Listen to my story. It may be our last chance. We've come so far and yet... And yet we have so much still to face. It started when I awoke in hospital...

Beep. Beep. Beep. Tidus moved uncomfortably in the bed he was in. Beep. Beep. He could hear a few things lying in bed. Beep. Beep. Twittering birds. Beep. Beep. Voices outside the room. Beep. Beep. His alarm clock. Beep. Beep. No.. Wait. Beep. It wasn't his alarm clock. Beep. Beep. And what was that smell? Beep. Beep. It smelled like... Beep. Beep. Hospital?

Tidus' eyes slowly opened.He took a good minute or two before his vision went from blurry to somewhat clear. He was right, he was lying in a hospital bed. Where was Jecht? Why was he in hospital? The paused for a moment. Why was he older?

This couldn't be right. It couldn't. His last conscious memory was when he was twelve now he was at least 4 years older. What was going on? This was too weird. He grabbed the small remote next to his bed and called on a nurse as quickly as he could.

As Tidus lay waiting for a nurse to arrive so many thoughts where buzzing in his head. Why was he older? Why was he in hospital? Where was Jecht? In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen Jecht. Did something horrible happen? How long had-

"You're awake?" A voice came from the door.

"Huh?" Tidus turned towards the voice. A young nurse stood watching Tidus in shock.

"Doctor! Doctor!" The nurse didn't bother asking if he was alright. "He's awake! After five years, he's awake!"

Five years? Oh shit...

"Five years?" Tidus jumped up in his bed then quickly fell back as his bones were aching from sudden movement. "What's going on?"

A middle aged sort of friendly looking doctor ran back into the room with the nurse. "Okay, how are you feeling?"

"What's going on? I'm alright- I mean, not really- I"

"Just lie down. it's alright. Brenda grab that thermometer will you?"

"Where am I? What happened?"

The Doctor throw the thermometer in Tidus' reluctant mouth.

"Excoo me? I akd wha goin on?" Tidus tried his best to talk with the utensil in his mouth.

"Shhh" The Doctor hushed him. "Hmm, seems fine"

"What's going on?!" Tidus screamed at the top of his lungs. The Doctor and Nurse both froze in shock at this apparent sudden outburst. "What's happening to me?" He said in a whisper.

Tidus was out of hospital within mere days. They didn't care about him that much when push came to the shove. He had learned that a murderer- Son? No, Sin, was it?- had attacked him in his flat. He was thrown out of the window and into a coma. A five year long coma. They had been ready to pull the plug on him when he awoke in the nick of time. Lucky? Maybe...

As for Jecht? Well no one knew of the man he spoke of. He wasn't in the flat when this murderer attacked and there were no traces of him to be found.

Tidus found himself on the streets of Edinburgh, cold and alone. A lot had changed and saying even that was an understatement. As far as Tidus could see houses were in ruins, no functioning transport was in sight, the streets were full of thieves and beggars and the odd market stall had been set in place of shops. He had been told this Sin wasn't any normal murderer. He was a drug dealer. He had drugged thousands of people and they were brainwashed into a sort of following killing people, following in Sins footsteps. Within days Britain was destroyed. Sin was responsible for the downfall of a country.

These followers were everywhere, the nurse had warned him before chucking him out to the street like a lamb to the slaughter. The followers were more than dangerous, Sinners they were called, but easy to recognize as the drug made both of their eyes totally black.

What happened in these five years? His life, his country, any family or friends he knew... Gone. Forever... Tidus was alone... Completely and utterly al-

"Hey!watchit!" A female voice interrupted Tidus' thoughts. The words were strung together and quick. "You're in my way kid!" Tidus turned to the girl. She looked about 14.

"Eh, sorry?" Tidus side stepped.

"You stupid or something?" the Girl shouted in his face. "Boy, if I were even half as bad as a sinner I'd have killed you by now!"

"That's a bit harsh" Tidus decided to retaliate.

"Yeh, well you deserved it! Standing in my way and all." The girl certainly had spunk. She was wearing minimum clothes for such cold weather and he blonde hair which was tied up had braids and clips hanging randomly about it.

"Well, sorry kid..." Tidus sighed. He wasn't in the mood for fighting, he had too much to sort out. He started to walk away.

"Eh... Wait!" The girl shouted after him and ran up and jumped in his way. "You alright? You don't sound too good? Maybe I was being harsh but y'know what it's like nowadays."

"Actually, I don't" Tidus avoided eye contact with the girl.

"whadda ya mean?" The girl tilted her head, suddenly intrigued.

Tidus paused. He didn't really have time for this... In fact, he did have time for this. He didn't have anything else. "I was attacked by sin..." Tidus told the story as quickly as he could with the strange girl gasping and Awh-ing at all the right places. "And now I'm here..."

"Hrm..." She paused to think as silence fell over the pair for a minute or so. It felt like a lifetime. "You're coming home with me."

"What?" Tidus was shocked at this change of heart.

"Well, you got no better place to go, do ya?" The girl questioned. Tidus went silent. "Thought so. Just come with me and you'll be alright"

"Thanks." Tidus only had to say one word to show his appreciation. "The name's Tidus."

"Tidus, eh?" The girl smiled. "Rikku. Nice to meetcha!"

R&R please. I'm a bit rusty since I haven't written fanfiction (or played FFX for that matter either) recently.