Wow... so here I am again, with... yet another fanfiction! Okay, I really wasn't going to do this, but... well, consider it a Christmas/New Year's present. XD

My summary really doesn't do it justice, either. There's no way to explain this story in just--what is is?--300 characters, or whatever it is. This is my first non-high school fic that I've attempted now in quite some time. The actual concept for this story came to me in a dream, and then after watching episodes of Gundam with my brother (yes, Gundam. I was preparing myself for Gackt's new Gundam album, and I really liked it! But no, this story has nothing to do with Gundam...), this whole story came together. And since I literally think in terms of Tidus and Yuna no matter how hard I try not to, I couldn't help but want to do this story as a fanfiction.

So I stole the title 'fated' from my other novel, and I began work on this. It's going to--hopefully--be short, and I'm going to--hopefully--have it done by the 18th of January. I've only written this chapter (I usually write more than one chapter before posting it, but...eh...) so far, so we'll see what happens. The current plan is to update it every other day, but... again, we'll see what happens.

I'd continue talking about the plot and stuff, but I think you'd better just read it and find out. I'm still not sure as to how it's going to end, because according to my current plan, there's going to be a seqel... so... we'll see.

Anyway, please enjoy!

Chapter 1: Fateful Meeting

A gunshot rang through the air, followed by a surprisingly deafening silence. Blood found its way across the young boy's face, but he could not gasp. His breath was rushed, and hot tears flew from his eyes, mixing with the blood. Another gunshot echoed through the wide room, and more blood. The boy's breath became even more rushed.

The owner of the rifle smiled, revealing gleaming teeth from underneath his helmet, and he pointed the gun at the boy, so that the boy was looking directly into the rifle's barrel. He closed his eyes. This was it.

Another gunshot. The boy prepared himself for impact; for death. Death, nor pain, nor blood, came though. The boy opened one eye, revealing shockingly blue eyes, just in time to see the man who would have shot him, fall. Behind him stood a man who didn't appear to be very old at all. He lowered his gun and walked over to the boy, and put his hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay," he said, his voice soft. "I'm here to save you."

The boy simply smiled.

"Tidus…" the man said, his smile growing wider. "Tidus. Tidus."

Tidus' blue eyes flashed open, and he sat up straight in his bed, bumped his head on the low ceiling, and let out a gasp as he realized someone was standing at his side.

"Tidus!" As Tidus' eyes came into focus, he realized that his friend was standing beside him, with a look of concern spread out across his face.

"Whoa Wakka, don't scare me like that!" Tidus said, rubbing his head.

"Sorry, but you were making quite a ruckus, yelling 'Don't shoot!'. I was afraid a New Yevon rat was in here, or something… but it was just that dream again, huh?"

"Yeah, that dream," Tidus said, and he let out a low sigh. "It's just so real, even now, you know? It's all I remember about them, and it's horrible."

"I'm sure," Wakka said, shaking his head. "I couldn't imagine watching my parents get killed. I'm glad I wasn't there when it happened…"

"Yeah…" Tidus simply mumbled. "You're lucky."

"Thank Yevon for Nooj though, eh brudda?" Wakka said, smiling widely and giving Tidus a pat on the back.

"Wakka, if they hear you talk about Yevon one more time, they're going to assume you're a Yevonite." Both Tidus and Wakka looked up to see their friend Lulu standing in the doorway, her arms crossed.

"Ah, they know I don't mean New Yevon!" Wakka said, smiling and shaking his head. "What are you doin' here, Lu?"

"I heard Tidus yelling too," she said, rolling her eyes. "I thought no one was going to come to see what he was yelling about."

"I'm just a pitiful soldier," Tidus said, shrugging. "They don't care what happens to me."

"Now dat's not true!" Wakka said quickly. "Nooj cares about all of his children."

"I'm going back to bed," Lulu announced. "Let's try not to talk in our sleep anymore, okay Tidus?"

