(Authors Note: All FFX-2 characters belong to Square-Enix, not me :( Right, so my second story aaaaand if this seems a bit rushed, it's because it is, sorry *slaps self* its just I'm going away for a week and I really wanted to get this up to kinda test to water so please if you do read on, let me know how I'm doing :) I'm not entirely sure where this is going yet and whether this and my other fic involving Rikku and Gippal will actually merge (I'll remove and re-submit) so for the time being... here goes ... This is my version of what perhaps could've happened after the game ended. There is quite a bit of FMV transcribed but with a few extra bits in, this was just so everything would flow together and more for my help really - kay, shutting up now - bye!!! ^_^ Doms xxx)
An ending
Chapter 1
"See you next time, kiddies! Yeehaw!"
Brother's voice echoed around Luca stadium as thousands of people cheered and waved. On the podium, where Yuna herself had stood two years earlier after the final destruction of Sin, three figures waved at the female Gullwings, perched on the deck of the Celsius as it swooped by.
"Do you think we'll see them again?" Baralai asked in his soft voice.
"We can only hope so." Nooj replied as Yuna, Rikku and Paine waved goodbye.
"We'll see them!" Gippal nodded firmly, watching Rikku's blond hair and bright scarf whipping around in the wind as they disappeared into the distance.
"Did we really have to leave like that?" Rikku called out to Yuna, knelt slightly ahead of her and Paine. She glanced back to the packed stadium below sadly. "Just think of the party we're missing!" Paine gave an amused grunt.
"I think we party enough, don't you?" She smiled over at her bouncy blond friend. Rikku laughed and nodded, looking over to Yuna as she spoke.
"Brother, higher!" She called out, the wind sweeping back her hair.
"Roger!" Brother's voice echoed back to them via the intercom, Buddy chuckling in the background as the Celsius rose gracefully.
"Brother," Yuna called out again. "Faster!"
"Rogerrr!" Brother called back. Yuna laughed, shaking her head.
"I can't hear you!" She shouted back, Rikku and Paine laughing behind her.
"Rogerrrrr!" The Celsius lurched forward, quickly gaining speed and Yuna stumbled forward slightly smiling as they raced off over the ocean.
"Yuna!" Paine called over the noise of the wind after a long silence. "Yuna!" She repeated, dragging her friend out of her own thoughts. "Where are we going?"
"Besaid!" She replied, turning to look back at her friends, her hair obscuring most of her face.
"But why? What's the hurry?" Rikku asked as they swooped in an arc to the left.
"You'll see when we get there!" Yuna replied and despite her hair blowing wildly about her head, there was no mistaking the broad smile that was taking over her face. Rikku glanced at Paine who shrugged.
The journey from Luca to Besaid on board the Celsius wasa quick one and as they neared the island of Kilika, the girls headed back inside the ship and down to the Bridge where Brother, Buddy and Shinra sat at their usual posts.
"Approaching Besaid," Buddy reported glancing up to see Yuna, her face glowing with exhilaration and anticipation.
"I'm picking up something in the water just outside Besaid." Shinra spoke, punching a sequence of buttons on his console and bringing up the anomoly.
"Wha-?" Rikku said as the view screen picked up on a small, bright yellow dot in the ocean just off Besaid beach. "It can't be…" She added turning to look up at Yuna who had already turned sharply and was running up the steps, down the corridor and into the lift.
"Quick!" Rikku said leaping over to Brother's seat and bouncing up and down at his right shoulder. "Drop the cargo door, drop the door!"
"Alright, alright!" Brother hissed, pressing the button.
Breaking the surface of the water, Tidus took a deep breath and wiped the water from his face bobbing around in the ocean. As far as his eye could water surrounded him. Turning slightly, he caught sight of a patch of land and turned to follow it taking in the layout of the land. The small secluded cove to the far right, the trail leading off into the lush vegetation lining the paths heading deeper into the Island, the long expanse of unspoiled golden sandy beach stretching across to the left where the fishing equipment rest when not in use and the jetty reaching out into the ocean with the S.S. Liki in port resting idly. There was no mistaking where he was. He smiled raising a hand out of the water resting his thumb and forefinger in his mouth and whistled as loud as he could listening to the echo. Smiling broadly he leant back in the water and sighed happily, closing his eyes as the bright sun beat down upon him. A few seconds later, he lifted his head sharply and set off swimming toward the beach determinedly.
