CHAPTER 2:
VISIONS
Everything had happened so fast; the words were spilled in the dream leaving ripples of doubts. Yet, there they were, in a strange town full of foreign people who looked at them with skeptical eyes.
Or could it be they were the actual strangers?
She breathed deeply…
….
"Hey! Yuna!" the one accompanying her told her "Don't mind these people, let's keep going! Someone may be able to tell us where we are!"
Yuna agreed and walked along with him. She couldn't help being quite a bit concerned about their sudden awakening on that foreign land; however, the fact that Tidus, her guardian, was with her, eased her worries a little.
"So! Let's explore!" Tidus insisted "No help in worrying too much! After all, this could be just a dream!"
She considered Tidus's proposition could be actually true. The last she could remember of her time in Spira was of them both going to sleep. After that, she recalled having a very mysterious dream where a man cladded in shining armor was speaking to her; telling her to aid him on some type of mission, and right after, she woke up in that foreign city only in company of her dear friend, fortunately, she thought.
They kept walking. Just some minutes ago, they had left the inn behind and a couple of items' shops in order to search for directions or someone who could help them find a way back to Spira; however, so far, they had only encountered dodging sights, and people speaking on a strange dialect which was nowhere close to Al Bhed's vocabulary so that option was discarded. The city was huge, mechanized, divided by a long river. It expanded, however, not to the sides of it but upwards, towards the very sky, in a circular fashion, rounding the castle in the right center. Everything, from the elevators to the doors, were operated by machina. The summoner was rather interested on those things; she had always thought they had already disappeared from Earth about a couple of thousands of years. Tidus, however, could tell her that the technology on that land was nowhere close to that of his Zanarkand and was, more preferably said, rustic and old-fashioned.
Both of them walked until the sunset came down and even though they had spent many hours going around the place, they had not yet traversed it all. Nevertheless, they were too tired to keep going and decided to sit down near a fountain, and relax for a moment. The sky was crowded with dark clouds, as if soon the rain would fall down. People had already headed back to their homes, in that silent walk that was so theirs. Tidus yawned and stretched; even though they were lost, he didn't lose his charisma and tried to cheer Yuna up. Even though he was very worried himself and could not stop his mind from asking many questions regarding their current situation. He was already stranded from his Zanarkand to Spira, and now he was also taken out from Spira?! What kind of madness could be going on?!
The summoner was still anxious; she hoped she could relax but she was not the one to leave things to happen by chance; she preferred to have everything under control. She was trapped inside her mind: her thoughts traveling to her hometown; to her comrades; she wondered where they could be; she hoped they would be safe…maybe they had been called upon that world as well. She was so focused on her worries, she did not notice when Tidus stood up and went walking right to an edge. He had crouched there.
"Yuna! Look at this!" he exclaimed and that snapped her out her mind.
She stood up alarmed and hurried to him, just to find him with a long smile on his face, looking down the edge. As she saw, she noticed what was making him so eager: a yellow-feathered chocobo.
"There are chocobos in this land as well!" he exclaimed
Yuna giggled. It was so funny they were in such a hitch and yet Tidus was so easily distracted by a chocobo.
"Hey! Chocobo friend!" he spoke to it "ya' looking for something?!"
"Oh! Yeah!" he heard a response
Both Yuna and him jumped out of wonder. Had the huge bird spoken?! It was so sudden they could not speculate anything further. However, before they could say something else, a figure arose from behind the chocobo. It was a young and tall man, dressed in a very peculiar fashion. His garments were light and loose; his hair was short and brown; he was wearing many golden décor and lots of jewelry, and a short cape swung from his shoulder to his knees.
"Hahahaha! So it was you who talked and not the chocobo! Ya' scared me, dude!" Tidus exclaimed
"Yes...it was me" the man said
"But you talk just like us! That's great!"
"Oh! Yeah! People around here don't speak at all"
"Are ya' a chocobo knight?" Tidus asked him
"Chocobo...knight?" the young man questioned
"Ya' haven't heard of them? Well, then ya're not one" Tidus said "So! Were you looking for something?"
