Cast Into A Dreamlike Fog
"Oh simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old and I need something to rely on. So tell me when you're gonna let me in. I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin." -Somewhere Only We know by Brian Keane
Sin was gone, and with it, a passing dream. Everyone could finally rest at peace with the world except for the few who saved it... We had been deceived. We all believed we'd be able to share this new world together; build new memories without a costly price. We had been wrong. The worst did not happen until the best did.
Yuna... Yuna is in emotional turmoil. Her dreams have been dashed for that was the very thing she fell in love with. I knew when I first met him he wasn't what he appeared to be, but after time I too fell victim to his charm and beguile. I thought... I thought he would be able to make Yuna happy; something she so much deserved after everything she's gone through. I fear that she has finally been broken. Her will is one made of steel, yet... There is only so much a person can take without caving in.
Though Yuna has the brunt of this rude awakening, Wakka is also suffering. To him, his brother-- though far different from Chappu-- had come back to him. And again, Wakka lost him. Now, he walks along the beach scratching his head in confusion, wondering if one day-- like he did for Chappu-- if he'll come back.
Yuna spends a lot of her time at the beach as well, mostly by herself, but sometimes she invites Wakka to spend an afternoon of solitude with her. They knew him best and miss him most. All I can do is wait for the dreamlike fog to lift.
Yuna's original dream was to bring peace to Spira, to have the people out on the streets laughing and smiling. She wanted them to have reason to celebrate so hard that it would make up for all the pain that Sin had caused. She told me that when she first arrived in Besaid as young as she had been. Then, she told me again when I tried to discourage her from becoming a Summoner not even a year ago. She knew her destiny, but she never fully grasped the price. Especially now... She has been in love and that love was stolen from her. She will never forgive Sin, but Sin is gone forever, already slain by her. She will have no chance for revenge.
Yet, as she wished, the people celebrate in the streets. They send gifts as means of praise and gratefulness. She smiles accordingly, dutifully, and thanks each of them. They don't see the sadness or weariness in her eyes, or through the fake and hollow smiles. All they hear is her soft voice of appreciation and echoed laughter of children down the road. Then, as merrily as they came, they leave and take another part of her strength.
"I'm tired, Lulu," she sighed after such an encounter. We found ourselves at the beach, away from the non-stop noise that had seized the village since Sin's vanquish. Fragilely, she sat on a rock behind her, holding her head with one hand as if she were ill. I sat beside her.
Gingerly, I took her free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I know."
Wearily, she turned her face into my shoulder and let out a sob. My heart painfully constricted and I wrapped my arms around her, gently rocking her back and forth as she cried; patting her head soothingly. I don't know how long we sat there, but I held her, sympathizing with her through my own memories. I knew it would not do to tell her that the pain would subside in time, but never fully leave. I knew she would not understand-- as I hadn't-- that love could be found again from someone else in time.
When she pulled away from me, eyes red and swollen, dusk had come. I considered her for a moment as she wiped away the last of her tears. "Wakka will be looking for us soon."
She sniffed and nodded her head understanding. I got up and held my hand out to her, "A hot bath and some food will do you good."
Again, she had merely nodded and took my hand. We walked in silence and reached our small home undisturbed.
Wakka, as I had thought, had been searching for us, worried that perhaps some of the remaining fiends had taken us by surprise. "You coulda been eaten, ya?" he stated, hand behind his head in embarrassment after harassing us.
It was then that we heard it. The pleasant ringing that had been missing for weeks. Yuna laughed.
"Oh Wakka," she smiled, shaking her head slightly, revealing her tear stained face.
"Hey, whatsa matta?" Wakka had noticed the tear marks and started to approach her, but I beat him to it.
"Yuna, why don't you take a bath while I make dinner," I suggested, keeping her from his sight. It wasn't unusual for him to see her so unhappy, but tears... Tears were usually something Yuna kept locked inside.
I imagined she didn't want to be interrogated, so I dismissed her with a small smile.
"Hey, what was that all about? You keeping secrets, ya?" Wakka asked as I lead him outside.
"Yuna still needs time," I stated, eyeing the house making sure she wasn't eavesdropping before turning my gaze back to the red haired man.
"Oh..." he replied, lowering his eyes to the ground for a minute. "We all do... Not every day you find someone like him, ya?" he quirked a smile, as if trying to hide the fact that he was hurting too.
"I agree, Wakka," I said taking his hand, feeling more tired than I had in years, "I agree."
Though the road will undoubtedly be long and hard, I can see that recovery is up ahead for everyone. Tidus may have been a dream, but our memories of him are more real than the present time. Yuna's heart will heal. We all will.
The End.
Author's Note: Wow, that's two fics in one month! In the same fandom and right after massive writer's block no less! Hopefully you all enjoyed this, it was inspired after directly beating the game for my second time today (YAY!!!). I plan to do a few Yuna shorts on various things, a couple Tidus shorts, and maybe I'll even do a chapter fic. Who knows? Anyway, save an author and review!
Eraya