Hello! Welcome to a new story, a version of what I would like to see from an FFX-3. If anyone has read my fic FFX-3: Legacy, you will recognize some names and characters in this fic. Consider this an AU, if you will, an alternate usage of them as characters for the purposes of this story. A more 'final fantasy'-esque tale. OC heavy, but the canon cast will remain main characters throughout.

I do hope you enjoy this prologue-ish chapter!

Reviews and critiques are more than welcome.

The sun was shining brightly overhead, warming the pristine white beaches of Besaid Island. A gentle breeze swept through the foliage and trees as gulls cawed overhead. It was a gorgeous day and one that many of the denizens had elected to spend outside.

Lunic, however, was busy reading inside one of the temple chambers. He often spent his days in the enormous stone building, pulling down ancient texts, speaking with the priests and acolytes. True the Cloister of Trials and subsequent Chamber of the Fayth had been empty for many years now, but the memory of Yevon still held true for many people.

The faith had changed somewhat over the years, but the temples were still highly regarded and even protected by the New Spiran Council.

Lunic liked the peace he found within its walls. Sometimes the priests came together to sing the Hymn of the Fayth and when they did, Lunic always stopped to listen. His mother had once told him that the Hymn was used to calm the hearts of the faithful. And it certainly never failed to do so in his case.

As Lunic poured over the large tome he was reading, regarding what little Spirans truly knew of the Fayth, a strange chill swept through the air. It was as if something had passed by him. Or through him.

Looking up from his book, Lunic glanced around the empty chamber, blue eyes flickering to every corner, but there was nothing to be found.

Trying to return to his reading and ignore the unease settling in his gut, Lunic nearly jumped when he heard a voice whisper his name. He sat bolt upright, the book falling from his lap and he whipped his head around to examine the chamber.

Still…nothing.

But something inside of him was churning. A strange pull.

And before he knew what was happening, his feet were taking him out of the main hall and into the Cloister of Trials.

An oppressive silence rang in his ears as he entered the Cloister. It was almost suffocating and the chill he'd felt earlier seemed to linger in the air, growing stronger as he neared the Chamber of the Fayth. Lunic was shivering by the time he'd reached the lift, and even though fear threatened to paralyze him, he found himself unable to stop, stepping onto the lift and wincing as it activated, glowing beneath his feet. The lift took him downward before he could even think to change his mind and he found himself standing in the center of the Chamber, the chill in the air now making him shake.

A large, gaping hole that Lunic knew as an entrance to the Farplane from one of the priests lay before him. A faint whisper of wind tugged as his hair as he approached the hole, fear making his throat seem to close.

He wasn't sure what it was that had drawn him down here and why the Chamber he'd explored so many times suddenly felt so oppressive, but it was too late to turn back now. Suddenly, from within the hole a stream of pyreflies floated upwards. They spiraled in circles, performing an entrancing dance before a brilliant flash of light lit up the chamber, blinding Lunic and sending him stumbling backwards.

When he dared to open his eyes again, he blinked through the spots to see a figure hovering before him. It was a young boy, no older than him, wearing a dark purple robe, adorned with golden highlights.

"W-Who are you?" Lunic managed to find his voice as the apparition swept closer, seemingly examining him.

"A Fayth," the boy replied. "And you are Lunic."

"You know my name?"

"We know all about you," the Fayth responded, and although Lunic could not see his eyes beneath his hood, he could feel them boring into him. "You are the bridge."

Lunic was more than confused. The Fayth weren't supposed to exist anymore; he knew that from the books in the temples. They'd faded with the defeat of Sin, nearly nineteen years ago at this point. Spira had no need for Fayth and summoning anymore. Even still, he couldn't deny the mystical power this being exuded. If it wasn't a Fayth, it was certainly something.

"I don't understand," Lunic stammered.

"The Rift is opening," The Fayth said in lieu of a response. "The Dream is reemerging and you must close it. A child born of both worlds. That is the only power that can stop it."

"What are you talking about?" Lunic felt panicked now, his hands beginning to tremble. Receiving a warning, which is what it sounded like, from a creature that supposedly didn't exist anymore? He wasn't one hundred percent sure he wasn't dreaming.