"Right," Tidus said sheepishly. "I'm sorry to bother you."

"Hey, maybe you're just nervous about tomorrow?" Wakka offered.

"Yeah, probably," Tidus admitted. "I'm surprised I fell asleep.

"You two both need to go back to sleep before you wake up the rest of this bunker," Lulu said. "I swear, these guys could sleep through anything."

Both Tidus and Wakka laughed and they looked around at the rest of the men, all snoring and sleeping soundly.

"Plus, if we get caught up…" Lulu trailed.

"Ah, relax Lu!" Wakka said. "This is Tidus' last night here, after all. I can't believe you passed basic training already!"

"Me neither," Tidus admitted. "But hey, it's not like I'm going to be on the front lines. I'm just a spy for now."

"But you could always get deported," Lulu said. "I know we said this earlier, but stay in Bevelle for as long as you can, okay? Don't do anything stupid and go running off to Zanarkand."

Tidus rolled his eyes, and laid back in his uncomfortable bed.

"You guys know I want to fight," he mumbled.

"But it's safer in Bevelle, as long as you're not caught," Wakka said, his voice surprisingly stern. "Don't do anything stupid like Chappu did."

Tidus rolled his eyes despite himself. He'd heard plenty about Chappu, Wakka's little brother and Lulu's lover, who had decided to go right to the front-lines, only to get himself killed on his first day of duty.

"I want to fight…" Tidus simply mumbled again.

"Maybe this war can end before you get that far," Lulu said, her voice rather monotone.

"That's doubtful," Tidus said, sitting back up with a sigh. "Spying should be fun. More fun than here, anyway."

"Hey, what's dat supposed to mean?" Wakka demanded, which just caused Tidus to laugh. Wakka was his drill sergeant, the man who taught him everything he knew. Wakka had taken an immediately liking to Tidus, mostly because of Tidus' determination. It didn't hurt either that Tidus apparently shared an uncanny resemblance to Wakka's brother Chappu.

Lulu meanwhile worked as the black magic trainer, training soldiers in the art of black magic, something Tidus never understood. All Youth League training took place on the small island of Besaid, which belonged to Zanarkand, the real headquarters of the Youth League. Wakka and Lulu remained there, where they took in new soldiers, and trained them, before they were deported to their designated area in Spira.

The day had been Tidus' final day in basic training, before he was off in a special mission group known as the 4-9 Spy Unit. Tidus, along with ten others, were chosen for the mission. Their task was really quite simple. Tidus and the others were off to Bevelle, the city that headquartered their adversary, New Yevon. There, they would blend in as regular civilians—and thusly followers of New Yevon—and gather what information they could as an insider of the city of Bevelle. Each of the ten members of the unit were assigned a district in Bevelle.

Tidus himself got assigned to what he was sure was a boring merchant district. The idea was that travelling merchants may be able to offer some information, but Tidus was certain that it wouldn't be nearly as exciting as the imperial district.

He had been trained in ground combat as well as the skill of information gathering. The unit would be there for an unspecified amount of time, before getting called to a committee to reveal what they had learned. It was a trial plan, and not at all Tidus' idea of a good time. Tidus wanted to fight.

Tidus had just been assigned earlier that day, and had said a quick goodbye to Wakka and Lulu, who had become his friends. Although he was sure it was just because he resembled their friend, the two had become almost caretakers of him, something he'd never had before.

Tidus didn't remember much of his life before the age of eight, the fateful day that his parents had been murdered at his side. Actually, Tidus didn't remember anything before the moment that his mother and father's blood was splattered across his face. The day that Nooj, now the leader of the Youth League, saved him.

After that, he'd been sent to Youth League camps, where he learned everything there was to learn about the fight between Zanarkand and Bevelle, the Youth Group and New Yevon.

It was actually quite simple, despite the fact that the war had been going on for years.

