EDIT: So I renamed this story, it was previously called Right Place, Wrong time, but I decided to rip off an awesome Dream Theater title instead. I plan on updating regularly, and the chapters will probably be short and frequent. Also, the chapters may be consolidated and I may change the title some more as I go along. Either way, be sure to give me some feedback, whether you like the story or not, etc! Thanks!

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Tidus awoke with a start. Why was he sweating? Was it a nightmare? His thoughts clotted together too quickly to focus on just one. Whatever it was, it was over, he thought. Suddenly aware of his incredibly bright alarm clock which read 4:13am, he sighed in defeat. For some reason he could not sleep, and it had been so for days, almost as if his subconscious was trying to tell him something... this couldn't keep happening; his grades were beginning to suffer.

Defeated, he lay his head down and kept still until it was time for him to go to school. After a small eternity, he rose and prepared for school. As he walked out of his house boat, he watched the sun rise over the ocean. It was so peaceful, and reminded him that not all of Zanarkand was machinery and neon lights. He always found himself thinking deeply on his way to school, a concept that probably wouldn't cross the minds of his friends. He loved them, but sometimes he felt as thought they werent fully understanding of who he was. Pushing these notions from his mind, he embarked from his cozy boathouse and mounted his motorbike. With little care for his tardiness and an abnormally active brain, Tidus lazily drove down the cramped streets of C-South. Living close to his school was an annoyance; despite the convenient half-mile ride, he was regularly late and his teachers always demanded why he was so if he lived within view of their classrooms. Today was no day to think of lame excuses. Instead, he contented himself with marveling at the glass and metal compund that was his high school. While the inner heart of Zanarkand was a monster of intimidating steel and pollution, the building and its surrounding green lawns gave its tenants the illusion that not all of their city was a metropolitan hive.

Upon arriving and haphazardly leaning his bike against a pole in the lot (he always ignored the "final tow warning slips"), Tidus navigated the crowded hallways and entered his milquetoast history teacher's classroom just as the bell rang and sat down in the back. "Good morning class, I hope you remembered your textbooks!" the teacher greeted. Tidus looked into his bookbag and realized he left his book at home (and this time not intentionally) . Sighing with frustration, he decided to just put his head down for the class period; he needed the sleep and every student of Mr. Maechen's knew that eye contact was grounds to have your name called for participation.

He was in that state where one can sense what is around him, yet still daydreams as if you were asleep. In it he saw the face of some girl, one who looked vaguely familiar to him. The vividness of this unknown girl invoked a pang of recognition from his heart, though his head did not reciprocate... Unable to recall her name, his consciousness became more engrossed in the dreamlike state. As he watched the dream girl cry on her bed, he felt an intense emotion of longing filled his mind as he concentrated on her. Why did he feel this way? Yu-?

"Tidus!" is all he heard as his head snapped upwards.

"Nice of you to join us, young man. Would you ike to look at page 230 and tell me who the leader of Bevelle is?" Maechen asked in a monotone.

"Beve-? What's that?" he asked, puzzled as to what the teacher was talking about. Since when did old Maechen joke around? He wasn't that late today..

"I see we've left our minds at home, today. Regardless, I shall assign you a 5 page essay on Bevelle's government. Wouldn't that be delightful, Mr. Tidus?"

Before he could answer with another confused babble, the bell rang. He quickly rose and left, unsure of what he was hearing. Today was definitely a weird day.

"Hey, why didn't you call me back yesterday?" said a familiar voice. As he lifted his head, he saw the visage of his friend, Keito.
"Oh, I fell asleep, sorry. It's been hard to come by, I guess." he said with a fake smile. Keito put his arm around Tidus' shoulder and walked with him to their next class.

"Don't you remember? We're supposed to go to the Abes tryouts this weekend! I wanted to make sure you wouldn't sis out on me!" Keito teased.

Blitzball. For some reason his mind wrapped around the subject.

"Who, me? You wish!" he said, half enthused.
Tidus coasted through the rest of the day without any more incidents. If there were any, he was deaf to them because of the dream- or a vision, even- from earlier. Why couldn't he stop thinking about that girl in his dream? His brain refused to let him ignore it. His thoughts only intensifed as his body involuntarily detached the parking warnings on his motorbike and began to ride home. Usually in this meditative state, he kept his on the road, but for some reason, he cocked his head up. Across the busy street, he saw a man with bright orange hair contained in a blue bandana and a yellow uniform waving at him enthusiastically. Or did he? Was he really there? Who was this man? As Tidus squinted to get a better view of the strange man, he vanished. Taken aback, Tidus skidded to a stop to avoid slamming into the car in front of him. Looking back again, the spot he had occupied was empty. Looking around, he saw no trace of him. Completely creeped out, he began to drive home with a quicker pace as if the quickening of his bike would slow down his mind. After the short commute through the thick city, he arrived at the marina where his house boat was stored. He longingly traversed towards it and opened the door. As he switched the light on, a robed man appeared into his view.

