2 Saying Goodbye
I woke up to the scent of cinnamon wafting through the air. I kept my eyes closed for a moment, drinking in the delicious smell and cuddling deeper into my thin blanket. Then I slowly opened my eyes and sat up, breathing deeply. All I really wanted to do was cover my head with my blanket and cry. I didn't want to leave, but I knew I had to. One side of my heart said not to, but the other told me to stop being silly and just except the fact that my path had been set long ago. The war going on in my mind was not evident on my face, as I grinned at Lulu, who was cooking on the tiny stove over in the corner of the hut.
"Mmmm! That smells delicious, Lulu!" She grunted at me, not unkindly, but I guess that's all she could manage. I folded my blanket and my cot, placing them, along with all my clothes except my Summoner's outfit, into a small wooden box. I placed my other few possessions in the box, intending to give the box to the temple nuns, to help with raising the other orphans. I wouldn't need them anymore. During a pilgrimage, most summoners live off the land and occasionally off the charity of wealthier Spirans. I kept out a recording sphere, tucking it safely into my obi.
I combed my fingers through my hair, and straightened my dress and my necklace. By the time I'd finished all this, Lulu was done making breakfast. She set two bowls of steaming rice and cinnamon porridge on the table, one for me, and one for herself. "Thanks Lulu." I cautiously placed a spoonful of it in my mouth, making sure that it wasn't too hot.
Her face was blank as she ate, she appeared to be completely calm, but I'd known her long enough to know that she was probably having just as much of an inner battle as I was. We once again ate in silence, and when I finished, I washed my bowl in the tub of hot water by the sink, and then carried my box of possessions to the temple.
Rui, one of the nuns who'd raised me, met me there. She had tears in her eyes. "Rui...I'll miss you." I struggled to keep tears from my own eyes. I had not cried since the day my father died, and I was not going to let myself now. "Lady Yuna! Look at you…you've grown so much. I still remember the day you came here…and now…now you're leaving!"
She burst into sobs, and I set the box on the floor of the temple, and hugged her. "Rui…It's okay. It's for the best. Who knows? Maybe this time Sin won't come back…maybe Spira could have peace forever." She sniffed and leaned away. "Yes. Of course, Yuna. You are brave. I'm so proud of you."
I smiled at her, and then gestured towards the box of things that I'd brought. "I brought some things that I…won't need." She sniffed again at my statement. "Oh. Thank you." I picked the box up, and followed her into one of the back rooms. Three other nuns sat in the room. I had known each of them ever since the first day that Kimahri brought me here. All of them had tears in their eyes, and the sight was so sad, I once again had to fight to maintain control over my sorrow. I hugged each of them, and they gave me their final goodbyes before I left the temple.
Standing near the center of the village was Tidus, Lulu, and Wakka. Tidus was holding the sword that Wakka had once given Chappu, before he left to join the crusaders…and never came back.
Chappu had left the sword on Besaid, choosing to fight with a machina weapon, instead. I wondered if the fact that Tidus looked similar to Chappu had prompted Wakka to give the sword to him.
He was smiling that lopsided grin again, and I struggled to no avail to remember where I'd seen it before. Wakka caught sight of me, and then waved, though his face held no smile.
I started to walk towards them, but then Amai ran towards me, her hair still in the braid that I had put into her hair the night before, albeit much messier. "Yunaaa!" she wailed, as she flew towards me, arms outstretched. I knelt down to catch her in my arms, and her salty tears dripped onto my bear shoulder as she wept.
"I…I'm gonna miss you-hoo-hooo!" She sobbed. "Don't worry, Amai. I'm going to bring peace to Spira. I'm going to kill Sin! I'm going to make it so that you won't have to be afraid of Sin attacking anymore."
I stroked her hair until her sobs calmed. I stood up. She took my hand in her tiny one, and looked up at me, her large, trusting eyes still filled with tears. "Thank you." She said, squeezing my hand in hers.
"You're welcome." I said. She didn't let go of my hand, so I continued to walk towards my guardians, leaning towards her as I walked, so that she could reach my hand.
Lulu was standing there, and despite her most obvious attempts to hide it, I could see that her eyes were red. Wakka looked down at the ground, swinging his arms uncomfortably.
I looked at Tidus, and our eyes met. He was more than confused, but he didn't say anything. We walked in silence, besides Amai's now-returning sobs, until we got to the entrance of the village.
When we did, I got down on my knees, once again fighting my tears, and I hugged her goodbye. "Be a good girl. Make your Mommy and Daddy proud."
She nodded, sniffing."Okay." Just as I was about to stand, several other children ran out from the berry bushes right inside the village. Akrui was their leader, and he held two small wooden sticks, tied together to be shaped like a sword.
Behind him, Hou followed, along with Itami, Ukiyo, Katai, and Nayami. Each of them had a similar weapon to Akrui. He ran up to me, his black, spiky hair bouncing as he seriously surveyed my guardians, and said,
"Nobody move! Yuna's not leaving!""Yeah! Nayami shouted, her bright orange braids swinging with her movements as she and her friends surrounded us, making similar comments.
