Chapter 8: Proposal

The group walks into the pavilion just outside Guadosalam and continues into the city, except Evan. Evan looks to the ground, troubled. Yuna turns and looks at him and walks back to him. “Everything okay?”

Evan tries to smile but can’t even put on a fake one. “You might want to give Jitta to me.” Yuna nods and passes Jitta from her shoulder to Evan’s. “I’m going to need a reason to stay calm.” He says before walking past Yuna and into the city. Yuna looks at Evan, curious to what he meant, then follows him into the city.

Inside an elderly Guado, Tromell, walks up to Yuna. “We have been expecting you, Lady Yuna. Welcome to Guadosalam. This way, my lady. This way.” Evan, whose standing at the back of the group, moves so fast that he looks like he disappears and reappears between Tromell and Yuna. Tromell jumps back in surprise and fright, but then he regains his composure and bows. “I beg your pardon. I am Tromell Guado. I am in the direct service of our leader, the great Seymour Guado. Lord Seymour has very important business with lady Yuna.”

Yuna steps up to Evan and puts her hand on his shoulder. Evan turns his head to look at Yuna nodding to him. Evan looks back to Tromell then walks off to the side. Yuna turns her attention to Tromell. “Business with me? What kind of business?”

Tromells bows again, presenting the manor of Guadosalam to the group. “Please, come inside the manor. All will be explained.” Tromell looks at the group, warmly. “If course, your friends are also welcome. Tromell’s gaze fixes on Evan and he sneers. “Evan you are welcome, Sir Evan. Lord Seymour forgives you of your treacherous words at Luca.”

Evan smiles and chuckles at Tromell. “How nice of Seymour. I’ll just have to thank the only way I know how.” Evan chuckles as he cracks his knuckles.

Tromell looks bewildered for a moment, then he relaxes and smiles, turning and walking towards the manor. Wakka walks up and grabs Evan’s arm. “Are you trying to get Yevon to kill you?”

Evan shrugs and begins to follow Tromell. “Maybe. It’d make life a lot more interesting.”

Everyone stands in the lobby area of the manor for Seymour. “Yuna and Kimahri stand near the front of the room. Rikku, Spaz, and Ezriel are at the table stuffing their faces with the presented food. Auron and Marcus stand in the back talking. Savailo and Kyri stand not too far away from Auron and Marcus, also talking amongst themselves. Wakka stands by the door alone. Evan and Lulu stand next to the food table, watching Yuna silently. Tidus and Tromell walk in from the door and Tidus walks up to Marcus and Auron. Tromell bows to the group. “I will go inform Lord Seymour. Please wait here.” Tromell turns and leaves through the same door and closes it, leaving the group alone.

Lulu looks up at Evan, seeing him really tense. “Why so on-edge?”

Evan sighs and closes his eyes. “You’ll see soon enough.” Evan pulls out a cigarette and lights it. Taking a very long drag of it and blowing it out slowly, trying to calm himself.

Lulu raises an eyebrow. “You know what going to happen, don’t you?” Lulu accuses of Evan as he brings the cigarette to his lips and takes another drag, not answering. “You’re going to have to explain how someday.” She says turning her attention back to Yuna.

After a few minutes the door opens up again. Everyone turns towards the door and watch as Tromell strolls back in, smiling. “Truly, it is good to have guests again. Since Lord Jyscal passed away, these halls have been too quiet.”

Yuna does the prayer gesture. “The death of Lord Jyscal was a great loss for all Spria.”

Tromell turns to Yuna and nods. “Truly, a loss for us all. But now a new leader, Lord Seymour, has come before us. Lord Seymour is the child of a Guado and a Human. He will be the tie that binds our two races together. But that is not all, I think. Lord Seymour will surely become the shining star that lights the way for all the peoples of Spira.”

“That’s enough Tromell.” Everyone turns as Seymour enters the room. “Must I always endure such praise?” He does the prayer gesture to the group. “Welcome.” He greets them, everyone, but Evan returns the gesture.

Yuna walks up to Seymour. “You wanted to see me?” She asks, getting to the point.

Seymour smiles and speaks to the group. “Please, make yourselves at home. There’s no rush. It is quite late and I invite you all to stay in my home.”

