Author's Notes: This is a fic based off the ending of Final Fantasy X, and will contain tons of spoilers and probably won't make much sense unless you paid attention during the in game dialogue, so please complete the game before reading ^_^ You can think of this as an original ending/continuation of FFX. This also has absolutely nothing to do with FFX-2.
Walking Dreams
Chapter 1: Ripped
As I walk towards the edge of the ship, I hear Yuna's soft sobs.
Sorry, Yuna. I can't show you my Zanarkand, after all. My heart felt like lead as I bolted for the edge of the deck, and jumped.
Auron, Braska, Dad... is it really you? I can see you!
Dad…
Am I going to disappear forever? I am... just a dream...
"You two are more than just dreams now. Just a little more, and maybe... Maybe you are the dream that will end our dreaming at last."
We did it, the Fayth are resting now, dad. I... I...
He opened his blue eyes slowly, waking up from his inner dialogue. The familiar feel of cool ocean water kissed his skin, giving Tidus some comfort. Where am I? Faint voices were calling out his name. Immediately he started to swim for the surface, encouraged by the voice calling out his name.
Am I home?
Sunlight danced off the flying droplets of water as Tidus broke the surface. He shook the wet hair from his eyes and eagerly looked around, hoping to find a familiar face. Nearby was a beach--one he did not recognize--but it was empty. It wasn't just someone calling to him. The entire place was calling out his name, whispering reassurances to him, lulling him into a new sense of calm.
It'll be alright from now. Tidus smiled. Luna, Wakka, Rikku, Kimari and Yuna, they are alright. Auron, dad… you're here, and I will see you soon.
From below the surface, something ice grabbed his ankle and pulled him back down under. Terrified, Tidus stomped on whatever was holding him with his other foot. He expected some ocean fiend or creature dragging him down, but when the air bubbles floated out of the way, Tidus' eyes widen with shock.
What?! He wanted to scream, but he couldn't find his voice.
It was… just darkness. A shapeless, black thing was dragging him further away from the sunlight. Before he had a chance to scream properly, the dark creature engulfed the lower half of his body. Tidus pushed against the creature, but only succeeded in making things worse. Frantically he sculled his hands, trying to swim for the surface. He felt the iciness of the shadow wrap around his shoulders, and finally covering his eyes.
HELP!
"AHHHHH!" Tidus opened his eyes, but immediately shut them again, wincing at the strong lights aimed directly at him. "Wha?" He laid still for a moment, trying to collect himself.
"I… I think we did it, Maester Katral." Someone else was in the room.
Still shielding his eyes, Tidus turned towards the voice and saw a surprised looking Guado looking wide-eyed at him. Items in the room reminded him of the technology he saw at the Bevelle Temple.
"What…" He sat up and addressed the Guado. "Where am I?" The comforting voice that spoke to him at the ocean was gone. He had been violently ripped away from his reward. Doubts and fears filled his head, and he started to shiver. "Why did you bring me HERE?" He demanded of the Guado angrily.
The door behind him burst open. Tidus turned and saw two large Guado heading towards him, reaching out with their long fingered hands. One of the slammed him back down onto the table he was lying on, knocking white stars into his vision.
"Hey!" Tidus pushed and clawed at the Guado still holding him down. "What's the big idea?!"
"Tidus, is it?" A fourth person--a human--entered the room, this one dressed in expensive silks and long robes, like the Maesters of Spira. He was almost as tall as the Guado guards. From his long black hair combed neatly into a tail set high on his head, to the glint of his emerald green eyes, this man had an air of importance about him. "I didn't believe it could be done," he said to Tidus while shaking his head slightly, "but it seems that our fantasy has become a reality." He walked around to the other side of the table, never taking an eye off Tidus as he did so.
Tidus stopped struggling and simply stared dumbly at the human marveling over him. "What are you talking about? Where am I?"
"Bevelle." He answered. "Do you remember it? You did pass through here on Lady Yuna's pilgrimage one year ago, did you not?"
