DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN OR CLAIM TO OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, PLACES, OR PAST EVENTS AND DIALOGUE OF FINAL FANTASY X AND X-2. AS WELL I DO NOT OWN THE LYRICS TO NIGHTWISH'S ALBUM CENTURY CHILD. FFX AND X-2 ARE OWNED BY SQUARE-ENIX LEGALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY BY THEIR CREATORS. CENTURY CHILD IS UNDER CENTURY MEDIA RECORD LABEL AND IS INTELLECTUALLY OWNED BY THE BAND MEMBERS. HOWEVER I DO HOLD INTELECTUAL RIGHT TO THE EVENTS AND NEW CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR IN THIS STORY AND WILL DEFEND IT IF NEED BE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO POST THIS STORY ON YOUR OWN SITE OR ANOTHER PLEASE EMAIL ME AT barry11188yahoo.com 99.95% OF THE TIME I WILL SAY YES AS LONG AS YOU GIVE EITHER BARRY DONNELLY OR THE AMAROK STAR CREDIT FOR WRITING IT.
WARNING: This chapter as well as the entire story takes place after X-2, which means there will be constant references to dialogue and ending events. I suggest having played FFX all the way through and having AT LEAST finished FFX-2, and then have some knowledge of the perfect ending.
Authors Note: As I said in the summery here is the real summery. This chapter is just scenes from FFX and X-2. The story does not really begin until chapter two. After the perfect ending Yuna is pregnant and lots of weird stuff happens that may lead to the child to be more than we all expected. I will also explore the Tidus/Shuyin connection more than the game did. I hope you all will like and please review. thank you. FYI: the italic words are lyrics from Nightwish's album Century Child. Which served a huge part in inspiring the story. You can see them here: midis can be found at http:www.oceansoul.it/midi.htm Its the last album on the list.
BY THE AMAROK STAR
CHAPTER ONE: HAPPILY EVER AFTER
The memory stays so clearly in mind now, but it feels like something from another life, another me. It was an evening some would call beautiful, the sky was aflame with the vibrant orange glow of a dying sun as it set in the west. Spira would be so happy, for 1000 years we were punished, for 1000 years we were made fools of, shown to the world that we were completely helpless in the face of our ancestors war, Sin. And now it was over. Sin was , the cycle of summoners and cursed guardians was over. The Yevon teachings that forbade us to use machina were over. The hatred between Al-Bhed and Yevonite was over. There would be no more children, no more families torn apart. Everything would be all right. Spira had so much to be happy for as Sin died with the setting sun that evening. But not me, not us.
For us, we who defeated Yu Yevon, the sun was setting on a different person's story today. Pyerflies filed the air around me as I turned to see him, Tidus. Tidus was disappearing right before me, and he knew it. His hands and feet went first, they were slowly fading into blue, no longer tangible. Just a misty version of the man I knew.
I don't want to die a scar-less death
He looked at me then, his eyes full of sadness. Sadness I had never seen in him before, he was always so happy and cheerful. Seeing him now, like this, it was just so wrong. "No...!" it was the only word that I could muster before the tears and sadness griped my throat like a vice. I could no longer speak. His hands were now completely ethereal, I could see him struggle to keep the beautiful sword in his former grip, but to no avail. The sword fell through what was once his hand and hit the deck of the airship. Tidus' hands were no longer there to hold it. That sword, guided by his hand, pierced the heart of Yu Yevon. "Yuna..." Tidus choked as he looked at me with the most sincere look of apology I had ever seen. "I have to go. I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand." Suddenly he couldn't keep his eyes on mine. The blue transparency was eating him up, removing his hand from the reality he had once touched.
Heaven queen, cover me in all that blue. Little boy, such precious joy, is dead to the world
"Good by!" He shouted to us all as he began to run toward the edge of the airship. But I wasn't the only one of us who was hurt by this turn of events.
"Hey...!" exclaimed Wakka as he futaily held out his arm to Tidus, only to realize that he too was powerless to stop him. Tidus had been like a brother to Wakka, and now the look of grim remorse had changed the look of that large man to that of a powerless and scared little boy. Wakka's call had halted Tidus and then turned back to look at his friend. "Keep it safe for me Wakka, I wont' have to use it any more." Tidus said as he motioned to the beautiful ocean blade sword. "We're gonna see you again..." asked Rikku, her swirling Al-Bhed eyes were doing most of the pleading for her. Rikku had asked the question that we all wanted answered. We all looked at Tidus then, expecting some sort of reply. Even the stern faced Lulu and the silent giant Kimarhi now wore heartbroken expressions. To this Tidus said nothing, only looked at us with those apologetic eyes as if saying to each of us: 'I'm sorry, I just don't think so.' I could no longer believe what I was seeing then. Tidus was not really fading away, I could still hold him, still feel his warmth. Inwardly I could not truly convince myself. A part of me still knew what was going on, a part of me knew we had awoken the Fayth, and that this dream, Tidus, was going to fade into nothingness. So I set out then to prove it to my subconscious that Tidus was still real, and not just a passing dream of the Fayth. "Yuna!" Kihmari yelled in vain protest of my actions. As he turned to leave us I followed him. Followed him with all the speed I knew I had and more. I was so sure of my self, so sure that I would catch him and hold him for all it was worth. But I was wrong. I passed right through him, I had reached out for the one man who I had held so dear to my heart and tripped, falling hard onto the cold metal airship deck. I remember lying there for a moment, finally realizing what had happened. I had reached for Tidus, ignored the blue haze that was eating him up, and felt nothing. Tidus was leaving, and there was nothing, not one thing that I or anyone else besides the Fayth that could do to stop it. I stumbled as I rose, my back turned to him. From where I stood on the airship deck I could see out across the clouds and look down at Spira. Even from that altitude I could see fireworks coming from the cheerful celebrations below in Bevelle. I had never told Tidus I loved him, I had felt it in my heart for so long, but never had the courage to tell him. "I love you." I said, despite the iron grip sadness and tears had on my neck, I would not let it stop me. Summoners were Spira's ray of hope. And I always made special note to not cry or look sad in front of people. Despite all my efforts, though, after I let those words pass my lips a tear fell down my cheek. I had told Tidus I that I loved him, but that only made it all the more sad. Too sad to hold back my tears. But then... then I felt him. I could see his ethereal arms wrap around me, holding me as if he were still tangible. I couldn't feel his body, nor his heat or breath. But I felt him. I felt his love. It was then I realized, even though he was only a dream, his thoughts were real. His feelings were real, and his love, yes, that was real too. Before long he past through me, continuing his march toward the edge of the airship. He stopped a few feet in front of me, turned one last time to look back at all of us, then ran. He ran all the way to the edge without looking back and dived into the clouds. In the years that would follow I would ask Lulu and Wakka if they heard a faint slapping sound. Like the one made when giving someone a hi five. They both heard nothing, but I'm sure it was him.
