Tidus awoke to sunlight spilling across his bed and soft voices murmuring from across the room.
"The belts, Terra. I think he's going to want them back."
"Oh! Sorry, Celes, I'd forgotten about them."
Tidus propped himself up on one elbow to see what they were talking about. Terra was removing two red leather belts, which had blended in with the assortment of sashes and decorative beads she wore, from around her waist. Tidus recognized the belts as belonging to Squall; Terra must have collected them back in the cave.
Tidus climbed out of bed and moved toward the table where Celes and Locke were seated as Terra looped the belts around the post at the foot of Squall's bed.
Celes looked expectantly at Locke.
"What?" Locke asked.
"You know what." Celes tapped the tabletop.
With a sigh, Locke reached into his jacket and then set a deck of cards on the table. They looked like the cards Squall had provided for entertainment in the empty world. Locke must have found Squall's deck during the confusion of his rescue.
Celes continued to stare at Locke.
With another sigh, Locke set another deck on the table. "Here you go. Happy?"
"Hey." Tidus felt in his pocket for the deck of cards he'd been using. It was nowhere to be found. "Did you…?" Tidus lifted the second deck off the table and inspected it. It was his deck. Locke must have taken it right out of his pocket without him even noticing.
"Locke!" Celes frowned deeply and crossed her arms.
"Alright, alright." Locke placed a final item on the table, a small silver ring. "I don't even know why he'd want it back. It's a totally useless relic. It does nothing."
Tidus turned toward Locke, with what was a sudden but pretty obvious realization. "You're a thief."
Locke leapt toward Tidus and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "I am not a thief! I'm a treasure hunter!"
It would have been a lot more intimidating if Locke wasn't five inches shorter and many pounds lighter than Tidus. Still, Locke's eyes burned with an intensity that concerned Tidus. "Whoa, man, take it easy."
"Get it right," Locke demanded.
"Okay, you're a treasure hunter."
"That's better." Locke released Tidus and took a step back, though he continued to stare hard at him.
Tidus hadn't meant to insult Locke. His good friend Rikku was a thief and he'd long admired her quick hands. Certainly being able to lift items off of fiends didn't make you a criminal. He opened his mouth to explain this to Locke, but Celes cut him off, inserting herself between Tidus and Locke.
"Here." Celes pressed the silver ring into Tidus's palm. "Make sure your friend gets this back."
Tidus nodded and looked down at the ring. He hadn't notice Squall wearing it, and the narrow band didn't really seem like his style. But surely Locke wouldn't be returning something he hadn't taken in the first place. Tidus would have to ask Squall about it when he woke up.
"I'm glad you're all here." Quistis set her tray down and sat at the table where Zell, Rinoa, and Yuna were currently eating breakfast. "The Headmaster said there's a contract he'd like to get closed out." She dropped a piece of paper in the center of the table.
Rinoa picked up the paper. "This is my contract."
Quistis nodded. "The contract specifies that there will be no substitution of SeeD members. But the Headmaster decided to make an exception. I'll be subbing in for Squall and Selphie. Zell, since you've been on the mission longer, you're now the squad leader."
"Oh, yeah! Squad leader, baby!" Zell jumped up from his seat and did a backflip.
"No," Rinoa said. "I don't want to do this now. I want to wait for Squall."
"I'm afraid that's not an option. We can't have this contract open forever. We move now or you release us from the contract permanently."
"It won't be forever. Just a little while longer."
Quistis sighed. "Is it really fair to make the people of Timber wait? What about the other members of your group?"
Rinoa twisted her lip. "I guess not."
"Excellent." That had actually gone a lot smoother than Quistis expected. There was just one more detail to take care of. She looked at Yuna. She didn't want to drag the young Summoner halfway around the world. But she also didn't particularly want to leave her behind in Garden where she didn't know anyone. "Yuna, will you be okay here alone?"
"Actually, Ellone has invited me to go to Winhill with her and Laguna. I thought I would go, if it's not a problem."
"No, that's not a problem. That's perfect, actually."
