Proverbial Revitalization

Written by Whimsical Symphony

Hello again. I've managed to write chapter two of this which contains much interaction between Tidus and Yuna. Hope you enjoy; any thoughts on the chapter are definitely appreciated as well as any constructive criticism.

Chapter 2 – Walk of Dreams

Yuna looked at the gloved hand offered to her for a moment, slightly hesitant. Shaking her head at her own silliness, she clasped his hand in her own, and with a burst of strength from the boy, she was back on her feet. Flushing shyly, averting her eyes, she took solace from all the eyes, the stares, the unnerving gazes, by looking at her boots and the pavement underneath them. Distractedly, she brushed off the dust from her skirt which came from her clumsy fall. Yuna cautiously examined the boy once more, the boy with the summery voice and the most pleasant warm hands, that heat which radiated through his gloves. She would place her hope in him for now, that he would know where the stadium was. He was a blitzball player, so he should know. And, he was a Zanarkand native. Their very lives depended upon wandering the night streets which were lit up brightly, and then watching a game, cheering with all of their companions. He would know.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, bowing with her hands clasped. It was how she had always been taught to apologize back in Bevelle. Her father, and Belgemine, had always said that when an individual apologizes, they must ensure that the other party realizes how genuine it is, and recognize the heartfelt meaning behind it. But, the two had promptly told her to forget that life lesson, as Yuna had made a habit of apologizing so sincerely to everything. Her father commented that he was the same. Belgemine had chastised the two, as apologizing so much was unbecoming, but she smiled warmly regardless. "I should have watched where I was going. I thank you very much for your assistance."

"Whoa, bowing? No one does that here! You have to loosen up," the boy said, grinning. He looked at her once more. "Nope, definitely not from around here."

"I'm from Bevelle," Yuna answered his implied question. She couldn't help but look a little solemn after she explained a little. "You see, I've gotten separated from my father. I was attempting to try to meet them where we were originally planning to be."

"Bevelle, huh? So, that's why you're so conservative," Tidus mused. But, he heard her plight then, and saw the glum mood settle upon her, any trace of happiness disperse as quickly as birds did when humans stepped near. He turned to the rest of his fans then and waved them all goodbye.

"Seems like her plan worked, didn't it?"

"She just stole his attention away!"

Yuna couldn't fathom what was happening, but all the mutters resembled those in some way. Negative views toward her, they certainly were. The young man in front of her chuckled, and then grabbed her hand before dashing away. Yuna struggled to keep up with him as her surroundings flashed by her in bursts of colour. His grin was contagious, she had soon learned.

They had ceased running then, from the crowd of fans which had chased the young man. They stopped in a busy street full of lights and people walking carelessly and swaying to the beat brought by music played in nearby stores.

Yuna panted then, struggling to catch her breath. "Who were those people?"

"Fans," he said bluntly. He looked proud then, almost boastful, yet in a charming, boyishly teasing manner. "You're looking at the star player of the Zanarkand Abes, you know. My name's Tidus."

"Star player?" Yuna asked. She smiled then. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've always wanted to watch Blitzball, but in Bevelle, it has never been possible." She paused then, "Tidus, thank you for your help," she said, testing his name out on her tongue.

His hand tightened around hers. "You'll watch a game of mine, won't you?" He paused for a moment, releasing her hand from his grip. He liked the way his name sounded coming from her. "You know, I should help you find your old man, shouldn't I? It would be bad leaving a pretty girl to wander around Zanarkand all by herself. You have any idea where they said they would meet up?"

"Ah, yes. They were meeting up at the Blitzball Stadium," Yuna told him, flushing due to his straightforward nature.

The young man now known as Tidus grinned. "Well, what do you know; I'm heading there as well. It's this way!"

So they walked side by side, he always waiting for her to catch up, never once letting her out of his sight. Yuna smiled secretly to herself, feeling it form because of his own warm smile, his own warm hands. He seemed to know everyone on the streets, she noticed, the children idolized him, the women, elderly folk, he was nice to all of them, giving them a large grin and a wave as he continued to walk by her, leading her to the Blitzball Stadium. His walk was slow, casual, not a rush at all, and Yuna was glad at least she could look at all the sights beside a Zanarkand native, to see the world how he saw it.