The Fayth peered at him, pyreflies beginning to spiral around it once again. "Your world is in danger. Destroy the Rift. Destroy us. Let the Dream end."

Lunic just gaped, unable to pin his racing thoughts down quickly enough to clarify the Fayth's request. Before he could, another radiant flash of light filled the room and in the next instant Lunic was alone. The chill in the air had vanished along with the Fayth and from somewhere deep within the temple, he could hear the Hymn being sung.

Terrified and confused, Lunic stumbled to his feet, still staring at the spot the Fayth had been moments before.

"Lunic? You down there?"

He heard his sister's voice echoing from the top of the lift and hurried to the platform, his eyes pinned to the hole even as it rose and he left the Chamber behind.

Lumina stood at the top of the lift, their cousin Calli beside her, both of them waiting for him impatiently, hands planted on their hips.

"I knew we'd find you here," Lumina muttered, and Calli scoffed, most likely merely copying her cousin's annoyance out of admiration rather than any real animosity towards Lunic, he knew. "What are you doing messing around in the temple? The celebration is gonna start any minute."

"It's not even noon yet," Lunic objected, frightened for a moment that he'd gone through some sort of time warp with the Fayth.

Lumina waved a hand. "Yeah, but Uncle Gippal is gonna be here soon and Calli says he's bringing the best present. So I say it starts now."

His sister's smirk faded as she took in Lunic's expression. He knew his eyes were too wide, and he was sweating, his already pale skin probably pallid. He was still shaking too, clenched hands trembling at his sides.

"You okay?" she asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah," was the only reply Lunic could think of.

Lumina's nose wrinkled in confusion, but she didn't push it, rolling her eyes instead and grabbing his arm. "Come on, let's go. I really don't know why you insist on hanging around this place. It's creepy."

For once—as he stumbled after his sister and Calli—Lunic was inclined to agree.

Lunic followed Lumina and Calli out of the temple and into the hot morning sun. He blinked, raising a hand to block its rays as they strolled through the town towards the beach. Besaid had grown since he'd been born. It now sported a larger dock with fishing boats coming to and fro to do business with the islanders. The textile production in Besaid had boomed as well, and when they'd begun exporting their wares across Spira, the once small island village had grown into a bustling town comparable to Kilika. Many unexplored parts of the island had been settled, the older ruins cleared completely of fiends and restored. It may have seemed strange to some to see machina inventions scattered throughout the island in the past, but times had changed, and Lunic had never known any differently. The only reason he knew it was strange was thanks to the old books stored in the temples.

They passed plenty of islanders raising decorations in the main plaza, stringing lights and hanging signs. They waved jovially to Lumina as she passed, some calling out birthday wishes.

She was turning seventeen today, the same age, Lunic knew, that their mother and father had been when they went on their journey to defeat Sin.

She was coming of age as far as the Besadians were concerned. And the High Summoner's eldest daughter deserved a magnificent celebration.

Lunic watched as Lumina waved back to a few of the townspeople, offering them all a beaming smile, and even high fiving a few of the younger children as they circled around her and Calli.

Lumina may have looked quite a bit like their mother, but she carried none of the same grace. Even so, the bombastic personality she seemed to share with their father had drawn many of the islanders to her when she was young. That and, Lunic was sure, their parentage had plenty to do with how they were regarded amongst the people.

Lunic tended to slip by unnoticed most times. He was much more reserved, quiet. He didn't enjoy the spotlight as much as Lumina did. Those who did know him well on the island gave him his space, and those who didn't frightened him off with their undiluted praise. Being three years younger than his sister didn't help either. He was either treated like a baby or a fragile porcelain doll. Calli was his age too, but she liked to pretend she was older, tailing Lumina like a shadow every time she visited the island. Sometimes it got on his nerves, other times he was grateful that Lumina's teasing was targeted at somebody else.

