The Hope for Spira

By Shinigami Yuumura

"I will defeat Sin…I must defeat Sin." a woman with auburn hair down to her waist shouted to the people at the podium. My eyes looked on to see her standing there, it felt strange…like I had felt this feeling before. I know I was told by a couple of my comrades that the great battle with Sin had happened before, with my help. I wanted to believe it was true, this unstoppable force called Sin…was I really able to do such a feat?

My attention was turned from the podium as I was tapped on the shoulder by one of my team mates. I had a large reputation for being an ace sportsmen in our water sport called Blitzball, I believed that part was true. Cause I could feel that when I moved my body, it was a lot easier than I thought I easily grasped the sport. Life seemed great in here, were known as one of the famous teams in Bevelle, and I'm really liking the notoriety, such an ego booster.

"Yo, Tidus! Gotta start some warm ups, we gotta big game, n' with Sin n' all who knows when we'll get nother' chance!" said one of my team mates, his name went by the name of Wedge.

Wedge said he knew me during the short time I was in Luca, he did? He felt kinda terrible that I didn't remember he seemed down. Everyone said I had been acting a little strange since I came back from my trip with Yuna a year ago. Trip with Yuna…It was really great. I nodded my head and flashed a cheesy smile in Wedge's direction,

"Nothin' to worry about, Wedge, I got it. Except, there is something I have to do first, I dunno, but I feel it's the right thing to do."

And like that I could see Wedge's face with a smile, he nodded. I walked from the huge crowd that seemed to be starting at her, and some people even came up to me too. I knew I had to get away from the crowds, they seemed to be coming in swarms, definitely wanting an autograph. I fled to the back of the Highroad. Surprisingly I was followed by a couple of strange awkward teenager, I raised my eyebrow at her, and apparently she was keeping up with me pretty well. She wasn't know amateur at it all. I knew I had to speak to an old friend, and I made it back to Besaid Island.

Yuna had stated that she loved someone else, that I should forget about her? Was she feeling alright? She hadn't been herself lately…Yuna, come on…please talk to me. Apparently, she had saw me talk to a girl on my blitz team, talk to sure…but it wasn't anything serious. I turned to look at Lulu the mayor of Besaid as I approached talking to her on the subject. Lulu gave me a scolding, told me that I should embrace her talk to her. That she thought that I knew Yuna, and you know I thought I knew her too.

I could see the teen starting to fume, as I shook it off ignoring it, off clouded in my own thoughts, I had almost missed the conversation about Sin, and the summoners. Is this really happening? My mind is completely focused on Yuna, it's hard to think. I turned to the teenager, whom I recognized her name…her name was Chuami.

"Look we should be focusing on going after Sin, it's been so long with the Eternal calm, we need to focus," she stated, as she folded her arms.

I shifted as I turned towards the edge of Besaid, as I went in response to what Chuami had said,

"Yeah, Yeah! It's worth a try, Yuna is ahead of us..we've got to catch up to her!" I stated as her, my eyes turning into the direction of the entrance of Besaid, with one final scolding from Lulu, on my way out,

"Be careful, with a woman's heart, they are very fragile," she said in her normal monotone way of explanation.

I turned on the balls of my feet to Lulu as I responded,

"Will do, I'll keep that one in mind.."

I made it out of Besaid and towards the road again, this time with Chuami. We spoke for a while to make the journey less tedious, but she ended up doing the talking. Can't say I blame her, I kinda was the talkative type when I was her age. She did seem like she was in her teen years, perhaps seventeen.

"So, you think we'll catch up to her? She's also with one of my friends from the temple," she stated as we walked, my mind traveled…oh yeah wasn't she always with that one guy? So that's the reason…my mind continued to travel from there, I didn't think about anything else she said, my main focus was to find Yuna and protect her…a promise I set out to do all those years ago. I seemed to not have caught that she claimed that she was Auron's daughter. My mind was too clouded right now.

We made it to Kilika and I was immediately greeted by several fans, here too? I scratched the back of my head as I started to soak in all the glory, just for a little while. Chuami just rolled her eyes, nothing I could do about it though. After all I am the Star player of the Zanarkand abes, and legendary guardian. But to be honest, I sure didn't feel so legendary, Sin came back after all right?

