Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Time for Reflection ❯ Trouble in Guadosalam ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter XII: Trouble in Guadosalam

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One Month Later
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It was a beautiful evening in Luca, and Yuna found herself studying his every move. She had never enjoyed watching blitz ball very much, but she absolutely loved watching Tidus play the game… he made it look like an art form.

Now, here she was, sitting next to Rikku and Lulu, watching Tidus and all the other Aurochs kick the Luca Goers ass.

"In a stadium all lit up at night."

A lot changed in a month. Former Yevonites started to accept various forms of machina, thanks to the Al Bhed's persuasions. Electricity was becoming common place, and it seemed to be pleasing everyone. Many public facilities in Spira were being renovated to support electrical energy, and it was quite a sight to see blitz ball played in the evening.

Yuna found her mind wandering, regardless of how bad she wanted to watch Tidus compete. It had been a busy month. They were frantically planning their wedding, and much to Tidus and Yuna's dismay, everyone was adding ideas and making it larger and fancier.

"So much for a simple ceremony," she thought casually. She was, however, quite flattered that everyone had taken such an interest.

Kimahri left a week before to visit his brethren on Mount Gagazet. He promised he would be back in time for the wedding… Yuna demanded and expected it of him. He was going to be one of Tidus' groomsmen, and she was looking very forward to seeing Kimahri in a tux.

"At least the vest will match his fur," she noted humorously.

Tidus and Yuna painfully told everyone about Zanarkand two weeks prior. They were all devastated. Like Tidus and Yuna, they felt that it was their fault in some way or another. Regardless of the pain of so many lives having been lost, happiness was starting to return once again to the battle hardened group. Maybe they could live in peace for once.

The crowd started cheering madly as Tidus leapt in the air, setting up a sphere shot. It stirred Yuna to pay attention to the game once again, and it gave her goose bumps to see his acrobatic abilities. She watched intently as he slammed the ball straight into the Goers net.

5-2, Besaid Aurochs.

Tidus swam gracefully underwater, and he spotted Yuna in the crowd. He flashed a brilliant smile in her direction, blowing a kiss at her to boot.

Yuna played along and sent an imaginary kiss his way as well. Deciding to add to that, she mischievously gave Tidus the most erotic bedroom eyes that she could muster. Tidus swooned and almost got knocked out of the water by an opponent. Shaking his head vigorously to clear his mind, Tidus waved at her and swam off. She was slightly embarrassed that her sultry expressions almost caused him to get injured.

"I saw the look you gave him, Yunie! I had no idea you could be so bad!" Rikku proclaimed excitedly. Yuna laughed, but she saw the expression that Lulu was giving her and quieted down just a little.

Lulu and Rikku managed to get Yuna to tell them whether or not she and Tidus had done anything, as they were suspicious of their overly romantic expressions. She reluctantly told them about it… how she was the one who instigated their sex life. Still, Yuna had absolutely no regrets about her decision, and her love life with Tidus had only gotten better.

"Way better," her naughty thoughts concluded.

The game ended shortly thereafter, and Yuna realized that everyone on the team was going to want to celebrate, including Tidus. She really wanted to be alone with him, but she decided that it would be selfish of her not to let him have a little fun.

Tidus made his way up the stands to talk to Yuna, trying to get through the hordes of admiring fans. Over the month, Tidus started his blitz ball career with the Aurochs anew, and they were the leading team in Spira. His popularity was growing immensely, and it almost felt like he was in Zanarkand again. In addition, Spira was starting to have the advantages of technology, and it made Tidus feel much more at home.

Tidus finally reached the area that Yuna, Lulu, and Rikku were, and he embraced Yuna, spinning her in the air excitedly. Yuna squealed loudly… Tidus was cold and wet.

He put her down after a moment and looked inquisitively at her. "You know," he commented. "It's not very nice to look at me like that when I'm trying to play a game!" he continued, poorly attempting to suppress his laughter.

"Well, I… I was only giving you a preview of the look I'm going to be giving you tonight," Yuna whispered playfully, surprised at her tone of voice.

"Am I… the same girl?"

She had been asking herself that very question for quite a while, and everyone noticed that she was less inhibited, including Tidus. He gave her a shocked expression and finally decided to comment.

"Wow, Yuna… You're full of surprises!" he chided, deciding that he was excited by the way she was talking.

"Well, I surprise myself," Yuna added, eagerly wanting to end the mischievous conversation that she started. "Come on… You should go to the locker room and get changed. You're very wet and cold." Tidus nodded, and he followed his teammates to the locker room.

