It is said that the two saddest words in universe are 'What if?" This may be true, and I'm not here to dispute that. But what if-excuse the pun-they could be humorous as well? Keep reading and you will understand what I mean.

There are two stories quickly following this mundane introduction. They both are 'What if?' stories. What if Lenne wrote 'A Thousand Words'...for Yuna? What if the Crimson Squad had never been destroyed? These and other impertinent questions will be answered below.

First Story: A Thousand Words, a thousand years off...

Lenne sat close to the fire to keep warm. It was much chillier on the plains of the Calm Lands then it was in Besaid, or even Zanarkand. Oh, Zanarkand. She hugged her knees to her chest, silently wishing she could go back home. Her eyes shifted across the flames to Shuyin. He slept peacefully, his forehead uncreased by lines of worry or concern.

She felt a strange stirring within her. Something had definitely changed since they left Besaid. She hadn't known why Shuyin had volunteered to be her first (and at least for the time being-only) Guardian, as she set out for her first tour of Spira as a Summoner. She stilled shuddered involuntarily at the memory of the Cloister of Trials. She had come close to dying-WOULD have died, if she had failed. But the Fayth had accepted her, and now, she must travel far from her beautiful metropolis home, to explore a world she knew so little about. With a man she knew even less about. Why had he chosen to come with her? To forsake a life of normalcy for one of nomadic wandering, going from place to place sacrificing your needs for the needs of others? For Lenne, it was logical, it was ingrained so far into her character that she couldn't imagine doing anything else. But Shuyin, was...different. For one thing he was more apathetic to the needs of others. He was a good man to be sure, she had never doubted it, but he carried with him a deep seated anger, a resentment for those unable to help themselves, those who depended so heavily on people like her to solve their tiniest of problems. At first, she had found him difficult and standoffish, but now...she wasn't sure what to think. All because of that fire. It was her own fault and she was sure that the people of Besaid would never invite her back, despite her deepest apologies. It was Ifrit, one of her Aeons. She had summoned him, not so much to show off (all right, maybe a little bit) but to demonstrate-to validate her place as a blossoming Summoner. She was good at it and she knew it. But then Ifrit had surprised her and a house had caught on fire. A house with people inside. Not bothering to hesitate or ask permision, Shuyin, without any regard for his own safety, had rushed inside the inferno to extract the civilians inside, while Lenne calmed Ifrit and dismissed him. Shuyin rescued the whole family, but not without injury to himself. Lenne still felt a pang of sympathy and gratitude as she gazed upon the burn marks on his arms. Her eyes traveled up the toned appendages of her Guardian, to his face. He always looked so calm in his sleep. The stirring came again, stronger. To be willing to sacrifice himself like that...

She'd always had some affection for Shuyin, but she had never felt anything like this before. Whatever this was, she wasn't even sure, but she did know she wasn't ready for it. Or maybe not. Maybe she was ready, maybe this was what she had been searching for all this time. She had thought it was just companionship but maybe it was something else.

A tune, unheard before, came into her head. She felt herself getting drowsy, and was about to lie down to sleep...when something happened. Something that would change the course of a planet, and the lives of two different women, of different eras.

The fire exploded, of its own accord. Lenne stared, wide-eyed at it. A swarm of pyreflies burst from the base, rising high into the night sky. Lenne followed them with her eyes, a thrill of emotion running through her. When her gaze returned to the fire, she saw something else. It was a figure, definitely a female figure. At first, Lenne thought it was herself, but upon closer inspection she could see she was wrong. Lenne had always worn her medium-brown hair long, and had recently added the decoration of beaded braids, but the figure in the fire (who hadn't moved so far) had shorter hair, though it was a similar color. Lenne felt a vague sense of recognition, yet she couldn't 'place the face'. The figure raised her arms, lifting them to the sky, tilting her face upward with a serene smile. Lenne felt an unusual happiness. She wondered what the cause for such joy was, when she saw a figure behind the girl. Lenne gasped. It was Shuyin! But no, it couldn't be, for he still slept, oblivious to the tremendous sight, only inches away from his face. All at once, the atmosphere changed.

The young man-the one she had mistaken to be Shuyin- reached out to embrace the girl. Then he turned away. Unspeakable pain marred the girls face as she ran towards her loved one, only to have him taken from her, in a way Lenne could not believe, let alone describe. The feeling of peace and calm was gone, replaced with terrible agony and exquisite horror that Lenne recognized as a broken heart, though she had never experienced it herself. She wanted to reach out and comfort the crying girl, but she couldn't reach her through the flames.

"He'll come back," she whispered, not knowing if the sobbing figure could hear her. "Don't worry. Save your tears because he'll come back."

