(Authors Note: Wow - my first ever Chapter 2! I can't believe it! Before I go onto anything else I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU!!!!! to all those of you who have taken the time to read, alert and most of all review! As a newbie to this biz it means a lot to me!
Okay so this Chapter - I may yet edit it but for the moment I couldn't think to add anything extra that wasn't already in it (rather than just go over the same stuff again and again...) and wanted to save the next part for the next Chapter - yes people, THE NEXT CHAPTER! I finally have some sort of a story line planned out! Huzzah! Well... here it is - a bit shorter than the first Chapter. Once again, please Review - it's great to hear for you guys that are reading my ramblings! Love Doms x)
An Ending
Chapter 2
The celebrations continued all through the evening and into the night where the Villagers finally converged around the roaring fire in the centre of the clearing. But, for Yuna, it was all a blur of flickering flames. It was all she could do not to stare at him constantly, the golden flames flickering off of his sun-bleached blond hair and tanned skin. He was real! He was here with her holding her hand, pulling her close in a tight embrace, but always so very, very real!
Rikku seemed to be having fun, delighting with the fact that there was finally a party that she could stay and enjoy. Even Paine seemed to have lowered her guard slightly and was laughing with Buddy, Brother and the Aurochs as they familiarised themselves with the strangers. It was late when Yuna finally nodded to herself and made the definite move to stand. Tidus looked up at her questioningly as she moved.
"I'll be right back!" She smiled.
"Make sure you are." He smiled back as she walked toward Rikku and Paine. Tidus watched as Yuna's head bobbed around briefly before she led the way toward the Temple and they disappeared from view.
"Where'd Yuna go?" Wakka asked walking over.
"Girl talk I think…" He nodded toward the Temple.
"Heh, think I'll stay clear!" He chuckled and looked down at his friend. "I'm real glad you're back, ya? Things… well, they just weren't the same. And Yuna, well she took it hard!" He looked into the fire roaring in the centre of the camp.
"Wakka, I don't think he needs to hear that!" Lulu's voice interrupted gently. "In any case, it really doesn't matter anymore."
"Thanks Lulu." Tidus smiled at her. The usually stoic black mage gave him a warm smile and nodded.
Yuna stretched as she stepped out of the canvas hut that Lulu and Wakka called home where she had spent the night laying in the arms of the man she through she had lost forever.
"Here she is!" Wakka smiled walking toward her from the Temple, arms wide open and beaming. "We were gettin' ready to send a search part in there after you!" He chuckled.
"What do you mean?" She asked sleepily.
"Almost noon Yuna, look!" He said pointing up at the sun.
"Oh my! I guess I really needed the sleep!" Yuna said following his gesture and shielding her eyes. "Where is everyone?" She added looking around.
"Heh... if you mean where is he - he's down at the beach helpin' the Gullwings with supplies and the shipments they agreed to take with 'em."
Yuna smiled and nodded, heading off at once for the beach.
When she reached the opening to the beach Yuna could hear voices chatting happily and rounded the corner to see Tidus and Buddy lifting a large crate of local fruit up the ramp onto the Celsius, Rikku was shouting instructions to them from inside the engine room as they approached the top.
"What's going on?" Yuna asked Paine as she reached the bottom of the ramp escaping Rikku.
"The Gullwings new venture." She smiled. "We're moving into the Courier business."
By this time Rikku has spotted Yuna and had stopped barking orders at the boys to skip down the ramp toward her.
"Hey Yunie, you woke up finally!" She smiled.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was so late." Yuna apologised.
"Stop apologising!" Rikku wagged a finger at her. "Remember, Former Summoner! No more apologising for doing what you want! You obviously needed it!"
"Yes ma'am!" Yuna chuckled. "Sorry!"
"In any case, it's not all that late, we were just up early." Rikku shrugged. "I was surprised that he was up that early..." She continued looking up the ramp to Tidus. "But then he reminded me that he's done a lot of sleeping over the past two years!" She laughed. Yuna smiled and nodded.
"So what's this about the Gullwings new service?"
"Oh! Well, if you think about it, it really sells itself!" Rikku began cheerily. "Besaid for example, the traders have to ship their goods from here to Kilika, then from Kilika to Luca, then from Luca to... wherever!"
Yuna nodded in agreement as Rikku waved her arms about demonstrating.
"So we take whatever it is and transport them to wherever they need to be! It's quicker, it's easier, it's all for a reasonable price, it's the Gullwings Transport Service!" She finished with a flourish, balancing on one leg with the opposite arm raised high above her head.
"Quite!" Paine smiled in agreement.
"I see." Yuna nodded again. "You've really thought this through then."
"Well as much as Brother ever thinks things through." Paine added dryly. Rikku nodded and laughed.
"That's the last one!" Buddy sighed as he and Tidus joined the girls. Rikku took a checklist from her pocket and ticked off the last item before refolding it placing it back in her pocket with a smile.
"Alright, that's it, everything's done. We're ready for off!" She said chirpily, turning to look up at the Celsius to where Brother would be and giving him a thumbs up.