"Oh! Yes...um... I was just looking for a place to eat... I tried to ask some people but they avoided me, it seems they were afraid of Boko"
"Boko? Is that the name of your chocobo?"
"Um... yes"
"Cool!" Tidus said "well, I don't know this place that much but I'm kinda hungry myself too! So, let's go find one!"
"Alright!" the man said cheerfully
"Let's go, Yuna!" Tidus told her
"Oh! Ok!" she simply said and she realized they had forgotten something important "excuse me" she said to the man "we haven't introduced ourselves… my name is Yuna and my friend is Tidus, what's your name?"
"Oh! I'm Bartz!" the man said "and my friend is Boko!"
"Nice to meet you, Bartz and Boko" she said
"Hehe! Same here!" the man said
Yuna and Tidus descended from their position and went to where Bartz and Boko were. Together, they ventured once again in the city, searching for an inn or pub. On the meantime, Tidus tried to start a conversation with Bartz; however, the young man was completely distracted by the city and its gimmicks. He was especially interested in the castle at the center; she would stare at it for minutes without blinking, frowning from time to time. The blitzball player could not stop himself from asking him if something was wrong; Bartz only shook his head from one side to the other.
"It is strange, but this place seems quite familiar to me…" he said
"But you are not from here, aren't you?!" Tidus asked him
"No… and it is also quite different…let's say, quite a bit livelier?"
"Livelier? How?!"
Bartz didn't answer anymore and continued to stare at the castle, focusing on the cannons standing out on its towers. He thought it looked exactly like those ruins he had once visited at his world; that big structure hiding a precious treasure on its heart; in a lost city plagued of ghosts. Before noticing, he had already pictured himself at those ruins, he had seen his friends once again, but before he could reach them, he felt a hand on right shoulder and he woke up from his dream. He found out it had been Tidus the one touching him, asking him once again if he was fine. Bartz agreed.
"Well" Tidus told him "we found a pub! We can go in and maybe we can get something to eat! I'm really hungry!"
The man of the chocobo agreed and without thinking much, he went right into the pub, taking his chocobo along with him. Of course, that caused an uproar inside which forced him to go out in a hurry. He had completely forgotten people were scared of his feathered friend. Tidus joked about it. It was indeed, pretty stupid to bring a chocobo inside a place like that one; however, right after laughing out loud, he gave the idea another thought: Maybe it was common in Bartz's land to take chocobos inside houses.
Because Bartz was no longer admitted in the pub, Tidus went in and bought some food for the four; right after, they headed near the riverside where they rested under a couple of street lights and eat what they had just bought. They had to eat pretty fast so they didn't have much time to speak with each other, it was already dark and they feared the unexpected. Bartz insisted Yuna and Tidus could have gone to eat at the pub, and he and Boko would have remained outside; however, both Yuna and Tidus insisted on making him company.
"Where will you be spending the night?" Yuna asked Bartz
"I guess Boko and I will head out of the city and stay at the forest" Bartz said
"Isn't it scary for you?" Yuna asked him
"No! It's fine! I'm used to staying at forests!"
"Wow! Do ya' live in some forest?" Tidus questioned
"I am a wanderer" Bartz told him "My chocobo and I go wherever the wind takes us"
"That sounds pretty cool" Tidus told him "but scary too if ya' ask me!"
"You must be very brave, Bartz" Yuna told him
"No! I don't think so…actually…" he was about to say something when he changed his mind "no! Never mind!"
"And you are traveling all by yourself…" Yuna told him
"Don't worry! I have Boko with me!" he said "and just lately I've found some friends to go along with… I still have to find them, though"
"Same goes for us!" Tidus said
"Well, guess it's late" Bartz told them "you should head for the inn"
"So, you are not coming with us…" Yuna said
"I can't leave Boko behind!" he exclaimed
"Hey! But let's meet up tomorrow morning!" Tidus told him "we can travel together until you find your friends and we find ours!"
"Sounds fine to me" Bartz said
"Then we are set!" Tidus exclaimed
They all agreed and right after, they separated. The wanderer jumped on his chocobo's back and headed outside of the city. Tidus and Yuna directed to the nearest inn where they rented a room, and prepared to stay the night there. Once they had finished with their preparations, they heard the sound of a thunder. Rain was coming. Of course, the summoner felt bad for the wanderer.