All the same take me away
We're to the world.
"Don't try to tell me you understand..." Moaned the haired man in front of me as he slumped to his knees, defeated. This man... he was so similar to Tidus. His hair was the same, his face, his voice, his touch, even how he handled his sword was identical to Tidus. But he wasn't Tidus. His name was Shuyin. Shuyin didn't have Tidus' smile or laugh. Shuyin was twisted and sad. For a while I had believed that Shuyin could be Tidus. None of us could really say exactly what could have happened to him. Could the Farplane have returned Tidus' memory of who he was in life 1000 years ago. Was there no going back for him, no way of forgetting the pain he felt in life? The fact had still remained, Shuyin had stolen Vegnagun and attempted to end the Calm that Spira had so deserved. Nooj had asked me to take care of things topside, and that was exactly what I was going to do. No matter if my adversary wore the face of the man I had loved and lost. So now here I stood before him. His plans ruined, the sadness of his failures swallowing him up before my eyes. And it was my fault. Vegnagun was dismantled, but my true battle here had been lost. I had come to finally say Lenne's last words for her to reach Shuyin. But he was beyond my words now, and there was no way I could tell him how she felt. I may have given up hope and excepted my failure, but Lenne did not. Feeling the dressphere grow warm around my waist, my consciousness faded for just one fleeting moment. I had awoken on my feet, my clothes were now my own, the dressphere's light gone silent. It didn't take me long to realize what had happened, Lenne was free. Her misty apparition earned some shocked gasps from Rikku as she walked out of me, toward Shuyin. "Lenne?" he asked, Shuyin's eyes in denial of the misty woman walking toward him. "No! Your just another trick of Yuna!" the desperate man exclaimed, flailing his arms in vain attempt to stop the approaching woman. Then Lenne did something that finally made me realize why she wanted me to find Shuyin. Lenne reached out for one of Shuyin's protesting arms and grabbed the wrist firmly. Shuyin was a ghost, and had no body. I could talk with him all I wanted, I could dismantle Vegnagun, but the only person that could truly shake him out of insanity was another ghost. Lenne. There are some people you can talk out of things. Others need love. But Shuyin, he needed someone to literally grab him and stop him. I couldn't have done that, this was not my battle, it was Lenne's battle to save her love from himself. "Hi there." whispered Lenne. Shuyin looked relieved and terrified at the same time. "Lenne... After a thousand years of waiting this moment is all we get?" Lenne took Shuyin's hand and held it against her cheek. "This moment is enough." she said "Just knowing how you feel is more than enough. Let's go home Shuyin." The look Shuyin gave Lenne sent chills down my spine. It was the most sincere look of apology I had seen in two years. It was the same look Tidus gave me on the airship as he disappeared. "Can we? I failed to save you Lenne, which meant that you were not there to save Zanarkand... All the pain and suffering Spira has had for on thousand years is all my fault. We can't go home." "Shuyin that was all a thousand years ago. We've come to far to look back now. Come on, I have a new song for you." Shuyin didn't reply, he just embraced her, I think he was too ashamed to speak.. More Pyerflies began to surround them, they were going away. And if Tidus really was Shuyin... that would mean that he was leaving me once again, and once again, I could do nothing to stop it. Lenne turned her head to look back at me and said: "Thank you, Yuna." I just smiled at her, while she and Shuyin faded into a million Pyerflies.
As he died, he will return to die in me again
Weaving the cloth, giving birth to the Century Child
I didn't know how long I had been asleep, or even if I had been sleeping at all. I was awake before I had opened my eyes. Was I in a spherepool? No, the water was salty, I was in the ocean. I think, I had a dream. A dream of being alone. I wanted someone—anyone beside me. So I wouldn't have to be alone anymore. Long hours of loneliness
Between me and the sea
I slowly opened my eyes. Yes, this was indeed the ocean. My body felt like it had been curled up in a ball like this forever. Stretching, I noticed the sun shining through the water. Sunlight! It had felt like forever since I had felt its warmth. I had to go, had to feel the sun. The prospect filled me with such joy, I could hardly contain myself I swam as fast as I could up to the surface. But when I reached it, I found something even more precious than the sunlight.
Dumb kid, living a dream
Romantic only on paper
Authors note: I would like to openly thank NIGHTWISH for their inspirational music. Without their creative influence this story would have never been written.