How peculiar. For once things seemed to be falling into place. Quistis knew she better not get used to it.
Tidus still hadn't figured out exactly what it was his hosts did for a living. Apparently they were "treasure hunters," but Tidus didn't know quite what that meant. Locke and Celes would periodically disappear for hours at a time, but usually not together. Terra almost always stayed at the base. Tidus wasn't sure if that was for her safety or so she could keep an eye on himself and Squall.
Squall had slept a lot the first few days, but now seemed close to normal. He didn't speak much to Tidus, but he wasn't sure if that was because he didn't speak much in general or because he was mad at Tidus. Squall definitely wasn't pleased when Tidus had explained that he didn't actually know what happened to Rinoa, and his earlier assurances that she was safe were really just guessing.
At the moment, Tidus sat cross-legged on one of the beds and Terra, Locke, and Celes were at the table looking over some papers.
Squall was sitting with his back to the wall, staring at the floor and twisting the silver ring around his little finger. When Tidus had returned the ring to Squall, he had simply nodded vaguely and slipped the ring onto his finger. He hadn't seemed angry that it had been taken nor particularly relieved to get it back. Yet Tidus had noticed that twisting the ring had become a near constant habit of Squall's—which was strange, because Tidus hadn't even noticed that he wore a ring before his injury.
Terra left the table and approached Tidus, interrupting his musings.
"Hi," Tidus said. Terra sat down on the bed in front of him.
Terra was a bit odd. She didn't have much understanding of personal space and she had informed him quite out of the blue shortly after they'd arrived that she was "half-Esper." He didn't know what that meant, other than that Espers seemed to be this world's equivalent of aeons. He supposed it was meant as an explanation of how she'd been able to heal Squall back in the cave.
"Have you ever been in love?" she asked.
"Um." That seemed like a strangely personal question, one Tidus wasn't sure he wanted to answer in front of everyone.
"Don't worry," Celes called from across the room. "She asks that question to everyone."
"Almost everyone," Locke corrected.
Terra was looking at him expectantly, so Tidus figured he ought to give some sort of response. He considered brushing off the question, but ultimately decided to just go with a straight answer.
"Yes, I have been in love. In fact, I am in love."
"With who?" Terra looked over at Squall.
"Her name's Yuna," Tidus answered quickly.
"What's it like, to be in love?"
"It's…" It's really hard to describe. "It's nice, you know, to be that close to someone. To share in their joy. To be happy, just to be near them." That was really lame. But how do you describe the feeling of love?
"It sounds wonderful, to be in love. I've always wanted that feeling. But I don't think I'll ever find it. I'm half-Esper, how can I ever fall in love with a human?'
"Don't despair," Locke said, "If the mermaid can find love among humans, I'm sure you can too."
Locke had called Tidus a mermaid ever since he hadn't needed an underwater breather when they'd swam to the cave and back. Locke had asked Tidus how long he could hold his breath underwater. When Tidus had answered that his record during a blitzball game was seven and a half minutes, Locke had shook his head and declared that Tidus couldn't be human. Tidus tried to explain that it was just a matter of training, anyone could do it, but Locke hadn't believed him, insisting that he was either a mermaid or he was hiding relics.
Tidus continued, trying to come up with a less-lame answer to the original question. "Sometimes it hurts. They don't tell you that. How painful it can be when you're in love. You share in the other person's joy, but you share in their pain too. Sometimes it hurts you more than it hurts them when they're injured. You worry about them. You want to take care of them, to protect them, but sometimes you can't. And when you're apart, it's like you're not whole. Without them, you'll never be whole again."
Terra blinked, and tugged at the hem of her dress. "I didn't know that. I thought love was always a good thing."
"It is! Er, not that pain is good, it's just…I mean…" Tidus didn't know what he meant. He just really missed Yuna.
"He means it's worth it. The pain is worth it." Squall spoke quietly from his spot on the floor, not looking up.
Terra seemed to consider that for a moment, then nodded. "I still want to know what it's like. I still want to fall in love." She moved toward Squall. "What about you? Have you ever been in love?"
