuna was the first to speak.

"Is this… the old Besaid? A thousand years before Sin, Besaid was a large city. Sin came and…well you know what happened."

"Yeah. Sin came and destroyed all the machina cities."

Tidus saw strange writing on a half-destroyed house.

"Ancient Zanarkand runes."

Yuna's head shot up at the name Zanarkand.

"Are you sure? Can you interpret them?"

"It says that this was a chapel, held for weddings. Summoners and their loved ones were married here. It says that a former High Summoner would perform the ceremony, and that out of the holy union of marriage, a new summoner would be born."

"Marriage?"

Yuna shuddered at the word marriage, ever since that day two years ago in Bevelle. She was taken against her will, and forced to marry Seymour Guado, a maester of Yevon. Tidus and the other guardians came to her aid, and stopped the wedding. Shortly afterwards, in the Macalania Woods, Tidus and her were in the sphere pond. They talked of Zanarkand, Blitzball, andbeach sunrises. Yuna had broken down in tears and Tidus was there to comfort her. He placed a hand on each of her shoulders and kissed her. That was when he made the promise to be with her always. A tear trickled down her cheek once more, and she turned to Tidus.

"One day, when we get married, can we have the wedding right here?"

He saw the tears in her eyes and he replayed their first kiss and wiped away her tears.

"Of course we can. In fact, I have something to ask you."

He held her hands in his and looked into her eyes.

"Yuna, if it was not for you, I would not be here with you now. I love you so much. We've been together for two years. I want to ask you a very serious question. Close your eyes."

Yuna closed her eyes as Tidus pulled a silver ring from his pocket and slid it on her left ring finger. He kissed her and smiled.

"Open your eyes and look at your left hand."

This Yuna did and when she saw the ring, her tears flowed even more.

"Yuna, will you marry me?"

"Oh Tidus! Of course I will! You've made me so happy!"

He smiled and leaned into to kiss her, but she completed the kiss, putting a hand behind his head and kissing him deeply. Tidus stood there and kissed her back, matching pace and intensity, trying to make it perfect. Yuna broke the kiss and she hugged him tight.

"I love you."

"And I love you. We should tell everyone soon."

"I know. But not tonight. Let's wait a few days, and then tell them. Wakka said he had some big news, so let's wait until then."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Hey, let's go to the Moonflow!"

Yuna nodded as he picked her up in his arms and kissed her neck softly and carried her to the beach, where she signaled for the Celsius. Brother, Shinra and Buddy were onboard.

"We're going to the Moonflow guys!"

Brother noticed the ring and talked to Yuna in a low voice.

"He asked you to marry him didn't he? I'm all for it, but let me or Rikku tell Cid."

"Of course, but I'd prefer if Rikku told him."

Brother nodded as they sped towards the Moonflow, and Tidus and Yuna went to the cabin to sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED…