Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Time for Reflection ❯ Ballad of Life, Loss, and Love ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter XI: Ballad of Life, Loss, and Love

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Next Morning, In the Farplane
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Braska hadn't slept very well. After leaving Auron's house so abruptly the other day, he was becoming increasingly troubled about what Tidus told him. For that reason, he found himself walking to the temple in hopes of telling Master Kaemon about his concerns.

Upon reaching the temple, Abram was once again standing outside the entrance, ready to greet any visitors that approached. "Sir Braska!" Abram said happily. "To what do we owe the honor of your presence?"

"Hello Abram," Braska replied casually. "I was wondering if it would be possible to talk to Master Kaemon about something. It will only take a few moments of his time, I promise." Abram looked at him for a moment and replied. "May I ask what you need to talk to him about?"

"Well, it is of a personal nature. It will only take a moment." Abram nodded and entered the temple. After a few minutes, he emerged and motioned for Braska to enter. Walking through the grand doors leading to the inner chamber, he spotted Master Kaemon sitting in his chair.

"Sir Braska! May I ask what you inquire of me?" Braska bowed his head slightly.

"Yes Master. It regards Sir Tidus. If you remember, you told me about Zanarkand…"

Braska paused for a moment, noticing Kaemon's actions. His entire demeanor about this conversation changed dramatically at the mention of Zanarkand. Now, he was really suspicious.

"As I was saying, you told me that Zanarkand and its inhabitants completely disappeared, that everyone turned into a state of nonexistence. What I'm trying to say is... when I told Sir Tidus about it, he absolutely refused to believe me. He claims that he saw his mother on the Farplane, and he said my daughter saw it too. How is this possible, Master Kaemon?"

Kaemon looked at him sharply. He did not like where this conversation was going. The six months the boy had spent there caused more problems than he expected.

"Tidus' memories were clouded, Braska. Maybe he wasn't thinking straight at the time, or maybe his memories were so strong that the pyreflies brought up an image of his mother," Kaemon chided, eager to end this conversation.

"With all due respect sir," Braska continued. "I do not believe this is the case. I believe he really did see her, and I have a theory that she and everyone from Zanarkand exist somewhere."

"Are you questioning my motives, Braska?" Kaemon replied angrily. "I am the ruler of the Farplane. I would know if this… Zanarkand and the people in it existed. Do not test my patience… I want you to leave, now!"

This certainly shocked Braska. He was now positive that something was terribly wrong. He needed to tell Auron and Jecht about this; it was time for them to know. He started walking briskly away from Master Kaemon, but he stopped right in front of the door to the inner chamber and turned around.

"I know you're lying to me," Braska said forcefully, his eyes piercing a figurative hole in Master Kaemon's.

"You know they exist, and you are hiding it from everyone in the Farplane. I promise you, I will find out what you are trying to do."

With that, he strode purposely out of the temple, not bothering to say goodbye to Abram as he left.

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In Spira
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The morning was clear and crisp in the sleepy town of Besaid. Everyone was paying for their overindulgences at the party, and it was showing as they tried to go about their daily activities.

Bright rays of sunlight enveloped the bedroom in Yuna's home. She fluttered her eyes open sleepily to greet the morning. Although very tired, she didn't want to sleep anymore. Yuna wanted to stay awake and enjoy the comfort and ecstasy of being in Tidus' strong grasp.

Looking at him lovingly, she remembered the conversation they had the night before, right before they went to sleep and remembered how her body felt like it was on fire… how she was yearning for him. Yuna had never felt that way before and quite frankly it scared the hell out of her.

"In a good way, though," she mused.

Regardless of her nervous feelings of want and lust, she meant every word of it.

Her thoughts wandered to the wedding… she wanted it to be soon, and she was sure Tidus would probably agree. Determining that simplicity would be the key, Yuna decided that she didn't want anything outlandish. Pomp and circumstance had never impressed her very much, and she didn't care for it to be in her wedding. Maybe they could have a simple, romantic wedding on the beach, with friends only. That was her fantasy of the perfect wedding, and she hoped that Tidus would agree.

Reluctantly, Yuna decided that she would get up and make something to eat. She never enjoyed cooking very much, but she wasn't bad at it, so it was a pretty good deal for Tidus.

"Maybe I'll make him cook for me once, if I dare," Yuna thought humorously. While cooking some eggs, shoopuf bacon, and biscuits, someone knocked at the door.

Yuna, preoccupied with the meal, had no time to answer. "Come in!" she said sweetly.

It was Lulu, striding purposely to the kitchen to greet Yuna. "Aren't we the regular house wife this morning?" Lulu asked curiously.

"I got up and decided to fix us something to eat. He's still sleeping," Yuna replied, distracted with the task at hand.

"I see," Lulu replied casually, watching Yuna cook. "She even makes cooking seem graceful," Lulu noted mentally, impressed by her skills.

"Where is Tidus? I would like to say hello to him," Lulu commented, somewhat absorbed in watching her culinary talent.

"Oh," Yuna replied. "He's in my bed. I guess it would be good to get him up." Yuna didn't notice the icy stare that Lulu gave her as she continued cooking the meal.

"In your bed, Yuna?" Lulu asked in a motherly tone. Yuna, finally realizing what she said, smacked herself on the head forcefully.

Before Lulu could say anything more, Yuna spoke up. "It's, umm… it's not what you think. We just held each other. It's… comforting. He's such a gentleman to me… I'm the one you should probably be worrying about."

Her comment surprised Lulu, and she smiled softly. "I understand, Yuna. Chappu and I would hold each other like that sometimes. I believe you, just be careful… I don't want you to do anything you would regret later."

Yuna looked at Lulu for a moment and pondered her comment. "But I wouldn't have *any* regrets if I chose to be with Tidus right now," she thought inwardly.

"I know Lulu, and thank you for understanding," Yuna said sweetly. Lulu nodded and headed to Yuna's bedroom to wake Tidus up.

After looking at Tidus for a moment, Lulu decided to get him out of bed.

"Good morning," Lulu commented nonchalantly, just loud enough to rouse the sleepy blonde haired guardian. Tidus groaned slightly and slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see Yuna looking at him. Needless to say, he was wrong. Bolting up in his bed nervously, he looked at Lulu with wild eyes, like a scared animal.

"Lulu! Uhh, hey! Heh, you're probably wondering why I'm in… umm, Yuna's bed, aren't you?" Tidus asked nervously, afraid she was going to cast a nasty spell on him.

"Do not worry about it, Tidus," Lulu replied indifferently. "Yuna explained everything to me. I appreciate that you are being a gentleman, but I'll still be watching you." Lulu stared precariously into Tidus' eyes for a moment and walked out the door with no further comments.

"Whew. That was a close one," Tidus murmured inaudibly. He sat in bed for a moment, contemplating what Lulu said, but the smell of food encouraged him to get up and head in the direction of the kitchen.

Tidus saw Yuna hard at work in the kitchen, and he smiled at her concentration as she worked at making food for both of them. "She puts all her being into *everything* she does," Tidus thought adoringly. After looking at her for a while, Tidus walked up to Yuna and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"Yuna, you are so good to me. How did I end up getting someone like you?" Tidus pondered out loud, and Yuna smiled at him.

"Well, I am going to make you cook me something one day, you know."

Tidus laughed at her comment. "If you want to continue living, you might not want to do that. I got my meals in Zanarkand mainly in the legendary Abes cafeteria!" Tidus proclaimed, making an overly exaggerated disgusted face.

"Well, I'm still going to make you try. I'll be the judge of your cooking," Yuna decided.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you!" he proclaimed in between laughter. Yuna smiled and Tidus looked outside the kitchen windows.

Tidus decided that he needed clothes badly. He knew that the modest shop in Besaid sold clothing, but he was faced with the problem of gil. He didn't exactly need currency in the Farplane, so he had none. He was deathly afraid to ask Yuna for money… he wasn't accustomed to asking people for something, as he always took care of himself before. Deciding that he had no other choice, Tidus finally mustered up the courage.

"Umm, Yuna. I feel like a bum asking this. I really need some… clothes. But, you know, in the Farplane, I uhh, didn't need money. What I'm trying to ask is…" Yuna interrupted and finished what Tidus was going to ask.

"You need money... it's okay Tidus, you don't have to be afraid to ask something like that. Of course I don't expect you to have money right after you come back." Tidus looked at her lovingly, thankful that she was such an understanding person.

"There's some gil in the drawer of the end table, right next to my bed. It should be enough to buy a few clothes until we can go to Luca to get some better ones. I don't think you'll like the clothes they have here too much," Yuna commented.

Tidus nodded and gave Yuna a small hug. Before leaving, Yuna looked at Tidus carefully. "You know, what's yours is mine. That's what married people say, right?"

Tidus smiled and kissed Yuna gently on the lips. He walked to the bedroom, finding the money exactly where Yuna said it would be. After briskly making his way through town and entering the only general store in Besaid, he found Rikku bugging the clerk for something to ease her hangover.

"C'mon, you have to have something that'll help me!" Rikku exclaimed, groaning in pain from the massive headache she had. Tidus walked up to Rikku and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Hi Rikku! Not feeling good, I'm assuming?" Tidus asked playfully, but Rikku wasn't in the mood for games.

"Shut up Tidus, I feel like crap. I'm *never* getting drunk again, I swear!" Tidus got a good laugh at Rikku's expense and started looking at some clothes.

Yuna was right. Tidus saw nothing that he liked, and he concluded that all the people of Besaid dressed like Wakka. Living here was certainly going to take some getting used to. He was used to flashy clothing, loud music, and… electricity.