Upon entering, everyone looked at Tidus and started whooping and howling loudly. Wakka calmed his laughter a little and looked seriously at Tidus. "We saw that look she gave you! You two got it for each other bad, ya?"

His teammates started laughing loudly, and Tidus' face was becoming very red. He found himself smacking Keepa harmlessly on the head when he said something about wishing a girl would look at him like that.

Tidus remembered the day when Wakka confronted him about their love life. Yuna was forced to tell Lulu and Rikku about it, and he was sure that they told Wakka shortly after. He came up to him and told him, quite seriously, that he better treat Yuna good. "She's my sister, ya?" he remembered him saying forcefully. He took it well, however, and everyone seemed to accept the fact that they were… together.

Wakka and his companions laughed at Tidus' expense for a while longer. They agreed they would all go to the sports bar in Luca to celebrate, hoping to receive the chance to get in a fight with the Goers.
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The tiny bar was cramped, with the Besaid Aurochs and many of their fans inside. Tidus and Yuna were sitting at the bar together, with Rikku and Wakka sat next to them. Lulu proclaimed that she was tired and wasn't feeling well, so she headed to the inn early.

Yuna looked at Tidus for a while and smiled at him. He was so talented at blitz ball, and she was glad that he wasn't so bored anymore. The only thing they had to do in Besaid was… well, she didn't want to get into that. At least it kept them occupied.

"And happy," she thought humorously.

Tidus noticed her smile and looked at her for a moment. "What are you smiling about?" he asked playfully. She looked at him for a moment and blushed.

"He always asks me what I'm thinking about when I'm thinking about… that!" She thought that maybe she should tell him exactly what she is thinking about one day.

"Oh Tidus! I'm thinking about jumping you. Let's go find a room!" She concluded that he would probably faint if she did say it.

"Oh, nothing really," Yuna found herself lying. "I'm just thinking about how glad I am that you're blitzing again. You don't seem as bored now." Tidus nodded and he turned his attention to the stuffy looking man that was entering the bar. He looked like an ass, and he was very drunk.

Yuna cowered in fear when she turned around and saw him. It was Roka, the cursed suitor that hurt her so badly shortly before Tidus returned.

Yuna was scared, not of Roka, but of what Tidus would do. She never told him about it, as she decided it really wasn't necessary. She was hoping that because of his intoxication, he wouldn't notice her. She was wrong.

"Lady Yuna! It's so good to see you again!" Roka slurred, his breath smelling like various kinds of alcoholic beverages. "This must be that stupid boy that you love so much. Everyone in Spira is talking about your wedding."

Tidus looked at Yuna questioningly, unsure of what to say or do. He knew, however, that Yuna was not pleased to see him; the look on her face spoke volumes. Roka continued, looking at Tidus icily. "Tell me… Is this little girl a good ride? I wouldn't know, she never gave me the chance," Roka commented slyly, not realizing the mistake he made by saying that.

Tidus jumped out his bar stool and threw it to the side. Maybe the Aurochs could have their bar fight after all.

"Look, I don't know who the hell you are, but…" Roka interrupted him abruptly.

"Ohhh, Lady Yuna. I'm very disappointed in you. You didn't tell him about little old me? Such a shame..."

Tidus had heard enough. He strode up to Roka purposefully and punched him squarely in the face, hard enough to break his nose. But that wasn't enough. He was… defensive of his love, to say the least.

He punched him again, and again… and again. When Roka's face was decently misshapen, and when Rikku's worried exclamations reached a climax, Wakka and the rest of the Aurochs decided to step in and pull Tidus back. Reluctantly of course, because they knew the bastard deserved it.

"How… how dare you," Roka spat. "I will see that you are arrested!" Tidus looked at him icily.

"Yeah, and I'll see that I kick your ass harder next time! Don't you *ever* get near her again!" he yelled forcefully at Roka, his rage consuming him.

Yuna was scared, but absolutely ecstatic that Tidus beat Roka up so thoroughly. She decided that it would be worth the effort to pretend that she didn't approve of his actions, but had a feeling that she would end up congratulating him. When Wakka and everyone else determined that Roka was a safe enough distance away from the bar, they released Tidus from their grasp. Tidus walked quickly to Yuna, wanting answers.

"Who the hell was that, Yuna?" he asked angrily, slightly surprised at the tone of voice he was giving her.

"That… was a man by the name of Roka," she said bitterly. "He was one of my so called suitors. Let's go to the inn… I'll tell you more about it there." Tidus nodded and they made their way out the door, bidding farewell to everyone in the bar.