As it'd been explained to him, Spira had once been untied, under the rule of Yevon, a great ruler of all. When Yevon died, however, his two sons began to argue. They broke off into the two major cities, Bevelle and Zanarkand. Still, the brothers weren't happy. The ruler of Bevelle wanted to rule Zanarkand as well, and vice-versa. And so, the war raged.

Eventually, the two quit fighting, and set up their own empires. Zanarkand claimed Besaid while Bevelle took over its neighboring island, Kilika. Both empires set up bases on their own island, just in case a war would ever break out again.

Bevelle was turned into a monarchy, a true empire, and called itself New Yevon, literally the ruling of a new Yevon. Zanarkand took a more liberal approach, and decided to elect a young official as their leader, and they referred to themselves and their form of government as the Youth League.

As the sons of Yevon died and new leaders came into the picture, peace became more and more fragile. Rumor had it that a native of Kilika 'accidentally' launched off a test bomb on Besaid, killing many, including Wakka and Lulu's parents, which set off the initial blow for the war. Pretty soon, there was an attack on Bevelle, followed by an attack on Zanarkand.

It wasn't long before things began to get extremely dangerous. Both cities were working hard to annihilate the other, but it became apparent early on that Bevelle had the best weapons. To prove this, they destroyed Zanarkand.

That simply made the Youth League more upset, and gave them even more to fight for. And so, the two empires engaged in what was known as the never-ending war. The main battles were fought by foot in the ruins of Zanarkand, as Bevelle tried to expand its empire into the ruined city. Thinking about Zanarkand made Tidus' blood boil. It had been his home, after all.

"How do you think I'll survive, pretending to be a citizen of Bevelle?" Tidus asked, sighing loudly. "You think I can pull it off?"

"Of course you can," Lulu said.

"But it will be tough," Wakka said through clenched teeth. "Just don't be afraid to kill anyone…"

"Don't start anything!" Lulu simply said, glaring at Wakka. "Well, unless it's something great."

"I wish I was in the imperial district," Tidus said with a sigh. "That would be so much more exciting."

"I know, just think if their leader came out. You could kill him andBANG!, this whole war would end!" Wakka announced gleefully.

"I doubt it would end just like that," Lulu said, rolling her eyes at him. "Besides, they have that genius commander-in-chief."

"Baralai," Tidus sneered, and he rolled his hands into fists. "That traitor."

"It wasn't a surprise," Wakka said. "Nooj himself announced it. Baralai was upset that Nooj got named the leader of the Youth League and not him."

"That doesn't give him reason to go to the enemy!" Tidus said. "If I ever saw him, you can bet that I would blow his head off."

"You'd be killed in an instant," Lulu said, crossing her arms.

"Would it matter?" both Wakka and Tidus demanded at the same time.

Lulu just shook her head, and said, "Have you heard about the other special unit being released in Bevelle?"

"What other unit?" Tidus said, his voice slightly whiny. How he dreaded to be on any unit than his own.

"The Youth League has decided that the best way to get to New Yevon's leader is through his daughter. She's only nineteen. She's believed to be utterly naïve as well, an easy kill."

"Damn, why couldn't I be on that line?" Tidus said. "Just think of the reward I'd get if I killed her."

"They couldn't put you on that line because you're nineteen and naïve too," Wakka said, laughing a full, hearty laugh.

"Ah, shut up," Tidus said. "You think they put me on this stupid line because of my age?"

"It's a possibility," Lulu said. "You're just lucky you weren't shipped off to the front line like most kids your age."

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Tidus said with a pout.

Both Wakka and Lulu laughed, before Lulu finally said, "We need to go."

"Right, right…" Wakka mumbled. "Take care, will ya?"

"Will do," Tidus said. "But I'm off to Zanarkand to fight first chance I get."

Wakka just shook his head, and said, "Be careful."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"We mean it, Tidus," Lulu said. "We'll probably never see you again, whether you survive or not."

That was true. Tidus swallowed, and forced a smile, and said, "Thanks for everything, guys."

