Title: Freedom's Call

Pairing: YunaxPaine

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the tale.

Chapter One: New Beginnings

Dear Tidus,

I had wished for you for so long; every day I would whistle at the beach in Besaid hoping I would hear it right back from your own lips. But every day it wouldn't happen and I felt like a fool each and every single time. I didn't begin to hate you, I began to hate the fact that I would never see you or hear from you again. I didn't want to visit the Farplane just in case that you actually would be there and it would make the situation even more real to me.

I wanted to live in a fantasy that if I stood there waiting in Besaid one day you would return to me. That I would be able to be held in your arms and that saying "I love you" would suffice for my aching heart and that you would be able to kiss me again. But you never came, and it disheartened me horribly. I almost wanted to give up sometimes, but then one fateful day Rikku came with the sphere which would launch my journey with the Gullwings.

The man in the sphere looked a lot like you, he even spoke the same way you do, and seemed to be just as irritated and aggressive. I thought he might be you, and so I went with Rikku and the others and we set off. I went exploring with a group of misifts flying in a gigantic airship, much more elaborate than the one we had a year prior; I felt free and so terribly independent. But even so, you were still on my mind twenty-four-seven.

And as we sailed across the sky connecting the people of Spira and solving the mystery of the sphere something happened. We defeated a threat that was plaguing Spira and in doing so we had another Calm. But now, I do not have the same kind of peace in my heart as I should. Tidus you are back and I was so happy and so excited but now another part of me is wishing back to the days when I was free and I was wandering Spira with the Gullwings.

I look up into the sky sometimes and I see that airship flying above me and it makes me homesick. I recall that I was never homesick while on that ship. Was it because there was no time to be homesick? Possibly, but the more I dwell on it, the more I believe that the airship was my home. And I know that the ship is where my heart is. And that is why I have to leave. I know you're settling here in Besaid and that you won't need me sooner or later. And now I will be leaving. It's time for me to follow my heart again. I'm sorry. I know that it will take a long time before you can forgive me. Please, try and understand.

Love,

Yuna

After I wrote that letter I gathered all of the things I needed and used my communicator to talk to Rikku. It felt like I didn't hear her voice in forever and she was glad to talk to me. "Rikku…I want to go home." "But Yunie, you are home. You're in Besaid with Tidus and-" "No Rikku, home is with the Gullwings. Home is with all of you. Please…take me home." "We'll be right there Yunie. Just wait."

It's all I've ever been doing…

When Rikku and Paine stepped off of the Celsius, I immediately ran up to both of them hugging them tightly. "Home..." I could feel the smiles on their faces as we were all locked in a group embrace. "Welcome back home Yuna." I don't think I've ever felt more accepted and loved in my life.

We broke off the embrace and I ran into the ship eager to see the rest of our crew. The moment I ran onto the bridge Brother tried to run up and hug me but Rikku hit him before he even made it within an inch of me. Shinra and Buddy nodded to me and mimicked the same welcome that Paine and Rikku gave me outside the ship.

"It feels good to be back here. Anything new?" It's only been a few months since I left the Gullwings and everyone was supposed to disperse and do their own things, but the others didn't want to let go of each other. I regretted leaving for a momentary time, but seeing everyone together again made me happy regardless.

"Well it looks like we have a new mission. Just before you got in touch with Rikku we were about to go. You've got perfect timing Yuna." I looked Paine and bounced up and down almost in a victory dance. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Brother forgot about the pain Rikku caused him and jumped up saying, "Gullwings! To your stations!"

A new mission! I could hardly wait for it to begin.