"You see that over there?" Tidus pointed over to a coffee shop, comfortable, cozy. People drank coffee and ate desserts outside as well, under parasols. The sign's letters were metal and said the word Machina. "My friends and I always hang out over there. Rikku, one of my friends, runs that place with her brother and her uncle, Cid. It's pretty well known around this place, so if you ever want to drink some coffee around here, I suggest you try it out." He smiled then, softly. "I always head there after games, more so when I lose, which isn't often just to let you know." He stretched his arms then and then averted his eyes. "But when I do, it's always been a good place to cheer up. A really homey feel, you know?"

Yuna could see what he meant by homey feel then. All the couples conversed as if they were at home, on the couch, curled up together with a nice cup of hot chocolate and a newspaper lying over their laps. They all chatted amongst themselves, even people who didn't know each other. It was all very informal, and looking at the young man in front of her, she could see that he wasn't into the formal places. Yuna smiled at him. "I see." He looked at her, puzzled. "The homey feel: I see it now, without any problems. I will make sure to eat here with my father."

He flushed slightly, averting his eyes again. "Well, just giving you a tour, since it's your first time in Zanarkand and all."

"Thank you." Yuna chuckled, and the young man looked more embarrassed than before, but then, they both laughed then, together.

"Tidus!" a voice called. They both looked around for the source of it, and then they found that it came from a blonde haired girl in a bright orange vest and shorts. Her grin was wide and lit up her entire face. She panted, out of breath after she had run to them and then stopped. "Tidus, you should have come inside for a drink! You're going to pass our store without any of our drinks at all?"

"Sorry Rikku, it's just that we're in a bit of a rush," Tidus told her, laughing after she punched him playfully. He turned to Yuna and then gestured to Rikku. "This is one of my good friends, Rikku. I think you'll like her, that is, if she doesn't scare you off."

"You meanie, Tidus!" Rikku punched him again and then pouted. Tidus rubbed the sore spot on his arm with caution, feeling the soon to be bruise. Yuna chuckled as she watched the two interact. Rikku looked at Yuna then, observed her, before coming to a decision. She grinned. "Tidus, your taste has definitely improved! So, how's Tidus been treating you, huh?"

Yuna looked at her, confused. "Tidus has been treating me well."

"Rikku, stop that! I'm not dating her, she's just an acquaintance," Tidus explained. He crossed his arms and pulled his lips into a tight line. "Don't make her think I'm a player or something."

"Figures," Rikku said, sighing. "All the good ones are only acquaintances." She grinned teasingly at Tidus. "But you are a player. What about all those floozies you always have on your arm, huh? This girl would have been a nice change for you."

"I do not have floozies on my arm," Tidus protested vehemently, not looking Yuna or Rikku in the eye.

"You have fans, and some of the women are floozies Tidus, you've got to realize!" Rikku chastised.

"Player? Do you mean like a Blitzball player? And what's a floozy?" Yuna asked, not quite keeping up with the conversation. She had learned though, from interaction, that Rikku and Tidus were very close and knew quite a lot about each other and how they acted. Yuna couldn't help but note that Rikku not only acted sunny, but looked sunny as well, dressed in orange, and having her nails painted yellow. Her hair was gorgeous as well, pulled back, and her skin showed smile lines from the fact that she smiled so much.

"Ah, forgot. Rikku, she's from Bevelle. Floozies, players, and all that sort of stuff doesn't exist over there," he explained to Rikku.

"You're from Bevelle?" Rikku asked her. Yuna nodded, smiling at the woman. "Well, all you need to know is that Tidus dates a lot of women. He wouldn't be the ideal guy to place your bets on a relationship with."

"I see," Yuna said, bewildered. She looked from the girl in front of her to Tidus.

