MY BEAUTIFUL LADY

Hope dies last

Yuna stood under the window holding her hands tightly close to her body and imagined herself on a big fancy ball. A woman's figure exactly like she had seen on the painting loomed before her, sent her a cold piercing look and pushed Yuna away. "She is not my granddaughter. Arrest her for fraud..." Yuna heard a strict voice in her head and didn't notice that Lulu had asked her a question.

"...Yuna?" Lulu stepped closer to her and the intimidating perception disappeared. "Huh..."Yuna asked in distraction. "I asked what your dresssize is." Lulu repeated her earlier question. "Am...what...I don't know..." Yuna tried to concentrate. "It's ok. I'll ask the maid to get your measurements and then I'll order something for you to wear." Lulu looked at Wakka. "Will you be her companion, she obviously can't come alone."

Wakka and Rikku sent each other elfish looks and smiled. "No, we already have a man for that job." Wakka answered. "Don't worry – he is well groomed. Auron even thought him dancing and stuff..."

"You are aware that he has to attend in a tuxedo." Lulu said with a glare. Wakka raised his hands and smiled. "Not a problem, madam."

"I guess everything is settled then-" Lulu walked to the phone again but Yuna stopped her. "What about Rikku, can she come with me?"

"Her finals are tomorrow, she can't." Wakka reminded Rikkus big contest. Rikku grabbed her head with her hands. "Ups, I forgot all about it! I would really want to be there but...you'll understand, right?" Rikku asked from Yuna. "Of course. There isn't much you can do for me anyways, so..." Yuna shrug her shoulders. "But you can see the rehearsals, they start in the morning." Wakka suggested.

Lulu cleared her throat. "I would love to stay and chat but I have a lot of work to do. Cecilia will come right away and after that...Auron knows how to contact me." Yuna was trying to arrange her thoughts but before she could ask the questions she wanted, Lulu had left.

Moments after the same maid who had came with the cart entered. "We will wait outside." Auron said to Wakka as he stood up and they went out. When Yuna was measured she joined them and they could leave.

"Are you sure it's gonna work?" Yuna asked from Auron. "Pretty sure. When Lulu is arranging things, you can count that everything will be perfect." Yuna nodded and felt a little better.

& & &

Meanwhile Tidus had driven into a very strange place. The car stopped in front of big rusty gates and behind them were ruins of a once royal palace. The right wing had totally fallen in and the left one was barely standing. "Are you sure it's the right place." The driver asked from Tidus. "Yeah, it's the place. Wait me at the end of the street. I'll leave the dog here..." The driver nodded with a questioning look but followed orders – when Tidus had stepped out he drove where he was asked to and stopped.

Tidus walked straight to the gates and tried if they were opened. The gaits may have been old and rusty but they were firmly closed. Tidus looked around and when no one was at sight climbed over. He started walking towards the building but instead of heading to the main entrance he walked left. After passing some bad looking hedges, smashed statues and a broken fountain he found an almost irrupted hatch. He pulled off the iron grid and went in.

The tunnel led into a kitchen but Tidus didn't stop there. He walked on and on, until he reached the large main hall. Tidus looked around in the shabby room. Everything valuable had been taken from here long ago, dirty words and scribble covered the walls, there was trash and pieces of coloured glass on the floor.

Tidus sighted as he observed his surroundings but then continued on. He headed to the stairs and took the one that hadn't fallen in. Tidus went to the second floor and started to search a room. The second floor looked even worse than the first one.

He finally reached his destination. Tidus stopped in a room that seamed to have belonged to a girl. The walls were pink, the remains of the furniture were decorated with flower patterns and there were some broken dolls in the corner. "Please be here..." Tidus whispered to himself as he scanned the room. His eyes stopped on a broken chair. He walked to it, bent down, pushed the chair aside and slid his fingers across the high baseboard.

After finding an almost invisible cap, he pulled a piece of the baseboard off. There was a hole behind it and he reached his hand into it. After some grabble he took out something wrapped into a handkerchief. Tidus slipped it into his pocket and left.

He had reached out of the big hall when he heard something – footsteps. Tidus stopped and looked around. Someone else was in there and he was walking slowly in the hall. Tidus hid himself behind the corner and listened. He heard the glass crunching when the man walked and then he started to talk with someone. "Just one more day, my precious. Tomorrow the circle will complete. She will walk right into my arms..." The man laughed. "Go, Storm, and keep an eye on Yuna, I don't want her to do anything stupid!"

The mans voice was very low and Tidus didn't catch all of it but he startled when he heard Yunas name and then a bird flapping its wings. After a few seconds of considering with himself he decided he had heard wrong and left.

& & &

After his visit to the palace Tidus waited his friend to return at his and Wakkas place. He walked back and forth and tried to figure out what to say to Yuna.

"Hey, Yuna. I know why I seam so familiar to you..." He mumbled. "No, it is stupid."

"Yuna, do you remember a boy who you played with-" He grabbed his head with his hands. "Of course she doesn't remember, otherwise she would have known me..." Tidus fell into the armchair and slipped his fingers through his hair. "There is no point. When she will return to her place she won't give a damn about some kitchen boy whom she has no memory of. Who am I kidding...?"

When he was about to get up the door opened and Yuna walked in. Tidus raised his head. "Hey...where is everyone?" He asked when Yuna had shut the door behind her. "Auron said he'll meet me tomorrow and Wakka and Rikku went to the store to get something to eat." Tidus straightened his position and cleaned his throat. "Why are you standing there, make yourself as home." Yuna looked Tidus with awkwardness but then dared to have a seat.

"So, this is your actual place then, huh?" She said looking around. "Another Wakkas kindness..." Tidus looked away. "Wakka has a very big heart." Yuna said and also looked away. They both felt like they owed Wakka their life and spent the next moments in awkward silence.

"So...what happened at the palace? Did you get to meet her?" Tidus finally decided to ask. "No, but I talked with someone named Lulu. She said that I was who you thought me to be – Violas granddaughter." Yuna spoke silently. Tidus leant forward. "But she also said that Viola had decided to stop her search and doesn't want to see any more girls from now one."

"But how are you going to meet then?" Tidus asked. "At the ball tomorrow. Oh, and you have to wear a tuxedo or something like that..." Yuna said with a puzzled look. "I don't have to cut my hair for it, do I?" Tidus asked and made Yuna laugh. Tidus laughed with her and they looked into each others eyes. They fell silent and Tidus opened his mouth to say something but Yuna rose from her seat and looked down while smoothing her hair. I'm a bit thirsty, may I have some water, please." Tidus was astounded by Yunas reaction. Different thoughts hit him at the same moment. "Um...yeah, sure." He managed to say and stand up after blocking the all. "Follow me..." And they went to the kitchen.