Everyone was tired, so they all nod to Seymour. Wakka does the prayer gesture to him. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

Seymour nods to Wakka then looks at Yuna. “Lady Yuna, this way.” They walk to the center of the room and under three large clear spheres as they begin to glow. “This sphere is a reconstruction created from the thoughts of the dead on the Farplane.” Seymour explains.

The room goes black and the room turns into a view of outer space. The pyreflies coming from the sphere look like meteorites in space. Then the scene shifts to a massive machina city, Zanarkand. “Zanarkand!” Tidus says enthusiastically.

Seymour nods to Tidus. “Correct. Zanarkand as it looked one thousand years ago.” Everyone was looking around, amazed, except Evan, who stands with his arms crossed, glaring at Seymour. “The great and wondrous machina city, Zanarkand. She once lived in this metropolis.”

Yuna looks up at him curiously. “She who?” She asks, but Seymour remains silent as the scene shifts again to a large, well decorated bedroom, a young woman wearing hardly a bikini sits on the large bed in the center of the room. Yuna gasps at the sight. “Lady Yunalesca!”

Seymour nods and does the prayer gesture to Yunalesca. “She was the first person to defeat Sin and save the world from it’s ravages.” Seymour turns to Yuna, smiling warmly. “And you have inherited her name.”

Yuna looks to the floor, somewhat embarrassed. “It was my father who named me.”

Seymour puts his hand on Yuna’s shoulder, Evan visibly tenses even more. “Lord Braska was entrusting you with a great tast. He wanted you to face Sin, as Lady Yunalesca did.” He turns back to Yunalesca. “However, Lady Yunalesca did not save the world alone. To defeat the undefeatable Sin, it took an unbreakable bond of love – of the kind that binds two hearts for eternity.”

A man in ornate samurai armor, Zaon, enters, passes right through Yuna and embraces Yunalesca lovingly. Yuna turns to Seymour as Seymour leans in to whisper to Yuna. Kyri’s eyes widen and she looks back to Evan. Evan’s fists were clinched tightly into fists, his whole body shaking. Evan’s face was what worried Kyri though. A mask of pure rage, sadness, and hate, grinding his teeth as he stares directly at Seymour.

Yuna’s eyes widen in shock and she covers her mouth while gasping. Seymour backs away from Yuna and nods. Yuna turns and walks towards the group, but changes her mind and walks to the food table. She grabs a drink from the table and chugs it until the glass was empty. She sets the glass down and walks over to the group.

Rikku looks at Yuna. “Wow! Your face is beet red!”

Ezriel laughs, pointing at Yuna’s face. “You should stay out of the sun. Looks like you burn easily.”

Spaz looks at Ezriel with a raised eyebrow. “Seriously? That’s the best you got?”

Ezriel sighs. “Can’t expect them all to be gold.”

“You okay?” Tidus asks more concerned.

Yuna looks to the ground for a moment then looks at the group. “He asked me to marry him.” She whispers, still not believing it.

Every piece of glass in the room gives off some electrical discharge before shattering into thousands of pieces. Every candle in the room goes out. Kyri, still looking at Evan’s face, could see his eyes in the dark, sees them glowing red. She runs up to Evan and whispers in his ear. “Calm down! You know she won’t willingly.”

Evan takes a couple deep breaths, calming himself down. His eyes disappear in the darkness and every candle in the room flickers back to life. “Well that was weird.” Evan says playing dumb.

Seymour chuckles then walks over to Yuna. “There’s no need to answer right away. Please think it over.” Seymour turns to Tromell. “Please show our guests to their rooms.”

Yuna shakes her head. “Not yet. I wish to go to the Farplane. I need to speak to my father.”

Seymour turns to Yuna. “As you wish. Tromell will show you to your rooms when you return.” Seymour does the prayer gesture to Yuna. “Good night, Lady Yuna. I await your favorable replay.” Seymour turns to the door and looks at Evan, smiling devilishly as he leave.

Evan walks out the door shortly after while the others talked amongst themselves.

Evan sits on the railing, looking out inot the beautiful vastness of the Farplane. “Here I am, in the land of the dead, and have no one to call.” Evan sighs and looks down from the railing. Why did I act that way? Evan thinks to himself. It was just Seymour, that’s it. I know I told Auron tha tI loved her, but I was drunk! Can’t a guy get plastered every once in a while? Evan sighs and looks back up into the Farplane. Wish I could get plastered right now.

“Looks like you could use a drink.” Evan hears from behind him and turns to see Kyri holding a bottle of liquor.

