To Zanarkand
Author's Notes: I was really disappointed with the ending of FFX-2. Even though everything worked out in the very end, Yuna should have found Tidus without having to get 100!!! She should have, but no she found him in the farplane in the good an common endings!! That is why I have resolved to turn to writing to satisfy my agitation. This story takes place after the "Common Ending" If you happened to see the "Good" and "Perfect Ending" just pretend it never happened, just scratch that from your memory.
Okay now that we got that straight!!! If you watched to the very end of the credits of FFX then you saw Tidus in the water. I will use that to my advantage as well. So if you too were unsatisfied with the ending then seek no further for this is the ending you are looking for!! Please if you have comments, constructive criticism, or anything at all to say, then don't hesitate to review. It will be gladly accepted!! Oh yah and Gali is my own original character and it not to be used in anyway without acquiring me permission first! Thanx a billion!!! –Falcone
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2, but I really, really wish I did. ;;
Part 1: You're EverythingThe water lapsed gently on the beach creating a calming rhythm. The night air was silent but the chill breeze could be felt soaring in the trees.
Floating on the surface of the water was a young man, his blond hair drifting as the current pulled in and out from the edge. Soon the rocking stopped and the boy was pulled onto the wet sand. Slowly he opened his eyes, blinking away beads of water with his lashes. Dragging his hands up to his face he ran them across his eyes. They focused more enabling him to distinguish the stars above.
Yuna
Yuna was the person who filled every inch of his mind. The High Summoner, his love. He had lost her, he would never find her again, and he would never be able to tell her that he loved her too.
ioioioi
A few days earlier
Yuna dragged her hand over one of the crystal branches that lay on the side of the path. Macalania woods had always been a place of serenity and beauty. It was relaxing and would always have a special place in her heart for it was here that she had expressed her feelings for Tidus. He was the star player of the Zanarkand Abes and he had come into her life so suddenly. Tidus had been one of her guardians and he helped her to realize the truth about the Final Aeon.
Even now, four years since they last saw each other, she missed him. She missed everything about him. His eyes, his laugh, his whistle, his smile; all things she would never see or hear again. Sometimes she could swear she could hear him whistling the Hymn of the Fayth on the wind on nights when she would sit on the beach, hoping he would just come back.
But had she not defeated Sin, and had Tidus not disappeared would Spira have lived? Would the eternal Calm have come? No. She knew the answer quite well. But still in her dreams he would always be by her side on her home of Besaid.
The woods were deserted as Yuna continued down the path to the pool of water, where she had wept in Tidus' arms. Her heart beat madly with every step she took.
Will he be there tonight?
Soon Yuna turned onto a path that branched off the main one, her pace quickening as she drew nearer and nearer. As she reached the path's edge she gasped suddenly, but breathed out a sigh. No he wasn't there; he was never there. Why would he be? She knew he was gone, gone forever.
Her eyes began to burn with hot tears as she looked up at the glowing moon above. Pyre flies swam through the sky gracefully, their movements reflected in the cool dark water. Yuna slowly walked to the water and sat down beside it. She looked down at her reflection, but the tears that swelled from her eyes soon distorted it. Yuna looked away and began to draw her hand up to her face, but she paused as the sound of child's laughter reached her ears. The sweet laughter sounded happy, full of joy. It began to come closer until it stopped a few feet behind her, and went silent. Slowly Yuna turned to where the sound was. She turned to face a small girl about five years old. On her delicate face was a bright smile, a dimple creased on her left check. Her hair was dirty blond and her eyes were of the brightest blue. She looked like a little doll, much like Yuna had when she was a child. But this girl looked different somehow. She reminded Yuna of Tidus. For a few minutes both just store at each other until suddenly the little child took Yuna's hand.
"Don't worry mama!" she whispered in Yuna's ear. Then she quickly gave Yuna a kiss on the cheek. Yuna looked at the girl in surprise. She then placed her had on the girl's hair and began to stroke it like she had always done it to her. The child reacted in the same way.
"Gali!" a familiar voice called, Yuna gasped at the sound of the voice. "Gali, where are you?" With that the little girl smiled and ran to a figure approaching down the path, her sweet laugh echoing in the trees. Yuna stood up as the figure moved towards her. Gali trailed a bit behind holding the figure's hand. Any second now he would step into the shower of moonlight spread across the opening where Yuna stood. He took one more step and then the dazzling white moonlight sprinkled his familiar features.
His tan face was set with brilliant blue eyes, and surrounded by flowing blond hair. He was the same, except his usual Zanarkand Abes uniform was replaced by softer, cotton clothing. Everything about him was perfect.