After cursing inwardly about the lack of Spira's technology and good fashion sense, he settled for a few pairs of jeans and some white shirts.

"No more tropical shirts."

After paying the cashier, Tidus bid Rikku farewell and made his way back to Yuna's home.

"You're just in time. Come and get some food." Yuna demanded nicely, and Tidus was more than willing to oblige. He was pleased with the food, and he appreciated Yuna's efforts immensely.

"Hey Yuna. I was wondering if you had any ideas about the wedding." Tidus commented after they had finished eating.

"Well," Yuna replied. "I think we should set a date first, right?"

"Yeah, you're right. I dunno, Yuna. Call me anxious, but I want it to be soon, you know?" he said, unsure of what Yuna's reply would be. Yuna looked at him for a moment and smiled.

"Actually, I had that in mind too. I was thinking about it a lot this morning. I want it to be… simple." Tidus nodded and took hold of her hand casually.

"I agree. I'm afraid that people will try to plan something big." Yuna stood up and roused Tidus to his feet.

"Come on," she urged. "Let's go outside and talk about this." As they walked out of Yuna's house, Tidus looked at her for a moment and started chuckling softly.

"What is it?" she asked curiously, wondering what he was laughing about this time.

"Spira was much more exciting when Sin was around. I'm not saying I want Sin to come back or anything, but… this place is boring!" he exclaimed humorously.

Yuna smiled at that and looked at him briefly. "I figured you would think that. Maybe you should join a blitz ball team again," she said casually. "You can do something you're good at and make money too." Tidus nodded his head vigorously at this, and they continued their walk.
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"And I can have a beautiful white gown, and you can wear a black tuxedo with a blue vest. Yes, that's it, white and blue should be our colors! It would be so pretty… we can have lilies everywhere!"

Tidus was enjoying this immensely. He and Yuna were sitting casually in the woods, discussing the details of their wedding. Yuna was so… animated about it, and he got a kick out of listening to her eager expressions. She said she wanted it simple, but with each passing moment, Yuna was making her expectations of the wedding more and more complicated. It was funny, to say the least.

Tidus leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips as she was talking. Although a little miffed that he interrupted her lively descriptions of the wedding, she enjoyed the attention she was receiving.

That unusual feeling crept up on her again. "Why can't I stop thinking about him like this?"

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop thinking lustfully of him. Yuna found her thoughts wandering to the night before, when she admitted so freely to him what her feelings were. She wanted that feeling again… she wanted him.

Yuna broke the kiss long enough to look at him. Her mouth quivered slightly, desperately wanting to feel his lips against hers again. She proceeded to kiss him hungrily, whispering in his ear of the powerful love she felt for him. She lowered him slowly onto the lush green grass as her passionate kisses eagerly moved to the small of Tidus' neck and the top of his muscular chest.

Tidus was surprised at her actions but incredibly excited. He didn't want to think that Yuna was a different woman from the one he fell in love with six months ago, but he knew that her actions were somewhat different. He quickly realized, however, that she was the same woman he fell in love with in the beginning. It's just that she was far more… passionate. And now she was on top of him, kissing him all over his face, neck… and chest.

Tidus broke the kiss for a moment, trying to regain his senses. "Yuna," he whispered in between ragged breaths. "Wha… What are you doing?" Yuna gave him a sultry look, her eyes shining brightly at his. "Tidus… please don't say no to me. I'm so sure of this. I love you… I know this is right. Please, don't say no," she pleaded, her voice trembling with intensity.

Tidus felt his last wall of control come crumbling down. "I love you too," he said softly. "I… I can't say no to you. I just want to make sure you… I mean we… won't regret this."

Yuna paused her endearing affection long enough to smile sweetly at him. "You've been such a gentleman to me, Tidus… I love you so much for that. I'll never regret this, I promise."

It was their moment, one that would remain as precious memories in Tidus and Yuna's minds for eternity. They knew it was not a mistake. Their love enveloped each other, completely.

They fell asleep together in the woods, their bodies keeping each other warm despite the chilly breeze. Tidus woke up first, lying contently beside his love. He subconsciously worried that what they did might hurt his relationship with Yuna, but he knew she was a lady of her word. She wanted it more than anything, and Tidus knew that she did everything with no regrets. He had nothing to worry about.

Yuna woke up a little later and was greeted by a loving grin from Tidus. She smiled and kissed him gently, pulling her body closer to his.

"I love you. Thank you so much," she said sweetly. Tidus reveled in the warmth of their embrace, and they stayed in the woods for a while longer, silently reflecting on the eternal display of love that they bestowed upon each other.

They held each other peacefully and talked quietly amongst themselves. After a while, their conversation shifted once again to the wedding. That afternoon, in the forests of Besaid, they agreed on the day they would marry. Two months from then.