Wakka shrugged and said, "We're just gonna miss having you around."

"I'll miss you guys too," Tidus said. "Maybe I'll try to write?"

"Are you even literate?" Wakka joked.

"Yes!" Tidus said, but he laughed and shook his head. "I'll be careful, okay? I'll make it out alive, so that someday I can come back here."

Both Wakka and Lulu smiled at this mention, and they said a few final farewells, before they left the barracks, shutting the door softly behind them.

Tidus laid back down, and took a deep breath. Tomorrow was the day, the day he'd been looking forward to since the day his parents had died.

The day he could finally begin his quest for redemption.

-

The quest to Bevelle was long, and started early. Tidus truly had no time to see Wakka and Lulu again, nor did he really have time to wish anybody farewell. The next thing he knew, he was in a boat, on his way to the city of Luca, the only neutral city in all of Spira, not counting Al Bhed territories.

From there, the troops were forced to split into smaller groups, and toward Bevelle they all went. They stopped for an overnight stay at the Youth League's station at Mushroom Rock, where they received false travelling passes to allow them access into Bevelle.

It was understood that the most dangerous part of the entire operation was getting into Bevelle, which, to Tidus, was the most exciting.

The troop reached Bevelle very early in the morning, and everybody was very tired. Tidus was the fourth member of his unit to enter the city, and he was given his fake travelling pass. The other three had made it safely, so it was guessed that as the fourth, Tidus wouldn't have a problem.

He was to walk up to the gate, present his travelling pass, and immediately arrive at his station, which was of course located in the merchant district, with a Youth League merchant already there in disguise. Then the next day, his real work would begin.

Tidus was given the okay to go, so he took a deep breath, and started toward the gate of Bevelle, and lined up behind the others—who were all probably innocent civilians—who were lined up to gain access to the New Yevon imperial city.

Tidus did his best to act as the others were. It wasn't too difficult to do, either. Everybody around appeared to be weary travelers, and for the time being, that was exactly what Tidus was. He was too weary to care about much, and that included his cause. He just wanted to arrive at his destination and relax, before the real work began.

He reached the gate, where a bunch of New Yevon soldiers stood, checking the papers. Tidus presented his to the guard, who he realized was no older than he was.

The guard looked at it, glanced at him, and looked at it again, before giving him the initial okay. From there, Tidus had to get back in line.

After waiting in that line for what seemed like ages, he finally reached an older, balding guy, who once again examined his pass.

"Wait a minute…" the man suddenly said, his voice waking Tidus up immediately.

"Is something wrong?" Tidus asked, his voice tired.

"You're coming from Luca?" the man questioned.

"Yeah," Tidus said, his voice firm and steady despite the fact that his heart was beginning to race. He knew that if the Yevonites began to suspect anything, he himself was to pull his sword out and kill himself before they could demand any answers. Tidus gulped, despite his attempts to stay steady.

"How long were you there?" the man questioned.

"Just a while," Tidus said, trying to think of a good excuse on the run. "I'm returning from a quick trip to Kilika."

"Do you have your files from Kilika?" the guard asked.

"I'm afraid not," Tidus said. Oh Yevon, this was it. Tidus swallowed hard and wrapped his fingers around the knife he had sheathed on his waist. He was going to have to kill himself, and that was that.

"Seems like we've been running into that problem a lot," Tidus heard a voice behind him, and there stood a set up hazel eyes. The owner of the eyes put his hand on Tidus' shoulder, and said, "Let him through."

The man looked at the man behind Tidus, who was dressed, Tidus realized, in full-out Yevonite uniform, so that just his eyes were visible.

In one quick movement, he took his helmet off, and platinum hair was revealed. He smiled a youthful smile, and the guards all nodded and started to shove Tidus through.

Tidus, however, was in shock. There stood Baralai, the commander-in-chief of the New Yevon forces, whom all Youth Leaguers knew to be a traitor.