Tidus
Yuna pulled her hand to her mouth at the sight of the man she had been searching for, for so long. A smile crossed his face as he moved towards her. He placed his hand on her warm cheek and pulled her in for a long awaited embrace. Yuna looked up at him and moved her face closer to his…
Startled, Yuna's eyes burst open. She looked around her and was saddened to see the familiar set up of her bedroom on Besaid Island. It was all a dream. She turned onto her back and pulled her hand up to her eyes to stop the flow of tears that were threatening to escape.
Why was she having so many dreams of his return? She wished for it so ardently, but she knew that it would never happen.
But, this dream affected her even more then any other one she had had. A sweet little angle had been in her dream. Gali. Was Gali her...daughter?
What did it matter really if she would never see him, never be with him again?
Yuna pulled herself out of bed and drew back her curtain. A stream of sunlight poured in making her squint as she adjusted to the sudden change. Yuna leaned on the windowsill and looked at all the busy people working below her. Her house branched off from the main square of Besaid near the left side of the temple and went up a small hill. Yuna really liked where her house was situated because it allowed her some peace and quiet away from the regular noise of Besaid.
For another few minutes Yuna watched her familar home. The mid-day sun shone brightly down on the lush green trees that encircled the main square, and the rush of the waterfalls could be heard in the distance.
Despite her sadness a smile crossed Yuna's face as she gazed down on the town. Everything was so wonderful becsue of the Eternal Calm here. How could she not be a little bit happy? Every single day people in Spira woke up to joy instead of waking up to cower in fear. Life now was so… worth living.
Her life wasn't all-bad without Tidus, but it would never be the same. Yuna knew, though, that she would never love another like she had and still loved him.
Only one thought that pierced her mind constantly. She had always been willing to sacrifice herself for peace. But why could she not accept that Tidus had sacrificed his existence for the existence of others?
ooiioo
Yuna walked from her house down the small path leading to the main square. Over the last two years she hadn't changed that much. Her hair had grown a little longer, but other than that her striking blue and green eyes, pale skin, and sweet smile were still the same. She no longer wore her summoner's garb, nor her sphere hunter's one. Now she wore a simple white cotton shirt and a flowing colourful skirt.
Within a few minutes Yuna was in the square, being greeted by all the residents of the town. After defeating Sin, Yuna had been highly respected and known throughout Spira, but it was always the people from Besaid that made her feel most appreciated.
Yuna continued to the opposite side of the square to where Lulu and Wakka's house stood. In front of it was the crystal-blue commsphere that Shinra had installed close to two years ago. It had been awhile since she had flown with Shinra and the rest of the Gullwings, and she was getting a reminder every week from Brother on the commshpere. The days when she used to soar through the sky on the Celsius were always fun, but really all she wanted to do was enjoy her time on Besaid. Yuna did promise herself to travel to all the wonderful places in Spira, but the memories of her pilgrimage were still too close to her to want to see the places that meant so much.
Yuna pushed the flap that covered the entrance to their house aside, to reveal a set up close to Yuna's own house. Inside sat Lulu, Wakka, and their little son Vidina. Yuna smiled at the sight of the happy family together.
Both Lulu and Wakka had been Yuna's guardians on her pilgrimage to Zanarkand. Yuna could always tell that Lulu and Wakka had feelings for each other, but after the death of Wakka's brother Chappu they had become distant and irate. Once Sin was defeated Lulu and Wakka were married and about two years ago Vidina was born. Lulu had always been like Yuna's bigger sister. She was her protector, even if she was old enough to take care of herself.
"Hello!" Yuna said as she stepped into the house.
"Nice to see that you finally decided to come and join the society," Lulu said, turning from her jumping son to give Yuna a sly smile.
"Ya! What took you so long?" Wakka inquired.
"Uh...bad dream," Yuna, said looking down at her feet so that Lulu and Wakka couldn't see her glistening eyes.
"Come," Lulu said beckoning Yuna with her hand. "Sit down and forget that it happened. Dreams pass. You shouldn't get so affected by them." Yuna stepped forward from the door, and sat down beside Lulu on one of the low couches. As she sat, Vidina came hopping along, and plopped down in front of her feet. Yuna smiled down at the little child and placed her had on his soft, orange hair. Vidina was an exact image of his father; I guess that's why Wakka took so much pride in him. He did have Lulu's eyes though, and nose. All in all he was a very cute child.
"I hope when you have a child you won't take as long to decide its name as Wakka did," Lulu said, making her husband frown.
"I wanted to make sure it was the right one, Ya?" he retorted.
"I know and it is a perfect name," she replied lovingly.
"Of course," Yuna said still smiling and her eyes becoming distant. "But I already have a name. My little on will be called Gali."