My heart nearly broke. These poor children! I had been like a big sister to every one of them, just as Wakka and Lulu had been to me. "I'm sorry, but I have to go! I will save the world from Sin! Then, you little crusaders won't have to worry about fighting it anymore!"
I stayed in my kneeling position, and reached out my arms to hug them. They all dropped their toy swords at once, and ran into my arms, until I was being hugged by seven little children, the only children left surviving in the village, besides Akrui's baby sister.
I was once again reminded of just how important my mission was. They were all crying, and it took every ounce of willpower that I had to keep my own tears from spilling down my cheeks.
We stayed there for several minutes, until I finally stood up, and smiled bravely down at them. "Now, take good care of the village, and protect Akrui's sister! You can be her guardians!" They all looked around at each other, and began to shout in excitement.
I wished that adults could be distracted from their sorrow so easily. They waved at me as they ran off towards Akrui's family's hut, and Amai stopped to give me one last, wordless hug, before running off to follow her friends, shouting, "Hey! I want a sword!"
I looked at my guardians, and at Tidus. Wakka was clearly very upset. "Yuna…you sure you gotta do this? I mean…can't ya leave it for someone else?" I shook my head at him, though for a moment my throat had clamped shut, and I couldn't speak.
Lulu stood in silence, frowning slightly. Tidus was just bewildered, as seemed to be the usual. We stood in silence for a moment, and then I found my voice. "Well, let's go." I said with resolve.
We left village, and on towards the beach in silence. I went between Wakka and Lulu, with Tidus trailing behind. It was only a few minutes before a wolf fiend came charging at us.
Before any of us had a chance to even react in the realization that we were being attacked, Tidus ran up to the wolf and slashed at it as it leapt towards him. The wolf dispersed into pyreflies, Wakka and Lulu stared. I'm pretty sure that my jaw dropped. We were all wondering where he got such reflexes, knowing that we barely had time to register that we were being attacked, and he had already reacted.
He turned around, and when he saw all three of us just staring, he grinned, and waved his hand airily and said, "Blitzball!"
I was momentarily distracted from the sorrow, but it soon came rushing back. The same thing happened to Lulu and Wakka. We suddenly came out of our stupor and continued walking.
Later, a large bird fiend flew towards us. As Wakka was reeling back to throw his Blitzball, which Lulu had placed the element of water on, at the bird, Kimahri came diving down from the cliff above, landing on the bird's back. The bird slammed into the ground, and then Kimahri sliced it open with his razor sharp claws.
"Ohh!" Wakka seemed a bit annoyed that for the second time in the last ten minutes, his chance to prove himself as a guardian had been foiled by someone else. "Don't worry, Wakka! You'll get your chance!" I smiled, and even laughed a little, taking advantage of another momentary distraction.
"Kimahri ready." Kimahri stood up as the bird fiend dissolved and the pyreflies rose into the sky. I nodded at him, and then we continued to walk. I was feeling strangely prepared.
I knew that I was on the verge of tears only a few minutes ago, but the more I cared about the people I was leaving, the more I wanted to leave, so that I could save them.
We when we reached the beach, as we were walking towards the boat, out of the waves rose a water flan fiend. Lulu pointed at it, and whispered "Thunder!" which was her brief prayer to Yevon, asking for the thunder element.
I had only so far been able to ask for the element of blizzard, or ice.I shouted the prayer "Blizzard!" in my mind. I imagined what it would be like to have the ability to call for all of the elements. I knew I had to practice more, but it was kind of exciting to think about the results of my labor. I suddenly came back to the real world, and heard shouting.
"Ahh!" I looked behind me, and saw Tidus shaking his hand, which was stuck in a block of ice. Lulu looked at me, and for the first time this morning, she actually looked slightly amused.
She placed her hand on the block of ice, and whispered something under her breath. A tiny flame emanated from her palm, quickly melting the ice, before Tidus pulled his hand away, and began to rub his hands together, while blowing on them. I laughed sheepishly, and said, "Sorry! I still haven't quite learned how to control that!" He laughed back.
"It's okay! At least you didn't do that lightning thing, instead of ice!" Lulu turned to him, looking a bit peeved, and said, "It's thunder." She then turned and walked on towards the ship.
Tidus and I exchanged glances, and then Wakka grinned stupidly at me, before Lulu said, without even turning around to see what he was doing, "Stop smiling, Wakka!" It instantly fell off his face. Lulu knew him too well!
I looked back towards the ship, and to the people waiting there, who had just noticed that we had arrived, and suddenly all my happiness went away. I couldn't avoid thinking about it any longer.
I was leaving. I ran up to Chie, hugging him, and then Mame. Several other of the villagers where there, and we exchanged hushed goodbyes. Then, Tidus, Lulu, Wakka, Kimahri, and I, all walked onboard the ship, along with the Besaid Aurochs Blitzball team, and some other people who were traveling to Kilika.
With every step, my heart grew heavier. I thought of Amai. I thought of Mame and Chie. I thought of all the others that I was leaving behind. I realized that I was becoming dangerously close to crying, and I smiled instead.
As the ship pulled away from the dock, there stood half my village, waving, crying, and shouting goodbye. I did a formal prayer gesture, and, even though I knew that they wouldn't be able to hear me, I whispered quietly,
"Goodbye."
TidusxYuna Always