"I didn't think you'd be leaving quite so soon!" Yuna said quietly, her eyes fixed on the ground.
"We've a busy schedule. The Gullwings Transport Service has been quite a hit!" Paine explained.
"Wait... whaddya mean 'you'd be leaving'?" Tidus looked to each of the girls in turn, finishing with Yuna.
"I'm not going." She said softly. "I thought, perhaps, taking it easy might be fun for a change...?" She smiled shyly looking up at him.
"Yuna... you know I'm behind you no matter what you choose, but are you sure about this? Leaving the Gullwings after everything you told me about your adventures?"
"But I have my greatest adventure right here! Besides, I'm not really leaving, just ... on vacation." She smiled. "We all talked about it last night."
"That's where you disappeared to! Well, only if you're sure!" He warned.
"I'm sure." She smiled back.
"Ooooh I am gonna miss you sooo bad!" Rikku flapped her arms before flinging them around Yuna and hugging her.
"I'm going to miss you too, and Paine, and... all of you!" Yuna smiled sadly, blinking back tears.
"Take care Yuna." Paine smiled giving her a quick embrace. Yuna nodded.
"You take care of my Yunie, y'hear!" Rikku wagged a finger at Tidus. He smiled at her and nodded as she hugged him too.
"Take care Yuna, you'll be missed!" Buddy smiled.
Paine tapped Rikku's shoulder and turned to head up the ramp after Buddy.
"Say goodbye for me, 'kay?" Rikku sniffed nodding up the village as she held Yuna's hands.
"Me too." She smiled back as Rikku stepped back. Tidus wrapped an arm around Yuna and pulled her close as Rikku trotted up the ramp, pausing halfway to turn, tears running down her sun kissed cheeks, she waved as the Celsius whirred into life. The Cargo door began closing and the enormous Airship lifted slightly and began it's turn toward the ocean. At the top of the ramp, Rikku waved again with Paine and Buddy before the door closed and the ship lifted high up and was out of sight in seconds.
Yuna waved, tears rolling down her cheeks as the life she had come to know as normal left her behind on Besaid beach.
As they headed through the gates of Besaid village, Lulu looked up from her seat outside her home and furrowed her brow. Standing, she plucked Vidina from the ground, mid-crawl in one fluid movement and quickly headed over.
"Yuna, what is it? What's wrong?" She asked stopping before the two of them. Tidus gave a sad smile and let his arm drop from around Yuna giving her hand an encouraging squeeze before reaching out toward Vidina.
"May I? I think Yuna needs you..." He said quietly. Lulu hesitated before passing the wriggling and giggling Vidina over as he reached for Tidus. He took him talking softly to the little boy and walked away leaving Yuna alone with Lulu.
Lulu watched him walk slowly away with her son before turning back to Yuna.
"Yuna? " She asked quietly.
"They've gone!" Yuna said with a sad smile, sniffing and brushing away her tears with the back of her hand.
"Rikku?" Lulu sighed, slightly relieved.
"I... I don't know what to do!" Yuna said as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. Lulu looked at her little sister and sighed.
"I'm not surprised." She smiled taking Yuna's hands tenderly. "Yuna, for the first time in your life you get to make your own decisions."
"But with the Gullwings I..." Yuna interrupted. Lulu raised a hand and continued.
"As a Summoner you followed the pilgrimage expecting never to return! And then when you did you were confused, I could see it. You have lived your life knowing what fate had in store for you and when it dealt you a different hand you were understandably shaken. I must admit, I wasn't entirely surprised that when Rikku came with news of the sphere that Kimahri uncovered on Gagazet that you ran without a word on another mission to find him." She looked over to where Tidus sat playing in the sand with Vidina outside her home. "I know that a lot of the time I come over as bit of a martyr – but after your Father… I felt it was my duty to protect and look out for you."
"Lulu, I never thought of you like that!"
"I know!" She smiled nodding. "But it's the truth. I was... happy... when you decided to stand alone for something you believed in. He is a good influence on you." Yuna laughed shyly. "And now... well, everything really is your decision! And that's got to be a little frightening. I guess, what I'm trying to say is don't be too hard yourself. This was a hard decision for you... just make the most of the time you now have together, okay?"
"Thank you Lulu, you always did know me better than I knew myself." Yuna smiled hugging her friend and former guardian.
"That's what I'm here for!" She smiled, hugging her back. "So what are you planning to do with your new found free time?"
"I... don't know!" She shrugged with a smile. "I'd not really thought that far ahead."
"Well… I know for a fact that Vidina would love to spend some time with his Auntie Yuna…" Wakka's voice came from behind them as he returned to the village with his arms full of fire-wood.
"Hmm, in that case I might just take him up on that offer!" Yuna giggled.
"Seriously?" Wakka beamed at her. Yuna nodded. Wakka opened his arms dropping all the gathered wood and grabbed Yuna in a tight embrace. The noise echoed around the village causing everyone face to turn toward the village entrance.
"Um… Wakka, everyone's staring!" Yuna whispered. Lulu had her hand on her forehead shaking her head from side to side.
"Some things never change." She sighed with a smile.