Eternal Love (Final Fantasy X/X-2)

Chapter 18: Twin Flames

After finishing breakfast, the group of friends grabbed some supplies from their rooms then headed out to the temple where Tidus and Yuna parted ways with everyone to enter the Chamber of the Fayth.

Yuna stood beside her fiancé on the edge of the giant hole where Bahamut's statue had been, in the familiar darkened room, lit by only the glowing glyphs on the walls. An uncomfortable chilled rushed through the ex-summoner's body, making her shiver and rub her arms. "I haven't been here since..."

"The whole thing with Vegnagun?" Tidus guessed.

"Mm..." Yuna gave a single nod then cocked her head to the side, peering down into the dark pit. "This place holds a lot of unpleasant memories."

"You're telling me. I wouldn't be surprised to learn this temple was cursed."

"I meant this room in particular."

"You fought Bahamut here when he was possessed by Shuyin, right?"

Yuna disagreed with a shake of her head. "No, that was further down in the Bevelle underground. I was referring to when you'd lied to me here on my pilgrimage."

Folding his arms over his chest, Tidus released a heavy sigh then poked the inside of his lip with his tongue, clearly agitated by the subject.

"I'm sorry but it's true."

"Yeah, I get that."

"I'm only mentioning it because of how you tricked me at the inn the other day."

Tidus groaned. "Do you really wanna do this now?"

"I..." Yuna paused when she caught the storm brewing in his ocean blue depths. She wasn't itching for a fight. This was about the trust issues they'd neglected to address for far too long. "I don't want to start a marriage or build a family on a foundation of secrets and lies. I don't want us to become as corrupt as Spira."

Lowering his gaze, Tidus' face softened before meeting her eyes once again in a quiet concession. "I don't want that either. But I'm not the only one guilty of secrets and lies."

It's not like he was wrong. And at this point, the star blitzer deserved to hear her admit it. "You're right. I've had my fair share of them over the years as well. But we both need to stop. Even though our intentions had been good—it still wasn't right. And those secrets and lies almost always resulted in a disaster."

Tidus snickered. "Like your marriage to Seymour?"

That jab was going to cost him. After playfully swatting him on the chest, Yuna gave him a quick punch to the arm.

"Wha—hey!" Her fiancé rubbed the affected area and shot her a playful glower. "No beating up your future husband either!"

"Well, you asked for it with an answer like that." Yuna then giggled, reached for his hand, and laced their fingers before peering down into the hole again. "Are you ready?"

"There's no way I can convince you to reconsider, is there?"

"Hmm..." Feigning consideration, the ex-summoner kinked her lips to the side and gave them a tap with her finger then replied with a firm, "Nope."

"Yeah...didn't think so."

"On three?"

"Uh...okay," he hesitantly agreed. "One... Two..."

Yuna tightened her grip on his hand and didn't wait for Tidus to finish the count before she leapt off the edge, dragging him with her into the deep, dark pit.

The freefall lasted longer than she'd remembered from her previous encounter and was accompanied by a feeling of weightlessness. Then, a bright light engulfed the area, bathing the ex-summoner in warmth. The soothing sensation made her drowsy. But it was the faint sound of wind-chimes that'd lulled her into a brief state of slumber.