Chapter 17- Farewell to the Tree City
Morning came to the Guado city. The birds could be heard somewhere above in the boughs of the giant tree chirping busily to each other. Meena had learned it was one of the only signs that morning had come to the semi-subterranean city. Trommel shuffled ingredients busily in the kitchen as he prepared breakfast for Yuna and her guardians. Meena walked in dressed in her normal blue and gold dress carrying a bowl of colorful and juicy fruit she had just sliced to be added to the breakfast. She grabbed a carafe of milk just in time as Trommel almost blindly knocked it over with his elbow in his hurry.
"You do not have to hurry so, Trommel, they are still asleep." She said placing a reassuring hand on his.
Trommel paused for a moment.
"Oh, I thought the hour was later, since Lord Seymour has already left." Trommel said resuming his cooking at a slower pace.
"Yes Seymour did leave quite early," Meena said holding her chin in her hand thoughtfully. "he probably needs to take care of things at the temple."
Meena took some small bowls and began to delicately spoon the sliced fruit into them, as she did so she caught a glimpse of Trommel staring at her. She looked up at his gaze.
"What?" she asked him. "Did I forget something?" she said looking back down at the dishes she was preparing.
"Hmm? No no." Trommel said snapping out of his stare and walking over to her. Trommel bent down and kissed Meena, placing his large hands around her small body. Meena smiled as he kissed her, pleased with his unexpected affection.
Meena started to feel woozy as she kissed Trommel, she started to black out and her legs fell limp. Trommel pulled away quickly as he felt Meena's body start to fall, he held her steady with his large hands.
"Meena are you alright?" he said surprised by her status.
"I-I-feel woozy…" she said with her eyes half-lidded sleepily. She watched as her consciousness threatened to fade out.
"Here sit down…I…I'm getting a healer." Trommel said with a concerned and nervous tone.
Trommel waited outside of his room anxiously as the healer examined Meena. Soon he heard the door unlatch and open. He shot up out of his chair quickly and rushed up to the brown haired Guado woman. Her eyes went wide as Trommel nearly ran over her as he charged up to her.
"How is she? Is she alright?" He asked her anxiously.
The healer looked down and smiled to herself. "She is fine, go and speak with your wife now." She urged him.
Trommel pushed into their room quickly. Meena sat on the side of the bed looking downwards holding her arm meekly. She looked up as Trommel rushed up to her, his eyes peering over her fervently looking for a problem.
"Meena, my dear, how do you feel? What was wrong?" He asked her eagerly placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Oh Trommel," she said embracing him. "Nothing's wrong, nothing at all…" she said giving a gentle smile to him.
"Nothing? But…" Trommel said giving her a confused look. "Then…" Trommel said in a lost thought trying to make sense of things. He sat down next to her on the bed and held her hands.
"Trommel…" she said gently taking his hand. She touched his hand softly and then placed it onto her stomach and held it there. Trommel gave a curious look to her and looked at his hand on her stomach.
"Wait…you…" he said starting to breathe rapidly as he realized. "Oh Meena, you are…you are with child!" he said with a grin excitedly.
Meena nodded to him quietly and looked downward again towards the floor. Trommel noticed her and smelled the faint aroma of distress.
"Meena, why are you troubled? Are you not happy to be with child?" Trommel asked her while putting an arm around her reassuringly.
"I am thrilled to be expecting, especially to be carrying your child…I just…" she said trailing off.
"You are worried how another half-Guado child would be accepted…" Trommel said realizing her fears.
Meena inhaled sharply and nodded while keeping her gaze to the floor. Her ebony hair swept off of her shoulder and hung down in front of her face.
Trommel sighed slightly while looking off, he spied their family pictures set up on the nearby table. A photo of Meena with her sister and Father, and set up next to her gilded silver frames in swirling tree branch designs were his few family pictures: A portrait of his Father and Mother sitting stoically underneath the inside branches of Guadosalam holding a tiny infant, himself only a few days old. Trommel thought about how it was when Lady Anima had given birth. Anima's pregnancy had been kept secret for the most part and when it was finally revealed that Lord Jyscal had a son that was half-Guado there was a sweeping panic and rage that went through Guadosalam.
"Meena…my dear," Trommel said raising her head up so her eyes could meet his. "You shouldn't worry about the things your sister had to deal with. Guadosalam has changed. The Guado although we are still sticklers for tradition have become vastly more accepting, and the people hold you in high regard, they love you. Have no fear for our child Meena. I would not ever let anything befall either of you." He said trying his best to instill confidence in his human wife.
