Disclaimer: Most, if not all, of the characters, setting, and concepts included in this story belong to the creator(s) of the original work that this fanfic is based off of and not myself. This includes various lines in this story that are direct quotes from the game.

A/N: This fic doesn't actually contain any spoilers from X-2, but it probably won't be understandable unless you've seen everything through the "perfect ending", and hence why I put it under the X-2 section instead of X. However, this author's note does contain spoilers, so I suggest you stop reading now if you haven't gotten that far. This fic was inspired by the theory Tidus poses in the perfect ending as to how he could have come back. It is meant to be a little bit vague, but if you really don't have any clue what is going on by the end, let me know and I'll try to clear things up a bit. Normally, I have two friends who review my stories for me before I post them, but one hasn't played any Final Fantasy and the other has yet to finish X, so I wasn't able to get this looked at before posting it. If you notice any mistakes or things that just don't make sense, please let me know so that I can fix them. Anyway, thanks for reading this and I hope you enjoy it!

Final Fantasy X: The Dawn of Tomorrow

Listen to my story. This…may be our last chance.

Yuna, I have to go.

I remember…That night, we talked for the first time. I didn't know it then, but after that night, everything changed. For everyone…For me…

I hate you, Dad.

Keep your hands off of her!

I don't understand why they would do something so…pointless.

Let's do something more unbelievable. Destroy Sin. So it won't come back, and we'll do it without the Final Aeon.

I tried to say something, to tell them. But the words wouldn't come.

Sin is my old man. My old man became Sin! I don't know how or why he did it. I felt him, inside. And when I did, I knew it was true. My old man is Spira's suffering.

No! I'm not gonna let Yuna die! I'm telling you, she won't die!

It was his favorite song. If all of Spira sang it, he would come.

Let's go to Zanarkand!

"Even for a little while…people can sleep in their beds without being afraid. That kind of time is worth anything. Don't say it isn't worth it." Your words that day, Yuna—I remember them well. And now, well, I guess that's why I still haven't changed my mind, because it is worth it.

We'll break the cycle!

This isn't fair! Why does it have to be her? Let someone else do it, anyone else.

So he killed all those people just for a chance to see me?

I won't say it. I can't say it. Good-bye just makes everything so final.

Why couldn't they trust guardians to protect the summoners? The Al Bhed had no right stopping their pilgrimage!

We're going in! Every blitzer knows: when you got the ball, you gotta score!

Hey, use that if we get separated. Then, I'll come running, okay?

I'm sorry. It's just, you know…all those things I said. Like "Let's go get Sin!" Or about Zanarkand…I didn't know what would happen to you, Yuna.

But that doesn't mean I believe you.

It's funny how calm I was. Maybe it was because I'd realized that Yuna wasn't marrying Seymour for love. Not really. It was just her duty—something she had to do before returning to her pilgrimage. That's what I kept telling myself, anyway. And well, maybe…I realized that Yuna and I'd never…You know…

"Where there's a will, there's a way." Those words stayed with me.

You don't have to smile when you're sad. If that's how it's going to be, I don't think I want to see you smile ever again. I couldn't bear it.

That proved it. Sin was the link between Zanarkand and Spira. Which means, if we kill Sin, I'll never be able to go home.

Why not today? Why do tomorrow what you can do today?

Forget all about Sin, about being a summoner. Forget all that.

There were times when I remembered all of the things I had said to her, once I had known the truth about her pilgrimage, and I thought, that maybe, I should take my own advice. Was this really the only way? But…I knew. No matter what, it would always be Sin…or me.

Man, was I surprised. And here I was thinking summoners were all old geezers.

I guess I understood. My old man…He knew there was no way back home, back to Zanarkand. He wanted to go home, but knew he couldn't. He couldn't go on until he accepted it. Maybe I had to start accepting my own fate.

It's the right thing to do.

I understood her choice not to give up the pilgrimage, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

That still won't change anything, you know? You'd bring the Calm, and then what? That won't break the cycle!

You know…for the first time, I'm glad…to have you as my father.

When I felt her hand in mine, just for a moment, I felt that it was going to be alright.

"Praise be to Yevon". That's what I would have said, if I was a follower of Yevon.

Well, I sure don't get it. I mean, if the summoners don't do their job, then who will beat Sin? You want to protect them, I know. But guardians are there for that. If guardians do their job well, summoners will be safe! Right? Right!?

Just thinking about my old man got me angry. But maybe that was just my way of keeping him…Nah.

Come on, let's just get on with the pilgrimage! I mean, marriage?...Am I just jealous? No way! We gotta defeat Sin. Romance can wait!

I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand.

No Final Aeon? This is a joke, right? Then, what was it all for!?

I thought I was going to die in this place.

I remembered Auron's words of that day, that I was the one running, instead of him. At the time, I didn't want to consider it, but now...well, I can't help but think that he was right.

So what if I'm a dream!