As the trio made their way down to the beach, Lunic saw a large red airship parked out on the water beyond the docks. Immediately recognizing it as his Al Bhed aunt and uncle's, Lunic hung back a ways. The two were far too overbearing for his taste, and Gippal always caught him headlocks he must have assumed were endearing but really just hurt.

Lumina and Calli were already running ahead, racing out to the edge of the docks to meet Gippal and Rikku.

"Happy birthday, kid," Lunic heard Gippal congratulate Lumina, ruffling her shoulder length brown hair affectionately.

"Thanks!" Lumina beamed, her eyes darting back to the ship behind them even as Rikku moved to hug her. "Calli, um, said something about a gift?"

Gippal laughed and reached into his pocket. "That's right I do have something for you."

He pulled out a small machina device with a single button on its surface. With a wink and a grin, he pressed the button and the loading bay of the Celsius opened up. There was a loud whirring sound and then out of the bay shot a sleek black airship. It didn't look big enough to hold more than two people, and even then only if they squished together, but Lumina's face lit up and she bounced on her toes as the ship came to land on the beach behind them.

"That's for me?" Lumina asked, her body leaning toward the ship as if she were itching to run for it.

"All yours, kid. We'll have to teach you how to fly it, but that won't take long. It's a piece of cake, trust me."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Lumina whirled around and threw her arms around Gippal's middle, then Rikku's, before bounding over to the ship, raising one hand to examine its surface. Calli followed after her, leaving Lunic standing far too close to Gippal, and before he knew it he'd been captured in a suffocating headlock.

"How's my favorite nephew?" He teased, rubbing Lunic's head with his knuckles.

Lunic struggled to free himself, choking on his response. "I—can't—breathe."

Quickly, Rikku put a hand on Gippal's arm. "You're strangling him, Gip."

"Sorry," he chuckled, releasing Lunic and rubbing the back of his neck. "You alright?"

Lunic nodded, gasping for breath.

"Where are your parents?" Rikku asked, beginning to lead the way off the docks and towards the girls who were still fawning over the airship.

"They're helping set up the celebration," Lunic answered, trailing after them. He hadn't seen his parents when they'd passed the main plaza, but he knew they were around somewhere.

Rikku jerked her chin for Gippal to follow her off the beach, which he did, but not before turning to address the kids. "Alright, kiddos. No flying that thing till I get back, okay? Oh! Lumina. Here."

He tossed her a small key and then scurried after Rikku, leaving the trio alone. Lunic placed his hand on the surface of the airship, running his fingers along the white ridge that looped all the way around it. When he looked up at Lumina and Calli, who had gone eerily silent, he saw them exchanging mischievous glances.

"W—What?"

Lumina grabbed his arms and moved him away from the airship. "We're gonna take this thing for a spin."

"What? But Gippal just told you not to fly it!" Lunic objected, but Lumina waved his objection away.

"Yeah, and then he handed me the key. Besides, Calli knows how to fly an airship, don't you Calli?"

Calli nodded. "Oh totally. It's easy!"

"See?" Lumina walked backwards towards the ship, raising her shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "We'll be fine. It'll be super quick, don't worry."

"Lumina, I don't think that—,"

"We'll see you soon!" With that Lumina opened the cockpit and dove inside, Calli right behind her.

Lunic watched helplessly as the roof of the airship slid shut with a click. There was a brief pause where nothing happened as Lumina and Calli fiddled with the controls and then the launchers at the back of the airship ignited and it shot into the air, disappearing amongst the wispy clouds.

Lunic raised a hand to block out the sun, straining to catch sight of the airship as it bounced up and down through the clouds. It straightened out momentarily, took a dive, then rose back up and disappeared around the side of a cliff, leaving Lunic alone on the beach.

Great.

Lunic made his way back to town slowly, trying to come up with some excuse for Lumina and Calli's absence as he walked. He'd never been a good liar, but why should he cover for them anyway? They were the ones who had disobeyed. Lumina's punishment would be when she wrecked her own birthday present on the reefs.

Wandering into the center of town, he came across Vidina, who was directing a few of the other Aurochs as they raised a large banner in the middle of the plaza.