Unfortunately, I didn't get to sleep until really late, not just by my fans, but by the thoughts of Yuna and the conversation that we had.

"I'm sorry, I feel I have fallen for someone else?"

Those words kept reflecting in my mind, someone else? Really Yuna? Could you be serious? After everything we have gone through, why Yuna?

Was she really that jealous of my friendship with that girl on my team? We were just friends, nothing more...I just…wanted to be closer to you Yuna. And it seems that we are becoming disconnected…

I awake from my slumber, and was greeted by Chuami from downstairs in the inn.

"Ah, sorry! Haha…alright let's get goin!" Tidus said giving a goofy cheesy smile as he moved towards the entrance of the inn. Chuami shakes her head and shrugs in dismay, she didn't seem like she had any room to complain.

While we left to the forest, I noticed how much the forests have changed, some luscious shrubs started to grow in a lot of the familiar paths. So it was just a straight shot towards the temple, placing a hand on some of the new trees that have grown.

"You don't visit Kilika often do you?" Chuami had asked,

"Yeah, ya know' been in Bevelle for a while, this place sure does bring back some memories," I said as we continued to walk towards the temple.

My eyes lit up when I saw Yuna leaving the temple, I tried to talk but she just brushed me off. Not even looking at me…Yuna? Why have you become so cold?

I turn to see her leaving down the stairs,

"Yuna! C'mon! Tell me!" I shouted out to her, thus she had frozen in her spot as she turned on the balls of her feet.

"I didn't ask you to come," she said in a very serious driven tone.

"You know, I'll protect you til the end, I promised to keep you safe," I said recalling my vow I made many years ago on the pilgrimage.

Yuna swallowed a little looking down as she shook her head,

"I…I want to believe, what you say is true…that you still remember everything…please…no more…" Yuna ran off further into the woods, while being escorted by another, I think Chuami had mentioned that his name was Kurgum, he shot me a dirty glare and ran off to catch up with Yuna.

"Yeesh, this mushy drama again, couldn't that have waited until later?" Chuami asked as she folded her arms looking on at me in a judgement kind of way.

I looked down getting a bit upset as I sucked in hard,

"Chuami, you don't understand..." I said as I moved passed her in a cold way, she was still young after all.

Chuami shook her head as she moved back to the village of Kilika and aboarded the S.S Liki. Our trip on the S.S was a quiet one for the most part, she continued to stare at me hoping I would say something. But why should I? I gave her a look and turned my gaze from her, Chuami tilted her head a little as she makes a gruff noise and turns away from him.

"You knew my father, did you not?" Chuami asked as she tried to make this journey a little less painful then it already was, like she could anyway.

"Many have claimed to be Auron's kid, how could you be different?" I said trying to find a way to turn my attention from the harshness of Yuna in Kilika.

"…My mother would tell me stories about him…she said that he didn't want to be forced to marry, that he wanted to marry someone he loves. That was why he had not wanted to marry some priest of Bevelle or something like that," Chuami said as she looked down, not really having had the opportunity in meeting the man she is describing.

"Ah…I think I remember watching, something like that..." I said as I placed my hand on my chin on a thinking pose, recalling a sphere he got to look at years ago.

"What was…my father like as a guardian?" Chuami questioned now turning to look at me, searching for answers.

"Well, he was strict and a strong guy, you know. Experienced, and sometimes I would get so mad," I said recalling my travels with Auron, he knew exactly what was going on since he had traveled with my old man, Jecht.

Chuami shook her head, as she turned to look more at the sea,

"I see, then my mother wasn't wrong about him," she said as she turned to walk from me, "I'm going to go to bed, see you in the morning, alright."

Which then left me alone with my thoughts, I looked at the horizon and wondered if Yuna was looking at the same moon as I was. Tending to my memories, especially when I tried and succeeded to do the Jecht Shot. My conversation with Yuna…Yuna…and there my thoughts continued to tend to Yuna once more.

I then hear a voice, it seemed to be darker but it sounded like my own.

"You still feel for her, you just have to draw it out to find it within?"

"Who are you?" I questioned, not seeing anyone but the voice still lingered.

"….I guess you can say, I'm kinda you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you know, listen to you gotta remember…your girl is suffering out there, and you have to remember everything."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"Sheesh, you're being very vague!"

"Just understand and live by your vow…always."