It wasn't long before Tidus had reached a point where the water was shallow enough to walk and he got to his feet, the water still thigh deep as he sloshed through it further up the beach. Slowing his pace, he turned to listen to an unfamiliar sound approaching from the ocean and turned curiously. A single white trail marked the bright blue skies, the trail leading up to an Airship coming in at rapid speed. Tidus turned to watch as it got closer, its trail twisting in direction to form gentle sweeping 'S' shape in the sky.
"Huh…? Aaaagh!" He called as the huge machine twisted overhead, the landing jets kicking in sending a cloud of spray over him. Shielding his face, Tidus turned to watch the Airship come to a halt directly above him, a loud clunk coming from behind him shortly followed by footsteps on metal.
Yuna waited eagerly at the cargo door, her heart pounding in her chest drowning out the voices echoing from the intercom overhead. Rikku was shouting excitedly in Al Bhed to Brother about opening the door and he was grumbling something back, but as soon as the door gave a loud clunk and the mechanisms began moving to drop the door, nothing else mattered in the world to Yuna except getting down to him. Before the door was barely open, Yuna became aware of another different sound, like footsteps on metal and realised that she was running down the ramp already toward the long drop down to the water, a leap that she would never have attempted under different circumstances. Tears of joy and anticipation blurred her vision, of which she was grateful, as she flung herself from the cargo door splashing down into the knee deep water and without hesitation continued running toward him.
Tidus turned smiling as he watched Yuna fling herself from the still opening cargo door and turned to face her as she raced toward him, a huge smile spreading across her face as he reached out his arms and she ran at full speed into him, wrapping her arms around him burying her head in his chest.
"Are you real?" She asked quietly after a brief silence, hardly daring to move.
"I think so." He replied, moving his hands to Yuna's shoulders as she stood back slightly, her hands on his chest as she looked him over, her eyes finally resting on his face.
"Do I pass?" He asked cautiously as Yuna lowered her hands to her sides and smiled, nodding firmly, tears still in her eyes.
"You're back." She replied in a happy whisper.
"I am back." He repeated her words, reaching around her and pulling her into another tight embrace. "I'm home."
"Welcome home." She smiled turning to rest her cheek on his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. "Yes, home."
Behind them, footsteps echoed once again on the cargo door and Rikku stood teary-eyed and beaming watching them as Paine stopped by her side. Looking up at her friend, Rikku giggled excitedly and turned back to them. Paine gave a quiet chuckle and turned with her to watch.
Still in his arms, Yuna twisted slightly and lifted her head so they were nose to nose, her heart still racing.
"Hey!" A loud voice came from the beach. "Get a room, you two!"
Yuna looked up sharply, her cheeks colouring a light pink as Tidus looked over twisting slightly and keeping his right arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders as a loud cheer came from the Island.
Before them, every inhabitant on Besaid Island stood watching, cheering and waving as they looked over. At the head of the crowd stood the Aurochs and Wakka with Lulu standing slightly behind him holding Vidina closely to her body.
"Whassup?" Wakka called, a broad smile stretched across his face as he waved enthusiastically.
"Who asked you to watch, Wakka?" Tidus called back waving his left arm dismissively.
"Hmm!?" Wakka grinning holding his arms out submissively and turning to grin at Lulu who smiled back, lowering her eyes to watch the still sleeping Vidina in her arms.
"Hiya!" Behind Yuna and Tidus, Rikku waved, jumping up and down excitedly.
Smiling, Tidus lowered his arm from around Yuna's shoulders and gently trailed his hand down her back reaching for her hand and gently pulling her forward. They began a steady jog toward the beach, Tidus leading as he held Yuna's hand. With a giggle, she suddenly increased her speed, easily accelerating past him to his amazement.
"Huh? Whoa!" He stumbled, looked up at Yuna as she ran on. "You know, you've changed." He smiled.
"Well, you missed a few things." She giggled back at him.
"I wanna hear everything!"