"I wonder if he'll be alright" she said
"He'll be!" Tidus said "he said he was used at living in forests!"
"Let's hope he is…"
"Hey! Wait! We forgot to ask him about the prophecy!" Tidus exclaimed "maybe he knew something about it!"
"You are right!" Yuna surprised
"Tsk! We missed our chance! It'll have to wait for tomorrow!"
Yuna was already sat down on one of the beds. As they were talking, Tidus walked to her bed and sat down next to her. They remained silent for a while, and before they knew, their eyes had found each other. Tidus, however, felt quite embarrassed after a while and lowered his head.
"Yuna..." he said "I'm glad we are in this together..."
"Ah!...me too" Yuna said and lowered her head too
"If we stay together like this, things'll be real easy, dontcha think?"
"You...you are right!" Yuna said and smiled
"Well... let's sleep..."
"Um...sure..."
They looked at each other once again and couldn't help but smile to each other and giggle. The ambient in the inn was hushed, it helped them both relax. They remained a long time just gazing upon each other, breathing slowly and silently kissing with their sights only. They had known it since the first day but even after all the time they had spent together, they had been too shy to openly reveal their feelings…Maybe that was the right moment to do so? Both thought about talking but then their lips were sealed by shame and again silence rose victorious. Yuna, then, closed her eyes and rested her head on Tidus's chest. He placed his hand on her head, they still didn't meddle word.
"(If only we could stay this way forever)" Yuna thought "(that would mean the whole world to me…)"
However, suddenly, Tidus felt a sudden pain inside his heart, a cold and freezing pain. He stood up slowly, Yuna moved and noticed her friend was trembling. She asked him about what was happening, he could not explain. He felt an urge to get outside so he told her; Yuna decided to go along with him. They both exited the inn, Tidus walked fast; there was an agitation in his steps that was not usual of his calm demeanor. Yuna kept asking him about what he felt; he didn't say a thing as his head was too confused to put it in phrases.
As they reached a road, Tidus raised his head and for a moment, his sight turned blurred and in the distance, he thought he saw a familiar figure…
"Ah…? D…Dad?! What is he doing here?!" he exclaimed and ran to encounter himself with the figure
"Tidus!" Yuna screamed
Tidus didn't listen. There was the image of his father on the shore, the place where he was last seen before disappearing. Why was he there? Why was he running to reach him? What was that he felt? A void in his heart? Suddenly, he saw an enormous wave rising; freezing on the heights for a moment… he recalled the water monster and so, he stopped moving. That monster was the one who before took him away from Zanarkand leading him to Spira. He thought for a moment, maybe they were still at Spira? Maybe Sin was there too?
"Tidus!" she screamed once again and whistled as strong as she could.
Tidus listened to Yuna's whistle and closed his eyes with strength and then reopened them. He noticed he was standing on the bridge's banister and right ahead was a great fall leading to the river. Had it all been just an illusion. He turned his head and looked at Yuna whose face was still troubled. He breathed and as he was about to descend from the banister, a huge wave arose right behind him. It all happened so quick, Yuna ran as fast as she could and tried to hold on to Tidus's hand but it was already too late. He had fallen all the way down and right into the river that flowed on the surroundings of the city.
"Tidus!" she screamed again. And whistled once, twice, three times... yet, this time... it didn't work...
"How did this happen?" she thought and felt on her knees "it had been so sudden… what could have been on Tidus's mind on that moment… Oh! It had been such a beautiful evening...to end up like that…"
Another thunder was heard on the sky and the heavy rain that followed drenched Yuna completely. She remained with her head lowered for a moment; still trying to cope up with everything that had so suddenly happened. She could not understand why Tidus had so suddenly gone running like that and, even worst of it, claiming to have seen his father, sir Jecht who she knew very well. She clenched her fists and slowly stood up, yet her eyes looking down.
"No... I can't stay here" she thought "I can't stay here like this! I'll find you, Tidus!" she exclaimed and started running, following the direction of the water stream.