Evan smirks and chuckles. “Like you were reading my mind.”

Kyri laughs. “More like your feelings.”

Evan laughs and hits his head. “Almost forgot you could do that.” Evan says spinning around on the railing and jumps off the railing to Kyri.

Kyri smirks as she hands the bottle to Evan. “Yeah, I know what you’re feeling. And you really shouldn’t be jealous.”

Evan was about to drink from the bottle but stops. “I’m not jealous.”

Kyri laughs. “Please, even if I couldn’t feel what you’re feeling I would know you’re jealous. When your overly jealous you drink to calm down.”

Evan takes a deep breath after downing a fourth of the bottle. “I wasn’t jealous.” Evan says more seriously.

Kyri laughs at that. “Please, Evan. Even Tidus can see your in love with Yuna. We all know it. You just have to accept it.”

Evan downs another quarter of the bottle and begins to sway a bit. “Surprised you’re not mad at that. The way you acted on Besaid when you found out. Thought you’d never accept it.”

Kyri sighs. “It just caught me by surprise. Hell, it was your rules to not change anything, and what do you do? Go smooching Yuna the first chance you got.”

Evan chuckles, still swaying a bit. “Well…that’s more understandable. Probably would have had the same reaction myself.”

Kyri raises an eyebrow at Evan. “You did.”

Evan looks confused for a moment, then recognition hits him. “Oh! Right! I did, didn’t I?” Evan looks away embarrassed. “I never did say I’m sorry. So…I’m sorry.”

Kyri smiles and punches Evan in the face, hard, laying Evan out. “You’re forgiven.”

Evan sits up and laughs, holding his jaw. “Yep, I deserved that.” Evan gets up as the group walks through the portal from the living world to the Farplane. Yuna and Wakka walk to the railing and call for the dead. Evan looks at Yuna and sighs. Kyri nudges him towards Yuna. Evan, taking the hint, walks up to her. “Er, hey, Yuna.”

Yuna turns and smiles at Evan, then she studies him for a moment. “You’re drunk, aren’t you?” She asks curiously.

Evan chuckles looking down at the bottle in his hand and holds it up. “What gave me away?” Evan jokes.

Yuna turns back to her parents. “You always get drunk when you’re jealous.” Yuna says before laughing slightly.

Evan groans. “Why does everyone think that?” Evan throws the bottle out far onto the Farplane. “There, better?” Evan says pulling out his pack of cigarettes.

Yuna smirks and laughs again. “And you smoke when you’re nervous and are trying to calm down.”

Evan stops from lighting the cigarette for a moment, shrugs, and lights it anyway. “That one I’ll admit to.” Evan says after taking a drag and blowing out the smoke, away from Yuna.

Yuna turns and faces Evan, serious. “Whar are you jealous?”

Evan sighs and takes a long drag, blowing out the smoke slowly. “I’m not jealous.” Evan lies poorly.

Yuna raises an eyebrow. “I’ve decided to accept Lord Seymour’s proposal.” She says seriously. The cigarette bursts into flames then dies out, leaving the cigarette to be nothing more than ash. “Jealous.” Yuna teases.

Evan sighs and turns away from Yuna. “Marry who you want. I honestly don’t care.” Evan lies more convincingly and walks out of the Farplane.

Evan walks into the inn and up to the desk. “I need a room, please.”

The Guado behind the desk sighs and grabs a key. “It’s five hundred gil a night. How many nights are you staying?” The Guado asks unenthusiastically.

Evan places his tournament winnings on the counter. “One night. Keep the change.” Evan takes the key and walks back to the room, but looks out the window to see Savailo watching him from the outside. Evan shrugs and enters the room. Evan places Jitta from his shoulder to the dresser then goes to the bed and pulls off a pillow case. Evan folds it up and walks back to the dresser, making a little nest for Jitta out of the pillow case. “There you go little guy. Get a good night sleep.” Evan takes off his coat and tosses it across the room before crawling into bed and falling asleep in his cloths and boots, not even pulling the cover over himself.

Yuna comes walking up the hill to the cliff where Yuna usually meets Evan for their dates. But when Yuna gets to the cliff, Evan wasn’t there. “Evan?” She calls looking around for him. Yuna sighs and looks to the ground. “He’s late. He promised to be here on time.” She places her hands on her hips. “It’s your birthday, Yuna. Of course I’ll be there.” Yuna says trying to impersonate Evan’s voice. “What am I going to do now?” She asks herself, disappointed. She then notices flower pedals lying on the ground, making a path down the mountain. Yuna blushes and smiles. “You aren’t late.” She says happily before walking the pedal path.