"Right, I know…but she doesn't want to see me."

"That's not true, that feeling is still there…"

"Really? Thanks, I guess…"

And then the voice was gone, I shook my head at that wondering what they had meant that they had exclaimed that they were me. Was that really possible? I mean…I know I am not like others that live in Spira…somehow…I think I'm finally beginning to understand.

The next day we had made it to Luca, my memories were here too. Chuami walked around with me, staying behind me. She had a very serious look on her face, as she walked around Luca, guess she's not a fan of crowds. Many people started to run towards me again, once they got a good look at my face. I turned to pass them to say something along the lines of,

"Hey, I gotta get goin' you know, later…"

Many of the cheers subsided as they allowed me to pass with Chuami. Many started to whisper about rumors about me and Chuami, but I ignored it. They were just rumors and nothing about the truth. Walking towards the center of Luca, I turned to face Chuami,

"You can go up a little ahead, I'll meet up with ya in a little bit, gimme a sec, okay?"

"Uh, sure, right…" She turned as she moved her way towards the entrance of the Highroad.

I stood there in the center of Luca, as I trailed my fingers up towards my lips, allowing the scenario to play in my head:

"First you put your fingers in your mouth like this?"

"Like this?"

"Nuh-uh, not like that, like this, and then just blow…"

"It's not working…"

"Practice!"

"Okay."

I started to blow, as a whistle started to ring throughout Luca, some people turned a few heads, but I immediately ignored it. I scratched the back of my head, as I turned to go follow where Chuami had moved to. Unbeknownst to me there was something watching me, it was covered in pyerflies and took on a shape of a stuffed animal with a pom-pom floating out of its head.

I moved towards the Highroad, as Chuami joined me immediately, and I could see Yuna just up ahead running with Kurgum. I point to them as I made a rush toward the Highroad, taking on the farmiliar path. Unfortunately, I was unhappy to find out that the chocobos are becoming scarce on the Highroad, and have been for a few years now. The only way to find chocobos now is on the Calm Lands unfortunately. So now everyone has to make it by foot, or to travel by hover, but since the hovers were under construction, there wasn't much choice but to move. Chuami wasn't falling behind either, that's a relief, and even during some of the battles, she seemed to have a striking similar style of fighting like Auron. Their blood ties may not be far off as some may have expected. While making it towards the Agency, we were greeted by Rin, owner of the Agency.

"It is good to see you again," He said in a very calming voice.

"Uh, you too." I said scratching the back of his head.

"Lady Yuna, is here as well with her comrade, but I must say that isn't the only familiar face that is here,"

"Oh, who else?" I asked shaking my head placing a hand on my hip.

"I think it's best if you go outside to see, who I am talking about."

"Roger, c'mon Chuami," I said as I touched her shoulder, quickly leaving the agency.

There I saw the back of a head of a man, he wore a crimson haori, a gourd attached to the side of his hip. My eyes went wide as I saw him, no…could it be…for real? My eyes weren't playing tricks on me!

"Auron!" I shouted,

The man paused, and turned to face me, he still looked to be the same from all those years ago while we traveled together with Yuna. The man looked at me and gave a low key snicker,

"I see you've grown much like your father," he stated now getting up out of his position to get a good look at me.

"I dunno if that's supposed to be an insult or a compliment."

Auron shifted to the side,

"Take it as you will, I get sucked back in here too, and I thought I could long rest. Suppose, I still have some more to do."

"Yeah…it's Sin."

"I thought as much."

Chuami turned a little to not look at Auron, taking slightly back by the entire situation. She moved her fingers through the edges of her blouse. Not sure what exactly to say to the great guardian Auron.

"And this is Chuami…she got caught up in this mess to try to find her friend," I chimed in as I turned to face Chuami.

"Yeah, he's accompanying Yuna," She said as she continued to not look Auron in the face, too bashful or embarrassed to look at him.

He raised an eyebrow as he walked passed by me, and looked towards Chuami. Chuami startled moved away fast, but Auron caught her arm so she could look at him. Chuami struggled but failed to do so as she looked up at the worn tired eyes of Auron. Confirmed with it, Auron let go of her arm and walked away from Chuami without a word and walked into the Agency.

I scratched the back of my head as the entire scenario played out, but it was indeed confirmation that Auron knew something.