"Bevelle?" Tidus whispered. "Yuna? One year…ago?" Suddenly he snapped to attention, eyes flaming intensely. "Where is Yuna? What did you do with her?!"
"We have done nothing to Lady Yuna." The well dressed man answered calmly. "In fact, she's disappeared ever since the Second Tide."
"Second Tide… Who are you?" Tidus demanded. The well dressed man looked taken aback, then smiled.
"Pardon my rudeness. It's been awhile since I had to introduce myself to anyone. I am Maester Katral, leader of Spira."
"Spira?" Tidus let the word sink in. Am I really back? In Spira? "How is this possible? I don't belong here!"
"We summoned you." Katral turned the corners of his lips up satisfyingly. "After we found out about you, we decided it would be of great interest for us to bring back possible individuals from your dream world of Zanarkand."
Something went off in Tidus' head, stunning the teenager into silence for a moment. "How did you know about that?"
"We simply asked some of the other guests on the Al Bhed airship what happened, did a little investigating, and found out that you and Sir Jecht were both guests brought here from Zanarkand…" Katral leaned down towards Tidus, looking closer. "It took us a long time to find a way to bring you back."
"But why do you want me… back?" Tidus' eyes betrayed his new found fear. "Why?"
Katral did not immediately answer. He pulled away from Tidus and turned around, staring at the instrument panels around the room. "All of this, is to bring new power." Katral turned and looked darkly at Tidus. "New power to Yevon."
"But we killed Yevon!" Tidus protested, pushing at the Guado's arm holding him down. "Hey, call off the goons, will ya!"
Katral nodded and waved to the Guado guard, who allowed Tidus to sit up on the table. The Maester continued. "Yevon need only be an institution. I am not concerned about anything outside of that."
"But how does brining me back help you?"
"The technology which once belonged to this world, lost for a thousand years… that was preserved in the dreams of the Fayth."
"The dreams of the Fayth?" Tidus repeated hesitantly.
"Yes, the 'people' living in your dream Zanarkand know more about the machina of the past than any existing manuscripts today." Katral raised his hand at his eye level. "If we can retrieve some of that, then we can harness that power." He closed his fist tightly. "Power to rebuild faith in Yevon's teachings."
"Hey, I don't know anything about machina." Tidus shook his head. "I just play blitzball." Katral gave him a dark look again, smiling at Tidus in a way that gave the boy shivers. "Even if I could," Tidus continued, "I wouldn't help you."
"We don't need your knowledge of Machina." Katral shook his head. "You are simply the link between our world and Zanarkand. Managing to summon you back gives us hope to summon others."
"But," Tidus scratched his head, "how Did you bring me back?"
From the folds of his robes, Katral retrieved a large blue gem, dangling from a thick gold chain. "We took what remained of the Fayth that summoned the dream of Zanarkand and pressed it into this gem, the 'Blue Ocean.' Beautiful, isn't it? We used this and several hundred other praying summoners to bring you back."
"Back?" Tidus thought of the calm ocean he saw before, the reassuring voice soothing his pains. "You ripped me away from my death?! You can't even leave a dead guy alone?!" He balled up his fists, staring angrily at Katral. "Do you have any idea, how much it hurts?!" Tidus lunged at Katral, ready to give the Maester a piece of his mind. Before his fist could connect with anything, though, something twisted mercilessly at his insides. He fell to his knees, gripping his stomach with his arms.
Katral gripped the Blue Ocean tightly in his hand and stared intensely at Tidus. "I control you, boy, since I am the one who summoned you here." Katral hissed. "Don't ever think of crossing me."
When the pain vanished, Tidus started to breath again. Supporting himself with one free hand, he gave Katral a look of fear mixed with hatred. He was familiar with men like Katral. Power meant everything to people like him…
"Get out of my sight." Katral waved his hand, and the two Guado behind Tidus picked the blonde up by his arms. Too tired to raise a protest, Tidus simply allowed them to drag him out of the room. He caught one last look at the twisted expression on Katral's face before the doors closed.
It was a look that he would be seeing a lot.