"Who are you!" Tidus demanded, startled. "How are you in my house!"

"The question you should ask yourself is, why are you the one who is here?" the intruder replied in a low tone.

"What are you talking about?" Tidus asked, more cautious.

"Sigh... we have a lot to talk about, Tidus. Mind if I take a seat?"

aboard the Celsius

"What are we going to do? I don't know how she can take having her heart broken again..." Rikku said in a hushed voice. She and Paine we standing outside her room, eavesdropping. They listened in sorrow as their dear friend sobbed uncontrollably to the voice of her passed lover's sphere.

"Maybe the fayth aren't as great as we thought.." Paine replied somberly.

"Now hang on! It said it could give him back! Why would a fayth lie! Especially after we save the world..again!"

"Please go away!" Yuna cried.

The two sullenly walked away, knowing they couldn't help their companion. In their two years together, Rikku had known that Yuna still thought of Tidus. Unknown to Yuna, Rikku was aware that she watched his sphere almost every night. She hadn't the heart to tell her to let go...

Paine pushed the buttin on the elevator and entered as it opened. She and Rikku silently exchanged looks; words weren't needed to convey what they thought. After two years of searching and getting their hopes up, Tidus was still missing. What bothered them the most was the Fayth's promise of bringing him back. It was like when he disappeared all over again.

"Would Mish Yoona like shome ish cream?" Barkeep asked Rikku as she sat at the bar.
"Not all the ice cream ever made could get her through this..not yet." she replied.

"Perhaps if we took her back to Besaid, she could find comfort in her home? We have been on the ship for a few days now." Paine suggested from the loft.
"Well, it's worth a shot!" Rikku replied enthusiastically.

"It's been two years, and all i've seen of you is the sphere you left for me before we defeated Sin.. Was that really you on the Farplane? Is that where you are now? How can you be dead when you were never really... No! You were just as real as I am, or anything is! I miss you Tidus.. Spira isn't the same as it was when you were here. It's changing so fast.. Everyone is looking to me to be their pillar of light, but how can I stand strong when I'm not even myself anymore?" Yuna clicked off the sphere recorder. She had been recording her vents for catharsis, knowing that she'd never let anyone else see them. They were meant for Tidus. She only wished somehow that he could hear her..or even better if she could hear him, just once more. But she knew that was a lie. Just once more would make her want to see more and more. It wasn't fair! As her thoughts brewed, she layed on her bed and brooded. Forcing herself to sleep the days away seemed to be the best coping mechanism she could think of. Perhaps she could see him in her dreams...

Zanarkand

"You really don't remember me? After 10 years?" the man asked flatly. He was now sitting in Tidus' dimly lit kitchen, a cup of coffee already poured. The apparent length of time this man had waited in his house was disturbing.

"I've never seen you before!" Tidus replied, still suspicious. His heart, already quickening from the weird mirage of the orange-haired man, was rebelling from its confinement in his ribcage.

"Well.. you've at least seen her, haven't you? In your dreams?" The man's hardened face turned into an expectant stare.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Tidus lied. How had he known of his daydreams? This was too bizarre.

"Brown hair, blue and green eyes; she was probably crying. Think...do you remember?" He rose from his chair, an expectant look on his face.

"Yuna!" Tudus exclaimed. The name popped into his mind without a face, but he hadn't known why. Was that her name?

"Figures you'd remember her first. She is what keeps you around, after all." the stranger said with a sarcastic smirk.

Seeing his confusion, the man continued.

"Never mind that for now. I'm an old friend of yours. Name's Auron." Scenes flashed in Tidus' mind. A dock in a large city, a strange, green valley..he was in both of them. Now he took a step towards this Auron.

"Is there.. something wrong with me? What's going on!" Tidus requested with a frustration that surprised him.

"It seems that your memories are lost, or at least most of them. Well, not lost in where, but when. Follow me, I've got something to show you." Auron said as he walked past him and out the door.

"Wait! where are you going?" Tidus called. Auron wheeled around and looked Tidus in the eyes.

"Back to your story."