CRIME

 

Rating: PG
Genre: er…murder Mystery?
Setting: FF10, a temple, then the middle of nowhere
Main Characters: Yuna

 

Part 1

Scattered clouds covered the moon, and blotted the stars from view. Wind ripped through the trees, thrashing mercilessly against the window. Yuna lay awake, her eyes wide open. The tree branches scratched at the window, it was creepy, like someone outside was trying to get into the temple. She rolled over. But still sleep refused to take hold of her. The wind was getting fiercer by the minute. It was no use. She just couldn’t sleep. She stood up, pulling a housecoat around her for more warmth. She planned to go to the kitchen, perhaps make herself some hot chocolate. She crept out of her room, although even if she slammed the door it wouldn’t be heard above the wind. The temple was incredibly creepy at night. She hoped she would be able to find the kitchen. The temple was deserted. It was somewhat unnerving. On a night like this it is inevitable that something bad will happen. Most of the time it may go unnoticed, but not tonight. Yuna walked out into the entrance hall. There was a faint flicker of a candle, maybe a lantern. Two figures were silhouetted by its eerie, flickering glow. One was distinguishable as the leader of this temple, but the other Yuna was certain she hadn’t seen before. She stayed in the shadows, not wanting to disturb what seemed to be a deep conversation. But she was curious. She couldn’t help watching the figures. As she watched she saw a glint of steel. The temple leader backed away slightly. Yuna screamed as the second figure thrust a knife deep into the leaders’ chest. The figure turned at her scream. She saw him in the light. It seemed impossible. He looked exactly like…Tidus.

 

Was it really him? Yuna couldn’t be sure, but if it was, she couldn’t possibly turn him over to the temple. She didn’t know why he had murdered the priest, but maybe there was a good reason for it. He walked towards her. He was still holding a knife, covered in blood. Yuna felt herself step aside to let him pass. The smile. It was so much like his. Then, in a rush of air, he ran out of the temple.

 

Footsteps rushed around Yuna. She had sunk to her knees beside the statue, and been unable to stand again. The other priests scurried around, searching for clues. But the murderer had been clever. The only evidence he had even been there rested only in Yuna’s memory. But had she done the right thing? The priests were upset, she could tell. And she had just stood back and let the murderer pass. She should never have done that. Even if he did look like Tidus. Even if he was Tidus. She stood up shakily. One of the priests approached her.

 

“You should try to sleep, child. It must have been a shock, seeing our leader lying there like that.”

 

No, thought Yuna. I think it was more of a shock seeing him get murdered. She smiled weakly.

 

“That’s a good girl. Be brave. We will get through this difficult time.” By Yevon, Yuna thought, they have no idea. She knew what she had to do. The murderer had to be brought to justice, even if it was Him. She walked, still shaky, towards her room. There was a back door there, she could slip out unnoticed. And bring back the murderer. She slipped into her room, and pulled a cloak over her before leaving the temple to search the dark and dreary night.

 

 

It had been weeks, but still she could find no sign of the murderer. She had searched through countless towns. But nobody had seen him, or even heard of him. So, with a weary and saddened heart and an incessant guilt welled up deep within her, she planned to head on, and continue her journey. But still, a thought kept nagging at her. Maybe she hadn’t really tried to seek the murderer down because he killed the priest. Maybe the real reason was because there was always a chance that he might have been Tidus, that maybe she would have found him again. She was fooling herself, she knew. It had happened before. This time was another wild goose chase.

 

But the feeling of hope still poked her. She didn’t want to give up. But then, she didn’t really want to find him either. Maybe he had a good excuse, but if he didn’t? The guilt was driving her crazy! She had allowed him to get away, but now the thought that haunted her was what if it really was him this time? And what if he had no good reason? She couldn’t let him go again, if that were the case. In the time she had been thinking, she had walked quite a way. That’s when she saw it. There was a cave, half hidden behind shrubbery. It was almost impossible to see, unless someone stood just where Yuna was standing. She was curious. Hidden caves always held a small thrill of adventure, and maybe a bit of exploration would take her mind off of Tidus. She walked towards it carefully. It felt almost the same as when she had found that small beach cave in her home town of Besaid.  It had only been small, with a sandy floor. But the excitement was there, of finding something new, and being the first, at least in her own mind, to ever set foot inside it. Unless of course it was a cave full of pirate treasure, or perhaps a smugglers cave. She had played for hours in that small cave, each day a different adventure. She pushed aside the shrubs with one hand. And gasped. She had been searching for him for weeks, and now, just when she thought she had found a way to forget him, he was inside the very cave she had gone too to forget him. He turned and stared at her. It was definitely the man from the temple. She held a staff up to warn him not to move. She could see him properly in the light. It was amazing. He could be Tidus’ twin.

 

“You even think about running, you’ll regret it!” he merely smiled at her threat. The smile, it was so like His. But she had put all thoughts that it was Tidus behind her, now she stood face to face with the murderer.

 

“It’s nice to see you too, Yuna”

 

 

Yuna couldn’t help but gasp. How could this man know her name? She supposed that he remembered when she was a Summoner. She was famous then. He hadn’t moved.

 

“What’s the matter, Yuna? Don’t you recognize me?”

 

“Of course I do! You’re the man who murdered that temple leader!” the man shrugged.

 

“I didn’t murder him. I assassinated him.”

 

“What’s the difference! Either way he’s dead and you killed him! And now you’re going to pay for it!”

 

“I can tell you the difference.”

 

“The what?”

 

“The difference. Between assassination and murder.”

 

“I don’t care about that!”

 

“Really. Then why are you still standing there? There must be some reason why you haven’t attacked me yet. It’s because deep down, you know I’m Tidus, isn’t it.” Yuna lowered her weapon, almost in shock. How did this man know about Tidus? Nobody knew about him. Nobody except those who had traveled with her on her journey to defeat Sin. And Paine she supposed. But nobody else knew. Could it be that this man was really Tidus? That she had found him at last. But he had killed someone for the money. How could she let that go?

 

“So, you say you’re Tidus? Prove it!”

 

“Very well.” He launched into a description about the night at the Moonflow. Only herself and Tidus knew about it. She had never written it down, never spoken of it. There was no way anybody could know. So he was Tidus. His story drew to an end and she realized she had tears flowing down her face.

 

“Tidus! How could you kill that priest?”

 

“To cut a long story short, I needed the money. Before I could find you again I wanted to get my life sorted out. And money is the first thing. An assassin gets paid well.” He stepped forward and embraced Yuna. “I haven’t sorted everything out yet. So I must leave you again.”

 

“No! You can’t! Not when I’ve just found you! Please! Don’t go! I couldn’t bear it” He merely smiled.

 

“You won’t remember this. None of it. You won’t even remember who you’ve been looking for, or why. I will return to you. Someday.” Yuna became aware of a cloud of smoke wafting in front of her. She felt drowsy. Slowly her eyelids closed, as she fell asleep.

 

 

She didn’t remember anything when she woke up. He had gone.  She had no recollections of the past few weeks. How had she ended up in a cave? The last thing she knew was that she had stopped at a temple to rest. She stood up, and left the cave. Walking vaguely back towards the village, she could feel a huge surge of hope. Someday, somewhere, she would find Tidus. She just knew it. Someday.

THE END