Squall stopped twisting his ring and looked up at Terra. "Have you ever asked Locke that question?"
"No, I've never asked him. Edgar told me not to. He said it would make Locke sad."
"It's okay." Locke stood up from the table and approached Terra. "You can ask me."
"Okay," she said. Locke sat down on an empty bed and motioned for Terra to sit beside him. "Have you ever been in love, Locke?"
"Yes. When I was a teenager, I met a girl. She had long black hair and deep indigo eyes. We fell in love almost immediately. Her parents never liked me. But that was okay, we had each other and we didn't need their approval.
"One day, I decided I was going to make her an engagement ring. We went into the mines, to find the perfect stone. There was an accident. A loose rock fell, nearly killed me. But she saved me, she pushed me out of the way. It struck her instead. Hit her head. She was unconscious and I carried her home. Her parents were furious. She was comatose for a week and I never left her side. Finally, she woke up. I was so happy. She was healthy, almost back to normal. But she'd lost her memories. She didn't know who I was. All she knew was that her parents didn't like me and I was causing turmoil in her house. She asked me to leave and so I did. I returned every week, to see if she remembered me. She never did.
"One time I had to be gone for a long time, several months, before I could see her. When I finally did return I found out she'd met someone else. She'd married him. She was happy. And so I was happy. Or at least, I tried to be. I said my final goodbye, and I left."
Locke told the story very matter-of-factly, though he'd taken off his bandana and wrung it in his hands as he spoke.
"She never remembered you?" Terra asked.
Locke shook his head. "But it's okay. She found someone new to love. And someday maybe I will too."
Terra held onto a piece of the bandana Locke still gripped in both hands. "But what if you don't?"
Locke shrugged. "I guess then I'll just have to find solace in my friends."
Terra moved closer to Locke. She lifted his arm, and tucked herself underneath it, snuggled against his side. He smiled in a way that Tidus knew Locke wasn't still looking for someone new to love. He'd already found his second chance.
Winhill was a small, pastoral town, quite isolated from the rest of the world. It had taken a few hours to get there from Balamb Garden in Laguna's airship. Yuna, Ellone, and Laguna were now in a timeworn house on the edge of town.
"Please, Ellone. I would feel much better if you were armed." Laguna held a gunbelt with two pistols in his hands. He'd been trying for the last few minutes to convince Ellone to accept the weapons. He was going to be hung up on a call starting soon and Ellone had insisted she would gather flowers while she waited for him. But the flower garden was across town and there were monsters in the town. Yuna had been silently standing by.
Ellone shook her head and pushed the weapons away. "I've gotten around this town without guns for years. Besides, I'll have Yuna with me. She's a healer."
Yuna pursed her lips and continued to stare at the ground, very much wanting to avoid intruding on private matters. She felt especially bad that Ellone was using her as a defense, because if she were to weigh in on things, Yuna tended to side with Laguna. Since she was no longer a Summoner surrounded by Guardians, Yuna had begun to feel vulnerable. She admired the fighting skills of the SeeDs and of Rinoa. She hadn't needed those skills as a Summoner and she had never given much thought to developing them. But now she desired to be better able to fend for herself. In fact, she'd wondered if she might have the opportunity to practice fighting skills while she was at Balamb Garden. She hadn't so far, but she would jump at the chance if it came up.
"I'd prefer you didn't need to be healed." Distress was clearly evident in Laguna's voice. Ellone must have heard it too, because she reluctantly accepted the gunbelt and fastened it around her waist.
"Let's go." Ellone turned and walked toward the doorway, grabbing Yuna by the hand as she passed. Yuna bowed her head to Laguna as best she could while being pulled along by Ellone.
"Be careful." Laguna scratched the back of his head as he watched them leave.
Ellone and Yuna left the house, Ellone closing the door securely behind them. "Sorry about that. He's always been protective, but with Squall missing he's gone into overdrive."
Yuna nodded. She understood Laguna's protective instincts, but she wasn't quite sure what that had to do with Squall. "Was he especially close to Squall?"