"Hey, Lunic," he waved a hand, eyes still trained on his task as Lunic approached. "You seen your sister?"

"…No."

Vidina looked around at him. "Well if you do, tell her to hurry, ya? The celebration is gonna start any time now. Can't really have it without the guest of honor."

Lunic nodded once and shuffled past the larger boy towards his own house. It was more of an elaborate cabin really, but they had more than one story. Only the most well off citizens of Besaid could afford a home like his. Even if they could, not many opted for one, preferring the simple idealized version of life on Besaid.

Wakka and Lulu still lived next door, but even their house was smaller, despite Wakka's status as Besaid's leader. Preference, Lunic knew. It didn't speak to his position.

Pushing open the front door, Lunic came face to face with chaos. His mother and Lulu were running around the living room, setting up plates and silverware as delicious smells wafted from the kitchen. After the main celebration with the islanders, Lunic knew that he and the rest of the family would gather here and share in a much more intimate party.

"Oh, Lunic, there you are." Yuna stopped trying to fold a napkin in the shape of a Divebeak and gestured him over. Lunic shuffled to her side and she put her hands on his shoulders, guiding him towards the stairs. "Will you grab your father and tell him we need him down here, please?"

She pressed a kiss to his cheek and pushed him on his way without giving him a chance to respond. Doing as he was told, Lunic made his way upstairs to his father's work room. He'd garnered a fascination for machina back when Lunic was just a baby and spent the time he wasn't training the Aurochs working on little inventions. They often failed, he was terrible with machina, but his passion never faltered.

Sure enough, Lunic found Tidus sitting at his desk, hunched over in his chair. To his surprise it was not a machina in front of him, but a gleaming blue sword. Tidus was running a cloth over its surface, pulling a shine from the shimmering blade.

"Dad?"

He whirled around; startled out of his work, only calming again when he saw who it was. "Oh, good. I thought you were your sister for a sec." He waved Lunic over, grinning excitedly. "C'mere. I want you to see her gift."

Lunic joined Tidus at the table, leaning over his shoulder to examine the blade.

"You're giving her a sword?"

Tidus nodded, beaming.

"Why? What does she need a sword for?"

His father's smile fell a bit. "Well, it's not really that she needs it. It's symbolic. A gift to pass down through the generations, if you will."

A pang of jealousy passed through Lunic's chest that his father's old sword was going to Lumina and not him. Not that he would ever have a reason to use it…

"This was the sword your Uncle Wakka gave to me. Protected me and the others pretty well during the pilgrimage. I hate to see it just collecting dust, y'know?"

Lunic decided not to point out that it would probably just collect dust in Lumina's closet anyway.

"It's cool, dad."

"Yeah, isn't it?" Tidus grinned at him and then caught the slump in his shoulders. "Don't worry; I've got a great gift for you when your birthday rolls around, alright?"

Lunic nodded once and then pointed towards the door. "Mom says she needs you downstairs."

"Oh boy," Tidus sighed, bracing his hands on his knees before rising to his feet. "I was hoping to avoid the chaos."

As he passed, he ruffled Lunic's shaggy blonde hair. "Go find your sister. We're gonna get this thing started soon."

Lunic groaned once Tidus was gone. He hadn't signed up to be errand boy today and his meeting with the Fayth was still clawing at the back of his mind.

What did it all mean?

Luckily, Lunic ran into Calli and Lumina just as he was about to leave town and head back towards the beach. They were giggling to one another, but looked no worse for wear, so Lunic thought it was safe to assume they had succeeded in not crashing the airship.

Lumina caught sight of him, her face immediately scrunching into a frown. "There you are. Way to keep watch for us."

Lunic gaped at her. "But you never said—,"

"Save it," she glanced around at the gathered townsfolk, her grimace beginning to fade. "Are we getting started?"

"We are now that you're here," Vidina called, approaching the group and tugging Lumina into a tight hug. "Where you been? You smell like engine oil."

Lumina shoved him off, the speed of which she spun a lie almost impressing Lunic. "I was helping Calli fix something on the Celsius and one of the gaskets exploded. We dunked ourselves in the ocean to clean up, but it didn't get rid of the smell."