Meena felt a sense of warmth as Trommel reassured her of her protection and acceptance in Guadosalam.
"Trommel, I want our child to be raised as if they are full Guado." She said looking at him with big blue eyes.
The wrinkles at the corners of Trommel's eyes became more pronounced as he gave her a warm smile, his eyes twinkling slightly in the low light. He patted her hand in his comfortingly.
"Of course. Might I add I find it very admirable that you have sought to learn and observe so many Guado traditions, some more zealously than even a Guado woman."
Meena smiled slightly and bowed her head humbly with Trommel's praise.
"I really find the traditions fascinating myself." She said bashfully.
"I wonder how Seymour will take this news? He will now not be alone as Spira's only half-Guado." She said holding her hands together contemplatively.
"Hmm, yes that is true." Trommel said scratching his beard slightly with the thought. "I'm sure in any case Lord Seymour will be pleased to welcome a new addition to his family, especially after such…losses. Although right now he should be quite occupied with his wedding close on the horizon, we should probably wait to tell him the news until after the wedding."
"Oh Trommel, I so wish we could be there to see him wed with our own eyes." Meena said sadly.
"My dear, I wish the same, but someone must stay behind to tend to affairs in Lord Seymour's place. Ah, but at least we will be able to watch his wedding from here on the sphere." He said looking to her. "You must be proud, to see him getting married."
"Yes…so proud." She said with tears forming in her eyes.
Trommel and Meena embraced, happy with their knowledge of what was to come. With breakfast served to Yuna's hungry guardians Trommel and Meena prepared them for their journey ahead. Meena handed a large basket to them containing lots of provisions and some of the most potent Guado potions that were available. Meena took one last look at Yuna and hugged her warmly.
"Do not fear, Seymour will take good care of you." She whispered to her softly while giving her a small smile. Yuna flushed slightly with the mention of Seymour and gave a meek nod of her head to Seymour's boding Aunt.
Lady Yuna and her Guardians left the gracious halls of Guadosalam to go to Macalania Temple. Trommel, Meena, and the rest of the Guado gave them all warm wishes and luck for the road ahead as they pressed onwards with the pilgrimage. Auron of course led the way as he hurried them along, eager to leave Guadosalam and any and all delays to the pilgrimage behind.
Yuna looked to Tidus, who strode beside her and looked deep in thought.
"Tidus?" she said looking over to him thoughtfully.
"Hmm? Yea?" Tidus said snapping out of his thinking and looking back to her as they walked.
"Are you doing alright?" she asked him, concerned about his reaction to the truth of the final summoning.
"Oh uh, yea, I'm fine." He said scratching the back of his head with his hand uncomfortably. "Are you okay?" he asked her back.
"I'm fine, although I'm a little concerned about Sir Auron, he didn't eat anything this morning, he was so eager to leave." She said looking ahead to the red robed man whose quick stride threatened to leave the rest of them behind.
"Oh, well don't worry about him…I think he just didn't like it there." Tidus said while contemplating what Seymour had said to Auron, about the scent of the farplane being on him…yet Auron was nowhere near the farplane the whole time they were there. He wondered and then thought again to himself, he had never seen Auron eat anything, could it be? Could Auron be…dead? Tidus' mind raced with that thought, but even if it was true he really had nothing to prove it and he decided to be quiet about it. Tidus stared again at Auron ahead of them, holding his large sword over his shoulder with one arm as he walked.
It was a long way to Macalania temple, and the party had to pass through the Thunderplains in order to get to the sparkling ice temple to Rikku's despair.
"Isn't there any other way to get to Macalania Temple?" Rikku asked desperately as they descended onto the dark plains.
"There is no other way." Lulu said as a bolt crashed downwards from the blackened sky. Rikku slumped downwards towards the ground and laughed nervously.
"heh heh heh…" the weak laugh came from her as she shivered with fear.
"You will be left if you continue like that." Auron harshly scolded her in his cold tone.
Another lightning bolt ripped through the sky with a bright flash. Rikku shrieked and held tightly onto Tidus. Yuna shuddered to herself quietly and continued following the rest of the party as they pressed onward through the never-ending storm looking forward to the temple at Macalania but also wondering what awaited her.
Authors note: Onwards to Macalania and Bevelle! From there it will be forward to Zanarkand, a place Seymour has already visited twice in his life…