----
Yuna took a step forward on the familiar ground of the ruins of Zanarkand. She hadn't been here since she, Rikku, and Paine had searched for the Sphere here. It had been a tourist's place then, but now it was totally empty. Everything was silent, except for the soft buzz of the Pyre flies, which soared in the sky.
Yuna looked at the sky that was covered with the oranges, pinks, and purples of a Zanarkand sunset. They skimmed the water, giving colour to the ripples. When she was still on her pilgrimage, Yuna and her guardians had sat here on a day when the sun had set so beautifully. He sat beside her, knowing she was going to summon the final Aeon.
Yuna turned away afraid that remembering might cause her pain.
She continued down the path that lead to the dome, but as she turned around the corner of one of the crumbling buildings, she was no longer in the ruins but in a huge glowing city. Lights shone everywhere she looked and water sparkled down the side of some of the grand buildings. The whole city was an intricate design of buildings, bridges, and platforms. It was the machina city of Zanarkand.
"Yuna! Hurry! We don't have much time!" cried a voice from the cities entrance. Running in front of her was Tidus. Sweeping through the streets, Tidus weaved his way through the mass of people, an expert of the surroundings. Still running, Yuna looked at all the people tending to their own business. They all looked so alive and free to be able to do what they wanted and not be stung by the pain of loss.
Suddenly, ahead Tidus halted in front of a huge building, which looked like the dome before it had been destroyed. Tidus stood in front of the huge entrance, staring up at the huge logo of the Zanarkand Abes. The Zanarkand Abes had been the blitzball team that Tidus had played on before he had come to Spira. It had been on the night of a blitz game that Sin had come to Tidus' Zanarkand and carried him along with Auron to Spira. So much had passed since then.
As Yuna caught up to him she saw him staring up at the signs, his face showing his longing.
"You miss it don't you?" she said, his head turning towards her.
"Of course," he replied, laughing slightly to cover up his pining. He bent his head down, but soon looked up at Yuna, a small sincere smile on his face, "Nothing at all is better than having you with me." Yuna smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Yuna and Tidus soon broke away from the wanted embrace. They looked around at the people standing close by and noticed that they all seemed frightened. Yuna and Tidus stared at them in confusion but soon understood what was wrong. They heard the loud clunk of boats on the ramp leading up to the dome and new that they were in trouble. Slowly a man holding up a pike gun approached. As Yuna looked at the man, she remembered seeing him somew but could not place him. Raising the eyepiece to his face, he placed his finger on the trigger and fired a smooth and almost soundless shot. Suddenly Yuna screamed as Tidus placed his hands on his chest to stop blood from pouring forth. Dying, Tidus fell to the floor.
"Yuna!" came his last gasp of breath.
"Yuna!"
"Yuna!" came Lulu's voice. "Yuna! Wake up!"
Yuna's eyes shot open. Another Dream.
"Yuna! It's Lulu. I need to speak to you!"
"Coming!" came the tired reply. Yuna dragged herself out of bed, the beautiful bright light of the stars streaming in the open window. She looked at Besaid and sighed.
Would he ever come back?
Yuna walked into the main room wrapped in a maroon linen shawl. Lulu was waiting at the door for her, a smile on her face and her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Is everything okay?" Yuna inquired, her eyes tiredly hald open.
"Everything is fine," she said with excitement, "but I think you might want to follow me!"
iiooii
Yuna drew the curtain covering the Crusader's Lodge aside and stepped into the glowing orange of a fire torch.
"Good Morning, Lady Yuna!" said the owner at the bar to the left of the entrance. "Sorry to disturb you this early, but I felt that this was a matter of importance, especially to you."
Yuna looked at him puzzled. If everything was fine then what could be that important?
"One of the fishermen from Kilika Island came into dock very early this morning. The man that found him…"
Him?
Her heart immediately began to quicken, her mind straying from the man's speech to thoughts of Tidus. Could it be Yuna's Him? But how could that possibly be? Yuna's tired eyes became clouded with moisture as the owner continued his explanation.
"… He was lying on the beach, wet and unconscious. He must have come from the water. One of the fishermen ran into the village and woke me up asking if they could bring him here to rest. They came back with him, but all the noise they made while bringing him woke up little Vidina. Wakka and Lulu came outside to see what was happening, and when they saw him they both recognized him. They said you would want to see him. I must tell you though he is still unconscious, but he has been calling out your name in his sleep."
Yuna could hardly believe what was being said to her. Had he finally come back? But was it just a dream? She had had so many dreams that seemed so real that sometimes it was really hard to tell if she was really dreaming. Tears of sadness, happiness, and worry began to drip out of her eyes. Maybe she would finally be happy.