Upon reaching the inn, Tidus unlocked the door to their exquisite hotel room and held the door open for her. She thanked him softly and walked in, with Tidus following behind her and shutting the door.

Yuna sat down on the bed and patted the plush mattress beside her, urging Tidus to sit down with her. Tidus complied, and Yuna kissed him gently on the lips, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. Tidus began to lean heavily into her kiss, but remembered that they needed to talk.

"Oh no you don't," Tidus proclaimed stoically, breaking the kiss. "Not until you tell me about this guy." Yuna sighed and reluctantly told him about Roka and her painful experience with him.

"Yuna, why didn't you tell me about him?" he asked quietly. He wasn't angry at her, but he was extremely frustrated that she didn't let him know about the creep.

"Don't be mad at me. I didn't think it was very important, and I didn't want you to get angry. I… I'm so sorry," Yuna confessed, her eyes beginning to brim with salty tears. Tidus couldn't hold his barrier up any longer, and he embraced his love, kissing her on the forehead gently.

"It's okay… just let me know about these kinds of things, alright?"

She nodded her head thankfully. Yuna was glad he was done with his interrogation, and she returned his displays of affection fervently. She understood why Tidus was upset with her… it would if been better for her to tell him, and Yuna promised herself that she wouldn't hide something like that from him again.

She broke her embrace with Tidus for a moment, and held both of his hands in hers. She looked down at his strong hands and noticed the knuckles on his right fist. "Tidus… you're hurt."

Tidus looked at his hand and noticed a large bruise on his fist; he hadn't even realized it. "Wow," he commented dryly. "I guess I hit him pretty hard, huh?"

Yuna looked at him and smiled slightly. "Here, hold still." Yuna tilted her head forward to kiss his bruise gently. A wave of warmth cascaded through Tidus' body as Yuna cast a curative spell on him through her kiss.

When he looked at his hand once again, the bruise was gone. "Thank you, Yuna," he said and kissed her softly, picking up where they left off earlier.

Yuna stopped him and looked at him shyly. "I… I didn't want to tell you this… I was going to scold you for hitting him, but actually… I thought it was really nice what you did, with what he said about me and everything." Tidus stroked her cheek softly, and Yuna snuggled into his grasp deeply.

"Now you can kiss me," she said quietly.

And so it turned out that their night wasn't ruined completely by their unwanted and unexpected visit from Roka. After taking a warm shower together, they went to bed, but not to sleep. They kissed each other playfully and rolled around on the bed passionately. Tidus noticed the look Yuna was giving him and could not help but comment.

"Hey, you're giving me the same look you did at the game! Do you think I'll get knocked out this time?" he asked playfully.

"Well," Yuna replied gleefully, an impish grin on her face. "It depends on how hard you try." Tidus laughed at her naughtiness and rolled on top of her, kissing her neck and chest passionately. Yuna looked at him lustfully once again.

"I told you I would give you this look tonight. I… I love you," Yuna whispered into Tidus' ear in between ragged breaths. After Tidus adoringly proclaimed that he loved her too, they stopped talking and gave in to their passion. Later, they fell sound asleep in each others arms, oblivious to what occurred earlier in the day. It certainly didn't matter any more.

They woke up next morning to an extremely loud and frantic pounding on their door. Yuna quickly put a robe on her exposed body and walked to the door to look through the peep hole. It was Rikku.

"What is it, Rikku?" Yuna asked, not anxious to open the door for her.

"Yunie… we have a problem. Open up, it's important!" Yuna, alarmed at Rikku's tone of voice, quickly opened the door.

"Wha… What is it Rikku?" she replied, opening the door tentatively. Rikku noticed Tidus, who was now wide awake in the bed with his chest bare, but declined to make a sly remark. Now was not the time.

"Luca just got word from Guadosalam… Yunie, something is happening at the Farplane. No one can get in. There's… some kind of barrier blocking it. People were visiting at the time, and…"

As Tidus listened intently to the conversation, he determined that something was very wrong. Looking in Rikku's direction, he interrupted her abruptly.

"We need to go to Guadosalam, now. Rikku, can you get a hold of Cid's airship?" he asked, becoming increasingly worried for his father.

"I think so. I'll see what I can do," Rikku replied, leaving the room to find their ride to Guadosalam.

Yuna looked at Tidus, apparently reading his thoughts. "Tidus… Could this have something to do with… Zanarkand? Do you even think we can do anything about it?" she asked worriedly.

Tidus glanced at her and gave an earnest look of determination. "I intend to find out."