Tidus was shoved through and into the city's gates so quickly though, that he was forced to snap out of the shock he was feeling. He realized his hand was still on his knife, and that if he hadn't been pushed through, chances were that he would have pulled that knife out and killed the young commander-in-chief before anybody knew what was happening.

Grinding his teeth together in hatred, Tidus shook Baralai's gleaming smile out of his head, and marched through the streets of the unfamiliar city. His weariness was slowly returning, and he knew that the faster he arrived at his checkpoint, the faster he'd be able to finally go to sleep. It had been a very long journey, after all.

The streets of Bevelle were very wide, and mostly everything was draped in a blood-red color or royal violet, the colors that signified New Yevon. It made Tidus sick to his stomach.

The people themselves seemed friendly enough. There were some elderly people standing outside of a tavern laughing, and a young paperboy at the corner attempting to sell some papers.

Tidus pulled out a map quickly, where his area of the city was circled. He quickly found his way there, and tore the map up and dumped it in the trash. He didn't need to leave behind any evidence that he was there for a reason for him being where he was.

He took a deep breath and turned around to see his surroundings, which he realized instantly was the city's bazaar. There were endless tables set up, with men and women alike attempting to sell random items of interest.

Tidus stood there, momentarily dumbfounded. He had long forgotten what it was like to be in a city environment. There was definitely much more hustle and bustle than at the Besaid training camp. He felt a twang of loneliness in the pit of his stomach. Who knew that he would get homesick for Besaid?

He sighed loudly, wondering how long he would be stationed in Bevelle. It was a dangerous task, being that he was literally a spy. Still, he couldn't see much excitement coming from what was just a giant bazaar.

Although, he realized, these people were probably not the most innocent of Bevelle's civilians. Even so, Tidus was far too tired to think of any excitement occurring.

For the time being, he just wanted to find his checkpoint, and sleep.

He took a deep breath, and decided he needed to find his place, a building by the number 128. His eyes scanned the buildings, but 128 seemed to be nowhere in sight.

Finally, he sighed loudly, and decided that he was just going to ask somebody. He walked up to one of the bazaar counters, only to notice that the lady was quite large and covered in tattoos. Tidus had to admit that it frightened him to know that that lady was twice his size.

So, Tidus turned around and then saw who appeared to be the perfect person to ask for directions.

Walking toward from him was a girl who appeared to be about his age, with shoulder-length brown hair. She smiled a shy smile as he caught her eye, and Tidus decided that she would be the perfect person to ask where his building was.

He smiled back at her and he approached her somewhat quickly.

However, she opened her mouth first.

"Excuse me," she said, her smile growing wider, and Tidus was shocked to see that she had two mis-matched eyes. "Do you happen to know how to get to the Rosemary District from here?"

"Rosemary District?" Tidus said, feeling a moment of shock. What the hell was the Rosemary District?

"Surely you know where that is, right?" she said, giving him what appeared to be a confused smile.

Tidus began to panic. Should he know what it was and how to get there? This girl didn't know how, so should he?

"I'm afraid I've never been to this district before," the girl continued, "but surely you've been to the Rosemary District, right? You know, that's where all city meetings have been."

Tidus stood there in slight shock for a moment, realizing that the girl appeared utterly confused. City meetings?

"City meetings," the girl continued. Then, she lowered her voice and said, "You are with New Yevon, right?"

"R-Right!" Tidus said, possibly too loudly and too jumpy. "Right, of course I know where that district is!"

"Good," the girl said, smiling proudly. "Could you show me the way?"

Tidus blinked a few times. Who was this girl? He wondered if it was a Bevellian thing to do, to lead lost females who wandered away from their homes back. She seemed to expect him to.

"Sure," Tidus just said, shaking his head. He had to blend in, after all. The problem was, he had no idea what the Rosemary District was, let alone where it was.

Even so, he put on a confident smile and said, "Just follow me."