Ellone shook her head. "No. That's the problem." She hesitated.
Yuna's curiosity was piqued, but she didn't want to pressure Ellone to tell more than she was comfortable with.
"It's my fault." Ellone stopped and set her hand on Yuna's sleeve. "I don't want you to think badly of Uncle Laguna. He didn't know."
"I don't think badly of Sir Laguna. He seems like a very nice man."
"He is! He never would have left. Not if he'd known." Ellone turned and began walking quickly away. "He left for me."
Confused, Yuna followed Ellone. They continued in silence across the town square, then over a small bridge, and down a gently sloping hill. At the bottom of the hill was a flower garden, dense with blooms. Ellone opened a gate in the fence surrounding the garden.
"White flowers. Her favorite were white flowers."
Yuna nodded, though she wasn't sure whom "her" referred to. She was tempted to ask, but she didn't. Ellone would tell her, when she was ready.
Ellone moved to a cluster of white flowers. She removed the gunbelt and set it on the ground, then knelt beside the flowers. Yuna sat on the ground nearby, being careful not to crush any flowers as she did so.
Ellone didn't speak as she carefully examined each flower and picked the ones that met her approval. Yuna closed her eyes, soaking in the sunlight, the silence, and the subtle aroma of the flowers.
The silence didn't last. It started as a faint buzzing, but the sound intensified quickly. Yuna opened her eyes and searched for the source of the sound. It didn't take long to find it. Hovering in the air a few feet away was a large blue insect, roughly the size of her torso. It had an enormous elongated mouth and its teeth clacked together as it swayed in the air.
Yuna glanced over at Ellone. She had spotted the monster and sat very still. Perhaps it would leave them alone if they remained motionless. Yuna didn't move, but eyed the gunbelt resting on the ground between her and Ellone.
The clacking stopped and the creature rose into the air. Yuna tensed her muscles. The creature dove towards her and Yuna sprang forward. She somersaulted over the gunbelt, then twisted to face the monster, one of the pistols in her hands. The monster was moving toward Ellone, who held up an arm to shield her face.
Yuna fired a shot. It missed, but the creature turned away from Ellone and swopped toward Yuna. She fired three more shots. At least one of them must have hit the creature because it fell to the ground, lifeless.
Yuna's hands trembled as she turned toward Ellone. She'd never fired a gun before. She'd never needed to.
"Are you okay?" she asked Ellone.
"Yes. Are you?"
Yuna nodded.
"You didn't tell me you knew how to use those guns."
"I didn't know I did." Yuna stared at the pistol she still held.
"Elle! Elle! Are you okay?!" Laguna sprinted toward the flower garden, machine gun drawn and waving wildly in front of him. He leapt the fence and rushed to Ellone.
"I'm fine," Ellone said as Laguna wrapped his arms around her.
"I heard shots!" Laguna panted.
"It's okay. There was a little monster but Yuna took care of it," Ellone explained.
Laguna regarded Yuna. "Thank you!"
Yuna bowed her head to Laguna. Then she realized she was still holding the pistol, and moved to return it to its holster.
Laguna walked over to the dead monster and nudged it with his boot. "Got it right in the center of the abdomen. That's a tough shot to make. Bite Bugs are small and fast." Laguna nodded to Yuna with approval. "I wouldn't have been so worried if you'd told me what a good shot you were."
"Oh, I'm not," Yuna replied, quickly holstering the pistol and handing the gunbelt to Ellone. "Just lucky."
"No way," Ellone said, refusing to accept the gunbelt. "Those guns are yours."
"I couldn't…" Yuna glanced shyly at Laguna, feeling guilty that she had taken custody of his gift to Ellone.
"By all means, keep 'em!" Laguna smiled broadly. "I'll just have to find a better weapon for Ellone. In the meantime, she'll have another travel companion that can take down monsters."
"Thank you." Hesitantly, Yuna buckled the gunbelt around her waist. It was a strange feeling, to go from being protected to the protector.