"See what you made her do? She's going to think I'm some poor excuse for a guy," Tidus said, glowering.

"Despite all that, he's a good guy to be friends with," Rikku finished. Tidus sighed and Yuna looked content. "What's your name, by the way? I need to make sure I know your name if you ever come to eat and get a cup of coffee here."

"I'm Yuna," she answered, bowing. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Wow, way too formal!" Rikku exclaimed. Tidus agreed with her.

"She greeted me that way too," Tidus said pointedly. He liked her name though, Yuna. He had never bothered to ask before then and Rikku had done him a favour. He looked at Rikku and smiled gratefully, to which the girl answered with a wink. For some reason, he would usually ask for a girl's name, her number, without a second thought. Yuna though, was naïve. He didn't want her to see him as a guy who just went around dating girls. He didn't want her to have a bad impression of him. At least now he'd have a natural reason for knowing her name.

"I'm so sorry!" Yuna said, bowing again. Tidus took her hand though and pulled her up.

"No need to apologize, Yuna." He liked the way he could speak her name. He looked at Yuna and Rikku then. "It's strange how you two kind of look alike when I put you side by side like this."

Rikku was just about to answer when another voice did before her.

"Rikku, lusa ehceta huf! Ouin crevd ec hud ujan oad yht dra licdusanc yna fyedehk!" a male voice called from inside.

Rikku sighed before turning around and yelling her answer back. "E ys lusehk! Keja sa zicd y caluht. Fro tu oui hyk cu silr, Brother?" She looked back at the two then and then gave Tidus a quick hug, and then to Yuna's surprise, her as well. "Yunie, it's been nice meeting you. Come back again, okay?"

Yuna knew now that the girl was Al Bhed. She chuckled, giving the girl her own surprise. "Ed ryc paah hela saadehk oui duu, Rikku. E femm syga cina du lusa po ykyeh yht dno cusa luvvaa." Yuna hugged her back. She saw Tidus' eyes go wide with shock, and when Rikku pulled back, she saw her eyes widen as well.

"You're Al Bhed?" she asked quietly.

"On my mother's side, yes," Yuna answered her. Rikku smiled softly and then it was with that look that Yuna knew for sure she would attempt to come back, no, she would try her very best too. For some reason, she felt she had a connection with this girl named Rikku, with her bright smile, with her demeanor that seemed to simply soothe all worries, and with the fact that she was everything Rikku was not. This girl seemed outgoing and had a natural affinity for conversation, while Yuna was calm, always apologizing for her faults, never taking any risks, or talking to people the way Rikku did to Tidus. She wouldn't lie and say that she wasn't envious, but she would say that she admired Rikku more.

"Come on," Tidus called to her, "we can see Rikku anytime, alright?" He grinned. He held out his hand which Yuna took without hesitation. When she looked behind her, she saw Rikku had already gone back inside the shop to continue serving more customers. "You speak Al Bhed?"

"A little," Yuna said sadly. "I haven't used it for a long time, not after my mother died when I was very young. My father loved her very much and often watched as she taught me some of the language when she was alive, though, when I do use it now, I know it makes him sad and reminiscent. I don't want to make him sad at all… he says there's no problem, but…"

"I'm sure that it's not really that he's said, but he's probably happy that he still has you, and when he hears you speak Al Bhed, he has your mother as well, right?" Tidus reasoned, trying to make her feel better. He hadn't liked how her face had transformed when she had gotten said, like flowers had withered and left wilted imitations in their wake.

"I hadn't thought about it that way." Yuna chuckled. It was nice walking with Tidus, completely peaceful.

"How do you say 'nice to meet you, pretty girl'?" Tidus grinned, and winked at her.

"Planning to use that on the next girl you meet?" Yuna asked, chuckling.

"Maybe," he answered cryptically and then whistled.

Yuna looked at him once and then laughed again. "This is how you say it: hela du saad oui, bnaddo kenm."