Yuna makes it to the beach and follows the pedals into a circle of candles lying on the beach. Once inside she looks around as a guitar begins to play. She turns towards the music and smiles as Evan plays the guitar, making his way slowly to Yuna. “This one goes out to a very special lady. Hope you enjoy this, Yuna. “ Evan begins to play the opening to Earth Angel by The Penguins. “Earth Angel, Earth Angel, will you be mine? My darling dear, love you all the time. I’m just a fool, a fool in love with you. Earth Angel, Earth Angel, the one I adore. Love you forever and ever more. I’m just a fool, a fool in love with you. I fell for you and I knew, that vision of your love’s loveliness. I hope and I pray, that someday, I’ll be the vision of your hap-happiness. Earth Angel, Earth Angel, please be mine. My darling dear, love you all the time. I’m just a fool, a fool in love with you. I fell for you and I knew, the vision of your love’s loveliness. I hope and I pray, that someday, I’ll be the vision, the vision of your happiness. Woah, Woah, Woah. Earth Angel, Earth Angel, please be mine. My darling dear, love you for all time. I’m just a fool…a fool in love…with you.” Evan finishes the song right in front of Yuna. “Happy Birthday, Yuna.”

Yuna had tears flowing from her eyes and her face bright red from blushing. “Oh Evan!” She jumps into Evan’s arms and kisses him on the lips.

Evan’s eyes shoot open as the door to the room opens and Savailo walks in. Evan sits up and turns so he was facing Savailo. “Figures you’d wake me from a good dream.” Evan grumbles, rubbing his eyes to wake up.

Savailo closes the door and turns his full attention to Evan. “We gotta talk, little bro.” Savailo says crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

Evan sighs and pulls out a cigarette from his pack and lights it. “Okay, what about?” Evan says blowing out the smoke.

Savailo chuckles then sighs. “You’re actions lately. More specifically, at the manor.” Evan groans but Savailo continues. “What happened in there?”

Evan sighs and slumps a bit. “You know…I knew what was going to happen, and I still acted like the jealous boyfriend.”

Savailo smirks, finally making progress where no one else has. “Why did you act like that though?” Savailo asks, pushing forward to get the information.

Eavn laughs slihglty for a moment and shakes his head. “People fall in and out of love all the time. Why can’t I stop loving her?” He asks more to himself than to Savailo.

Savailo shrugs and thinks for a moment. “Why don’t you talk to Yuna about it? I’m sure she’ll take you back in a moments notice.” While Savailo was talking Evan was shaking his head, disaggreeing with it all. “Why not?” Savailo asks.

Evan, becoming angry, stands, and glares at Savailo. “How the hell can I tell her that I love her? Here’s a reality check for you, DJ. We’re from another world! We’re in a world that, in our world, is a video game! We’re in the story of that game traveling with the characters of that game! We don’t know whether or not we’ll still be here when the game ends! How can I possibly tell Yuna that I love her when I’m probably not going to stay?!”

Savail chuckles at Evan’s anger. “Well, Steve, think about the story of that game. Really think about it, and tell me that you want those things to happen?” Evan walks to the other side of the bed and sits down, looking at the floor with his back to Savailo. “Think about it.” Good night, Evan.”

The door opens then closes behind Evan. Evan sits there for a moment butting out his cigarette in an ash tray. “I…I can’t.” Evan says with a sigh of defeat.

“Why not?” Evan hears Yuna ask from behind him, making him jump from the bed and turn quickly, startled. Yuna was standing by the closed door looking at Evan. “Why not?” She demands again, a little angry.

Evan looks away from Yuna, a little embarrassed. “How’d you get in?”

Yuna sighs, looking away as well. “I was outside the entire time.” She then looks at Evan, very serious. “I hear everything. That was Savailo’s idea. To have me listen, while you talk to him alone. Now I know everything, except, why not?”

Evan looks to the ground, angry and embarrassed by Savailo’s actions. Evan sighs and closes his eyes. “How could I ask you to love me when I might end up hurting you again?”