Yuna smiled as they got closer and closer to her friends on the Island, imaging how her story would begin.
"Heh-heh, I can't believe it's you, ya? You're really back!" Wakka laughed as Yuna and Tidus reached him and Lulu. He wrapped his arms around Tidus and lifted him clean off the ground in a bear hug.
"Uh... Wakka... air...?" Tidus gasped.
"Oh, sorry - it's just, well, we're really stoked to see you again, ya?"
"Yeah..." He smiled straightening himself out as Wakka placed him down. "I'm really glad to see you guys too." He glanced at Lulu noticing the bundle in her arms for the first time. "Huh? Lulu?"
"This is Vidina." Wakka smiled proudly looking at his son and putting an arm around Lulu's shoulder, his tanned skin in stark contrast to Lulu's porcelain colouring. "He's gonna be a champion Blitzer when he gets older!"
"So his father recons..." Lulu smiled looking at Wakka.
"His fa... you two...? When did that happen?!" He asked looking from Lulu to Wakka and then to Yuna for an explanation.
"Like I said, you missed a few things." Yuna laughed as Wakka gave her a slightly gentler hug than he had Tidus.
"So I see!" He nodded with a smile. "Wakka, you old dog!" He winked. Wakka turned a shade of pink that really didn't complement his hair colour and cleared his throat turning away and rubbing the back of his head with his right hand.
"Hey! You'd better not be starting this party without us! We already missed out on one!" Rikku called as she and Paine splashed out of the sea and up the beach.
"Rikku!?" Tidus smiled recognising her voice and turning to see her stop before him. She linked her hands behind her back and nodded him smiling widely. "Wow - you guys have really changed!" He leant back slightly.
"Hee-hee... and you haven't changed at all!" She laughed skipping forward and wrapping her arms around him. "I'm glad you're back!"
"Heh, me too..." He smiled giving her a quick squeeze before looking over to Yuna. She smiled shyly mirroring Rikku's earlier pose, hands linked behind her back and swaying slightly from side to side.
"Well since Rikku missed out on her party, how about we all head back to the village to prepare a little celebration and leave Yuna and Tidus alone to catch up..." Lulu offered. "Of course I'm sure it won't be half as grand as Luca..." She continued with a smile.
"Woo-hoo, a party!" Rikku cheered punching the air with her right arm and jumping glancing over to her other team-mate. Paine stood slightly back from the group, arms folded in front of her smiling at the others.
"Oh, wait... Yunie?" Rikku called skipping to her side and whispering in her ear.
"Oh of course, I'm sorry..." Yuna said quickly stepping forward and taking Tidus' hand, leading him over to where Paine stood. "This is Paine... she had a big part in helping me find you. She's a member of the Gullwings too!" Yuna grinned as Tidus looked up at Paine and smiled politely.
"The Gull-whats?" He asked looking confused.
"Ahh... I'll explain everything as soon as I can!" Yuna laughed looking at Paine who chuckled softly.
"Pleased to finally meet you - I've heard a lot about you." Paine smiled holding her hand out to shake his formally.
"Uh... thanks." He smiled taking her hand and nodding.
"Everything will make sense soon. I'll leave Yuna to explain a few things and speak to you both later." She smiled at Yuna, bowed her head and turned to walk at Rikku's side leaving the two of them alone.
Looking up the trail to the village Tidus watched just about every person he'd ever seen in Besaid heading back to the village and felt something move at his side. Yuna carefully linked her fingers through his and looked up at his face smiling. Looking down at her he smiled and turned to face her.
"You look even more beautiful than I remember." He smiled softly. She blushed and briefly lowered her eyes from his. "You never gave up did you?"
Yuna shook her head solumnly, her new hairstyle swinging freely around her head.
"I couldn't." She whispered. "I wouldn't let myself. I wanted you to stay more than just ... a memory." Again she hid her face from him. Suddenly she felt a soft hand under her chin and looked back up again.
"Hey..." He smiled sliding his hand to the side of her neck. Yuna could feel her pulse racing through her veins and was sure he'd be able to feel it too as he leant forward and brushed her nose with his. "Thank you." He whispered dropping his head to the side and softly kissing her lips.