I give up. So what would an adult do, then? They know they can just throw away a summoner, then they can do whatever they like. You're right, I might not even have a chance. But no way am I gonna just stand here and let Yuna go. And what Auron said about there being a way…I think it's true.

I wondered, did Yuna feel that way about me?

What a fool I was.

I didn't understand. But somehow, I felt like I didn't belong. But if I didn't belong with them, I'd be stuck in Spira, alone. And being alone in that place, well, I didn't want to think about it.

I'm coming for you, Dad!

Auron didn't really answer my question that time. I think I understand why now. He never did like handing out easy answers.

Somehow, my bad feelings always come true.

A city dead for a thousand years. A city I had to see with my own eyes. The end of Yuna's journey. The last chapter in my story.

The people…What, they're all dreams? Me, too?

How am I supposed to know?

Hearing my dad say those words, it struck me that he had always cared for me, even if he didn't know how to show it. But it was too late now. He had become Sin and we would have to defeat him.

I wished there would never be a next time. No more people being killed by Sin. No more sendings for Yuna. Everyone stood there watching her. It was strange, and somehow…horrifying. I never wanted to see it again.

What's a high summoner?

This is just…too cruel.

From the first time I laid eyes on him, I never did like Seymour…But you know, some of the things he said that day…They made a lot of sense to me.

Why is it…everything in Spira seems to revolve around people dying?

Sin is my old man. Sin is Jecht.

But you know, Yuna's real serious about being a summoner. For Yuna, well the pilgrimage kinda means everything to her. So you shouldn't say that Yuna's sacrificing herself.

I think I had a dream. A dream of being alone. I wanted someone—anyone, beside me…so I didn't have to feel alone anymore.

You tell me it's my decision…But I don't have a choice, do I?

Just don't do it.

Everyone! This is the last time we fight together, okay?

It was funny hearing myself make the same excuse over and over. Funny, and a little sad. Maybe it wasn't Sin's fault that I didn't know anything about Spira, but it was certainly responsible for bringing me here.

Uh, what's a "sending"? Are we going somewhere?

I told Yuna I would find a way. I guess I wanted to believe that words could make it come true.

What's…going on?

No matter how much I hated Seymour, I couldn't help but be grateful to him for showing us his sphere. It was like seeing home.

Just when it was finally starting to seem real to me—I was stuck here for good—I learned the truth. This wasn't the dream. I was .

This is bad, really bad.

Wait…this is a dream. A dream? Are you crazy? I don't have time to be dreaming now!

Me? A Guardian?

Was I the only one who didn't know? Tell me why! Why were you hiding it? Why didn't I know?

Then, once we beat Sin, we're coming back!

Any blitzball player would know that prayer. It was the blitzball sign for victory.

Sin is…Jecht? No! I don't believe it! I don't…

And I've been telling Yuna…Let's go to Zanarkand together! Let's beat Sin! I told her all the things we could…we could…And all along, the whole time, I didn't know anything! But Yuna, she'd…just smile.

I started to give up hope. I was in a foreign world. I wasn't going home. This was my new reality, and I was stuck in it for good.

What is there to consider? Yuna is not marrying him!

I think that was when I started seriously considering becoming a guardian.

Until the…end? What's the end?

There were so many things that I wanted to say. I'd tell Wakka how much he felt like a big brother to me, even if I wasn't Chappu, and Rikku was as good as having my own little sister. Even if I didn't always like it, I appreciated Lulu's advise and wisdom and I was grateful to Auron for giving me the hard truths I never wanted to hear. I'd never thanked Kimahri for all the times he stood by Yuna and I'd tell Yuna that…What was the point? I was never gonna say any of this out loud anyway.

Dad? [] I hate you.

Why did it have to be me?

They told me…everything.

I don't think you will, Rikku. If you see me again, it will only be in dreams.

Just whistle and I'll come running. Always.

\ This is my story. It'll go the way I want it…or I'll end it here.

Not until the end…Always.

I'm saying goodbye!

My thoughts, they kept floating up, and then slipping through my fingers. Slipping away before I could pin them down with words.

Yuna, I loved you too.

:::::

"Make sure you get all of them. It won't work if we're missing even one."

"It may not work anyway."

"We'll have to try, for her."

"Yes, doesn't she deserve happiness the most, after all?"

"She is happy. You're just going to break her heart all over again."

"There are unshed tears in her eyes."

"We must do this. We are the only ones who can."

"We dreamed him after all. If we don't succeed, no one will."

"Stop arguing and search!"

A new voice joined the ten, one that did not belong to a Fayth, but was still equally qualified to help. "It is done. You have found him."

"Are you sure? We cannot be wrong."

"I am, for he once was me."

:::::

"It all began when I found this sphere of you."

A/N: Yes, many of the lines in this fic are direct quotes from the game. I do have a copy of the fic with those lines marked, if anyone is interested. Unfortunately, I didn't write down where in the game each quote came from. Some of them aren't about what you think they are. I may go back some time and do that.

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