It was barely passable, she wasn't even damp, but Vidina would believe her. Vidina believed anything Lumina told him.

"Well, I'd tell you to go wash up, but everybody's getting' ancy, ya? Whaddya say we get started?" He broached the question to the crowd behind him, who threw up their arms in a cheer.

Lunic followed his sister as she waded into the crowd, accepting the handshakes and pats on the back with a gracious smile. One thing was for sure, there was nothing quite like a Besaid celebration.

It was very late and Lunic was very tired by the time the celebration in the square died down. Still, he knew there was dinner to be had with his family inside their cabin. Watching as his parents and Lumina accepted the last of the congratulations; he joined the others outside the cabin doors, yawning widely.

Lulu placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling down at him when he blinked blearily at her. "Are you going to make it?"

He nodded, putting on a brave face to assure her. There was no one on the island he got along with better than Lulu. In fact, he often found himself thinking of her as nothing less than a second mother. Her quiet dignity never failed to impress him and the words of wisdom she seemed to have for every possible situation were invaluable.

Yuna, Tidus and Lumina soon joined the others by the door and Rikku led the way inside, gathering everyone around the dining table. They all sat together, Lunic picking a spot closest to Tidus at the end of the table opposite his sister.

As the rest ate and laughed, Lunic picked listlessly at his dinner, his mind still on the strange conversation he'd had with the Fayth earlier that day. The words rang over and over in his mind, but still, they made no sense. A Rift? A bridge? The Dream? What was he supposed to make of it all?

Tidus, seeming to notice Lunic's restlessness, reached over and ruffled his blonde hair. Keeping his hand on his head, he drew Lunic closer so as not to alert the rest of the family, who was engaged in some loud story Lumina was telling.

"You alright, bud? You don't look so good. Feeling sick?"

Lunic shook his head, the warmth of his father's hand comforting amidst the confusion. "I'm okay."

Guilt twisted his gut as Tidus' face only grew more concerned. Lunic knew he should tell his parents what he'd seen, what he'd heard. If anyone knew about the Fayth it was them. But something held him back. Uncertainty, maybe? He didn't want anyone to worry if it was just some sort of strange vision he'd had. Even still, anxiety was making it impossible to pretend everything was alright.

Tidus didn't seem to need any more convincing that something was wrong. Rising from the table, he gestured for Lunic to follow him. "Wanna help me with the cake?"

Lunic looked at the others who were now watching them both, save for Calli who was currently building some sort of castle out of the food on her plate. Nodding furiously, Lunic scooted back in his chair and scurried after Tidus, who gave everyone a smile and said, "We'll be back with the dessert."

Lunic followed him into the kitchen, bracing himself against the counter as Tidus went about preparing the cake Lulu had made with a few candles.

"So what's goin' on?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the cake and his voice light, although Lunic knew he'd probably sensed the deep unease now nesting in his heart. This was his father after all. And while Lunic had never been good at lying, Tidus was a hard one to fool anyway.

"I…" Lunic paused before deciding if he didn't tell someone, he would probably burst. "I saw something weird in the temple today."

"Weird?" Tidus looked over his shoulder. "Like a fiend weird? Or a priest doing the Macarena weird?"

"Like…A…Fayth, weird."

Tidus' hands froze over the cake and slowly, he turned around to face Lunic. His blue eyes were wide and filled with what Lunic could only identify as fear, which, scared him in turn.

"What?" Tidus took a cautious step towards him, as if he were wary of Lunic. "You're sure it was a Fayth?"

"That's what it told me," Lunic said, voice trembling. "He was wearing a purple robe and he didn't—,"

Lunic jumped when Tidus nearly stumbled back against the counter. He hid his face in his hands and then ran his fingers through his hair, eyes now flickering back and forth.