"Well then, I think I'll use it now." Tidus had no idea what made him so bold as to flirt with her so openly, this naïve woman. But her eyes were sensitive, and her lips were pulled into a smile, he couldn't exactly help it, not when she looked at him like that. "Helly deoo seeahah-de ohooee, baenah-de-deoh ke…ken…" He struggled with the last word.

"keaynm, is how it's pronounced!" Yuna exclaimed, laughing. "Your accent needs a little practice, no?" She paused then, and flushed crimson red, realizing that he had just used that line on her, after he had said that he would use it on the next girl he met. And then, she realized she had insulted his ability to speak the Al Bhed language. "Sorry! You'll get better with time, I promise!"

"You're going to help me out, aren't you? Or else, I just might embarrass you by speaking with that terrible accent at the game you come to watch me in, you know? I'll call you out in front of everyone with that accent!" Tidus teased. He grasped her hand tighter in his own.

"If we ever meet again, I promise," Yuna said, somewhat solemnly.

"Hey, we'll meet again, I'm the Star Player of the Zanarkand Abes, so you'll come and watch me play. And, I often hang out at Rikku's coffee joint, so you can find me there as well," Tidus said. "Look at me, okay?" Tidus grinned the largest he could, making a face that could have been classified as a one that a clown would be proud of. "Smile, alright?"

Yuna laughed at him, and then smiled at him. "Yes sir!" It was true, there was a high chance she would meet him during the tournament.

They walked for a while more before they had reached their destination, a beautiful stadium, so large, all lit up, exactly as Yuna had imagined it in her dreams. She wouldn't mind seeing Tidus in a game either in this stadium. This time, instead of hearing about people who would cheer and cheer until they couldn't cheer anymore, she would be the one doing the cheering. And then, Tidus would speak to her in his horrendous Al Bhed accent and they would both laugh. Yuna only wished and hoped that she would see him soon again, hear his laugh, see his smile. She was grateful that he had helped her find this stadium without anything in return.

"Well, I suppose we're here," Tidus said, scratching his head sheepishly. "You know where your old man is from here?"

"I suppose I can find where they are from this point," Yuna explained. They would probably be in the VIP box. Yuna wanted to see her father then; it was strange how she already missed him after not even being apart from him for long. She turned to Tidus and gave him the brightest smile she could muster, ensuring that her deepest gratitude could be sent to him as easily as a letter, that the contents could be read without even the slightest bit of difficulty. "Thank you, Tidus. It has been nice meeting you…" Without looking back, she walked forward to where her father awaited her, trying not to be sad from simply leaving him now, she hardly knew him. Yuna wanted to see Rikku again as well, Tidus and Rikku, and all of his other friends.

"Wait, Yuna!" Tidus called. Yuna looked back at him curiously. He approached her again. "Well, I don't think you're hopeless, but what are you going to do if you get lost again?" Without waiting for her answer, he put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. It was high, piercing noise. "This is what Blitzball fans do when they cheer. Here, you try too." He picked up her hand and spread out her individual fingers. "Put your fingers in your mouth like I just did." Yuna did so, flushing all the while. "And then you just blow!"

She blew, but no noise came out. Yuna looked down at the floor, crestfallen.

"Hmm, seems like you can't do it yet, but you'll be able to soon, I know." Tidus nodded. "And, when you can whistle, just do it and I'll come running, okay?" He grinned. "I'll know it was you getting lost again," he teased.

Yuna laughed. "I understand. When you whistle, I'll come running as well, though I can't help it if you get lost." Her voice, he noted, was like tinkling wind chimes, charming and not at all obnoxious. It was sweet, soothing, a beautiful sound. Without another glance at him, she walked inside to wherever her father was waiting for her. Tidus made sure to remember to meet her again; she was more unique than the other girls around Zanarkand, that was certain. He found himself wondering if girls in Bevelle all acted like Yuna did, so polite, overly mannered, poised, and sophisticated.

"Well, it seems that I should go in too," Tidus said to himself, tossing the Blitzball that he held in his left arm absentmindedly. "The guys will be waiting for me."

Word Count: 3 263