Unbidden tears welled up in Lenne's hazel eyes. She threw herself on the ground, but didn't take her eyes off the tableau. It wasn't fair! She didn't know who this girl was, or why she had to endure such tragedy, but Lenne was certain, with every fiber of her being that she did not deserve it.

The girl, who was really a young woman, stood up, and as she did...she changed. Her hair shortened, except for a long braid reaching out the back. Her features hardened, but never lost their soft appealing shape. She stepped through the flames, standing only steps away from the weeping and bewildered Lenne. Before, the fire had obscured the young woman's features, but now that she stood so close to Lenne, she could see her better. She was very pretty, with two different colored eyes, a sight Lenne had never before encountered. One as blue as the sea, the other, as green as the palm leaves that grew on Besaid. She had a lovely bowtie mouth that seemed to be set eternally in a tired smile. Lenne gazed up at her, not sure what to do. For sure, this was a specter, a by-product of the pyreflies, but why here? Why her? The 'vision's' smile broadened, and without saying a word, she helped Lenne up. She didn't know how the ghost had any corporeal touch, but she allowed herself to be helped up. The two sized each other up. Lenne was a bit taller, but other than that...

The young woman's face seemed to conceal something, a secret known only to her.

"I know you're hiding things," Lenne whispered, conspiratorially. The ghost nodded, but stayed silent. Yet, Lenne could read her eyes. She had lost so much, and yet she clung to a single purpose, a single thought...Hope. Hope that HE would return, from wherever he had gone. Lenne tried to imagine what it would be like to lose Shuyin, now that she recognized the feelings she had for him. Would she stay true and believe he would come back? There was no doubt in her mind. It was the same for this girl. She seemed...resigned, but not beaten. A single spark lay within her heart...a regret, or a desire. There had been so much that she wanted to say, so much that had gone unheard. Not even a thousand words could describe her feelings. Lenne knew she could relate...

All this Lenne understood as it flew through her mind and the girl hadn't spoken a single word...

The 'dream' reached out and clasped Lenne on the shoulder. In an odd way, Lenne got the impression that she(the vision) was trying to comfort her, but why? It was the ghost who needed to be comforted. Lenne replicated the motion, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. With her other hand the vision placed something in Lenne's grasp. Then, without uttering a sound, the girl turned back to the fire and calmly disappeared into it.

Lenne blinked, trying to make sense of it. It had been like a dream, but Lenne was not one to be fooled by dreams. Not easily, anyway. So it had to have been something else. She looked down to her hand. There was a sphere inside of it. Sphere's were new, and very expensive. Gazing inside, Lenne saw a dress, a blue dress, she could even see herself in the dress, looking like an angel. She could see herself...singing? Lenne didn't even know she could sing. And yet she felt a powerful urge to try.

The fire died down instantaneously, leaving a few glowing embers. Lenne sat down, or rather plopped down in a heap. She was breathing hard, her heart beating to a tune only she could hear.

Shuyin stirred. She watched him open his vibrant blue eyes, which instantly sought her face. Propping his head up on one elbow he asked, in complete innocence:

"What's the matter? Couldn't sleep?"

Lenne didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or cry. Or both. She cleared her throat.

"Shuyin, I have something to tell you...but first, I want you to hear a song I'm writing..."

She took a deep breath and began to unleash the words within her, welling up in her soul. Shuyin sat, transfixed. He had no idea she had such a beautiful voice, she sounded like an angel. As he listened to her, her soft but clear voice wafting over the Calm Lands (stopping several Chocobos in their tracks, as they raised their heads to listen), he felt a change come over him as well. He wanted to spend forever with her, to never let her out of his sight or reach. The only question was why he hadn't seen it before.

The last note died in Lenne's throat and she opened her eyes, flinching ,afraid he might say something to ruin the dream she had just created. But he just sat there. Even worse, she thought, he hated it and doesn't want to tell me.

Silently he crossed over to her, kneeling before her. He reached out with a gloved hand (one that looked familiar, only now Lenne couldn't remember where she had seen it) and brushed a tear from her face. Then he kissed her. She kept thinking she should be surprised, but it seemed the most natural thing in the world.

She pulled back a little. There was something in her way...a sphere? Where had this come from? She couldn't remember getting it, but she knew it belonged to her. Like the Song. The Song was her's and yet, she also felt it belonged to someone else. Someone distant. But she didn't concern herself with that now. She moved the sphere out of her way and kissed Shuyin again.

This time it was he pulled back, he smiled shyly and asked:

"And what was it you wanted to tell me?"

She smiled, locking his cobalt eyes with her hazel.

"Later. We have eternity."

And silently, in their own way...the Fayth celebrated, for now Spira was saved.

THE END