"Alright, listen," he began, suddenly crossing the kitchen to kneel in front of Lunic and grabbing his arms tightly. The dark expression he wore startled Lunic. "You cannot tell the others about this. Especially not your mother. Not right now. Tomorrow, you and me, we'll go to the temple and—,"

Suddenly, Lunic saw a pyrefly. It rose up from behind his father, or maybe…from within him? Lunic wasn't sure. But suddenly, there were surrounded by pyreflies, all of them making circles around his father's now shaking frame. Tidus yelped loudly and leapt away from Lunic, holding up his hands in front of his face as if to make sure they were still there.

Lunic gaped up at him, unsure of what to do besides panic. "Dad?"

"Is everything alright in there?"

They heard Rikku's voice and then, before anyone could respond, Lumina appeared in the doorway. She took in the scene quickly, her blue eyes widening before she whipped around and called to Yuna, "Mom!"

There was a flurry of footsteps and a squeak of chairs, and then Yuna and the rest of the dinner party also appeared in the doorway. Rikku's hands flew to her mouth as she saw the cloud of pyreflies surrounding Tidus, a terrified gasp escaping her. Lunic stumbled backward as Yuna hurried to his father's side. The first thing she did was take his hands, clenching them tightly together and holding them against her chest. Tidus met her gaze, confusion flashing in his eyes.

"Yuna, I—I'm sorry…"

"Look at me," she demanded; keeping his hands close with one of hers and placing the other against his cheek. "You're here. You're not going to fade. Keep your eyes on mine." There was a pause followed by a broken whisper. "Please."

Lunic stared at the interaction, fear flooding through his body and making his head spin. He wasn't sure what was going on, but from the way his mother's voice trembled, he knew it was nothing good.

Tidus leaned forward, touching his forehead to Yuna's and the group waited in tense silence until suddenly, the pyreflies began to dissipate. They shimmered and whispered and then a bright light filled the room and they were gone. Tidus immediately sunk to his knees, Yuna following him down as they clutched each other.

"What's going on?" The question came from Lumina, whose arms were wrapped around herself for comfort. "What was that?"

"Come."

Lunic looked up to see Lulu gesturing for him. Glancing back at the shaking image of his parents, Lunic made his way over to the group at the door just as Rikku and Wakka rushed forward.

"What's going on?" Rikku echoed Lumina's earlier question as she knelt beside Tidus and Yuna.

"I don't know," Tidus' voice quavered in a way Lunic had never heard before. "I was just—We were just talking."

"This been happenin' a lot?" Wakka asked.

"No, no," Tidus shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut as if his head hurt. "No, this hasn't been happening a lot, Wakka."

The snap in his voice made everyone pause and Lulu began ushering them away, leaving only Gippal standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry…"

Lunic heard his father's apology to his best friend, but Lulu was herding them into the next room despite Lumina's vocal protests.

"Wh—Hey, what are you doing? Lulu! Come on, what's going on?"

"I'm sure they'll tell you soon enough," Lulu murmured, her ruby eyes on the kitchen. "For now, give your father a moment, alright?"

Lumina looked like she was ready to argue again, but Lulu shot her a warning glance and she snapped her mouth shut.

A sickening ache was making itself at home in the pit of Lunic's stomach. He didn't wasn't quite sure how, but deep down, he knew the appearance of the Fayth and his father's…attack were connected.

Lumina must have caught the furrow in his brow because she leaned towards him, blue eye boring into his, and asked, "What do you know?"

Lulu, Calli and Vidina all looked at him as well, and Lunic felt the color drain from his face.

"Lunic?" Lulu prompted. "…Do you know something?"

Lunic looked down at his feet, struggling to summon the courage he needed in that moment. Finally, he looked back up, meeting each of their gazes in turn.

"I spoke with a Fayth."

While Vidina, Lumina and Calli all shared expressions of shock or confusion, Lulu closed her eyes and rested her head in the palm of her hand.

"What does that mean?" Lumina asked, her confusion turning her lips down into a scowl.

"I dunno," Lunic admitted. "He said something about a Rift opening. A child of two worlds. He—It didn't make any sense. I'm sorry."

Clearly frustrated, Lumina turned to Lulu instead and asked again, "What does that mean?"

"It means," Lulu began, her red eyes filled with grief. "That your father is in trouble."

Thank you for reading!