Yuna takes a step forward. “You…!” Yuna takes a deep breath to calm herself before starting again. “I always talk to you when something is on my mind. And you couldn’t talk to me about this?” Who you really are. Where you’re from. Your feelings for me. None of that?” Yuna asks sounding angry and hurt.

Evan laughs slightly, opening his eyes a little. “Yeah, that’d be an interesting conversation. ‘Hey, Yuna, I’m not from Spira. In fact, where I’m from, Spira, your pilgrimage, your story, is a source of entertainment for millions.’ Yeah, that wouldn’t be awkward at all.” Evan says sarcastically.

Yuna looks to the ground. “That’s how you knew. That how you knew everything.”

Evan closes his eyes again and nods. “Yeah.” He whispers.

Yuna looks at Evan, more hurt. “Then meeting me was just a way to be part of your game?!” She yells, very angry.

Evan looks at Yuna with wide eyes. ‘No! When I first met you, I didn’t even recognize you! You were more beautiful than I was prepared for!” Evan takes a deep, calming breath. “The game did you little justice.” Evan laughs slightly, looking at the floor. “In my world, I played a lot of games. I was called a nerd, a freak, a geek, because I was what you’d call socially unacceptable. I couldn’t get a girl to like me no matter what I did, so I turned to games. When I played your game, and saw you, I fell for you.” Evan laughs a little, nervous and embarrassed. “Hell, I’d write stories, fan fictions, about us being together. I was a hopeless romantic, trying to find a girl like you in my world so I could try to make those stories come true.” Evan smiles, looking at the ground. “Then we, the others and me, got sucked, literally, into your world, Spira. It was the second best thing to happen to me, the first was meeting you.” Evan sighs and frowns. “Being with you were the happiest times in my life. I don’t want to leave, I don’t want to return to a place where no one accepts me. I don’t want to leave you, but, if we were together, the fear of going back to my world, the fear of hurting you…” Evan closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I won’t let anything hurt you, Yuna. Not even me.” Evan finishes and opens his eyes, looking at Yuna.

Yuna stands there stunned by the information.”I…uh…” Yuna thinks for a moment, digesting what she just heard. “What happens? In the game, that you don’t want to happen?”

Evan shakes his head. “I can’t tell you.” Yuna was about to object, but Evan holds up his hand to stop her. “I can’t tell you, because I don’t know if it’ll happen after what I’m going to do.”

Yuna looks confused. “Wha…” She couldn’t finish the question because Evan had crossed the room and was kissing Yuna on the lips. Yuna closes her eyes and kisses Evan back. After several minutes of passionate kissing they pull away from each other. “That’s why.”

Yuna laughs for a moment and smiles. “I love you.”

Evan smiles an dputs his hand on Yuna’s face. “I love you too.” They look into each other’s eyes and lean in towards each other, wrapping their arms around each other, and kiss again. They walk towards the bed and fall onto it, still kissing, finally addressing their love for each other.

Several hours later, all their cloths are thrown across the room. They finally rest from their passionate love making , laying beside each other under the blanket, breathing heavily, and covered in sweat. “Wow.” They say in unison. They look at each other and laugh.

Yuna sighs and looks away as tears start flowing form her eyes. Evan looks at her, confused and concerned. “What’s the matter? Did I do something wrong?”

Yuna shakes her head, wiping away her tears. “No, it’s what going to happen next.” Evan looks even more confused as Yuna turns and kisses Evan gently on the lips. “You have to wake up.”

Evan’s eyes shoots open and he sits up in a sitting position. He looks around the room as Jitta squawks happily from the dresser, no one else was in the room. “It was only a dream?” Evan asks not able to believe it. Evan looks to the floor and takes a deep breath. “It was only a dream.” He finally says, very sad. “Of course it was…” Evan shakes his head and gets off the bed. He walks over to where he threw his coat and puts it on, before putting Jitta on his shoulder and walking out of the room.

The Guado was still counting the gil that Evan gave him as Evan walks into the lobby. The Guado looks up at Evan, curiously. “Sir, it’s only been a couple of hours, and you paid me way too much.”

Evan puts his hand up to stop the Guado and walks out of the Inn. Evan wanders the empty streets of Guadosalam until he makes it to the Thunder Plains. Evan sits down on a rock just out of the entrance, into the rain and puts his hood up so he and Jitta wouldn’t get soaked. Evan looks to the ground, frowning, his eyes moist from sadness.