"He's on the farthest bed," said the owner pointing to the white cloth that separated the entrance from the rest of the lodge. Seeing that Yuna was beginning to cry he nodded and left the lodge.
"Is-is it really him Lulu," Yuna's asked her voice straining in-between the now unstoppable tears.
"See for yourself," she answered sweetly.
Yuna stepped up to the cloth and took a deep breath as she slowly drew back the white curtain. Her hand began to tremble making it hard for her to grasp the delicate fabric. She walked into the room, letting the drape fall back behind her. She could hardly see in the darkness, but could hear the soft inhale and exhale of a person in the room. Remembering that the owner said that he was in the last bed, Yuna moved down the middle aisle between the empty, tidy, beds. After walking a few feet, Yuna suddenly stopped, aware that she could distinguish a figure laying on its side in the darkness.
"Yuna!" came a muffled cry from the figure as she slowly, one step at a time, moved towards the bed.
A few inches from the bed Yuna stopped, her eyes wide open and her hand to her mouth.
It was him. His blond hair was the same, his cheeks were the same, his lips were the same, and even his Zanarkand Abes uniform was the same. It looked like she had just left him yesterday.
"Yuna!" came the cry again.
"I'm here!" she said while finally giving up herself. She knelt beside his bed and grasped his hand that hung over the edge. "I'm here, I'll always be here."
ioioioi
Yuna stood on the edge of one of the cliffs that overlooked the ocean. She was tightly wrapped in her shawl since the sun had almost finished setting. The last of the orange light sparkled on the dark water that lapsed in and out of the shore. Most of the fishermen had packed in for the night, but there were still a few skirting over the wet and grainy sand.
It had now been two days since Tidus had come back suddenly and he still hadn't woken up. He was still tossing and turning in his bed, but he had stopped calling for Yuna now that she was almost always grasping his hand. Every second, her mind was thinking of him. She would think if he still loved her and how he would react when he would wake, if he would wake up at all. Maybe he was doomed to be in an eternal sleep, forever tormented by his dreams. Maybe he was waking at that very moment or maybe…maybe… Suddenly Yuna sighed. What point was there in thinking about so many maybes? She would not know until whatever was going to happen, happened. Right now she needed patience and love.
Yuna turned her head slightly to the sound of soft approaching footsteps. Once a bit closer the footsteps were revealed to be that of Lulu's. Without saying a word she strode up and stood beside her, also looking at the sea, now almost completely shaded by the dark sky.
"How is he?" Yuna finally asked after the silence.
"He had stopped moving in his bed and his breathing has become lighter. They said he is starting to come out of his sleep, and may very well be awake before the end of the night." Lulu twisted her head around to look at Yuna's face. It was no longer the stiff mask it had been, but was now trembling as an onslaught of tears were fighting their way forward. Gently Lulu placed her hand on Yuna's shoulder.
"Go ahead and let it out," Lulu whispered to Yuna consolingly. With that Yuna burst into a full-hearted cry, sobbing tears of joy, concern, and relief into her best friend's shoulder. At the end, her face red and her head pounding, Yuna returned to the lodge and held her beloved's hand, hoping, yearning for his awakening.
uiooiu
Tidus opened his eyes, his surroundings slowly coming into focus. He looked around from where he was lying, and recognized the familiar beds of the Crusader's Lodge. How did he get there?
Tidus turned onto his side to face the entrance of the lodge, but could only make out a faint glow of light in the thick darkness. Slowly, he swung his legs over the side of his bed, and steadily lifted himself up. Tripping over his feet, he stumbled over to the white cloth and pulled it aside. No one was in the front entrance, but the light he had seen was coming from outside. Continuing, he pulled aside the cloth covering the entrance and stopped.
The white moonlight shone down on the small village of Besaid, creating an ethereal peacefulness. Along the edge of the square were planted lit torches that flickered and crackled disturbing the night silence. A few steps away from the lodge stood a woman with shoulder length brown hair, with one long braid sticking out the back. She was facing away from the lodge, so all the was seen of her was her hair rustling in the wind and a maroon shawl pulled tight around her to fight off the chilly night.
Yuna
Was it her? Was it his love?
Suddenly conscious of a presence behind her, the girl quickly turned around to face the newcomer, a look of painful surprise on her delicate face.
"Yuna!" whispered Tidus, too stunned to move. Yuna's eyes immediately began to fill with tears. She lowered her face so that he couldn't see the glaze that surrounded them. Suddenly all the muscles in his body began to clench, making him too stiff. The sight of Yuna was joyful, yet paining. With eyes full of tears Tidus fought the commands of his muscles and slowly made his way to Yuna. Quickly seeing her distress, Tidus gathered her in his arms. For the next few minutes both just stood grasping one another. Yuna soon began to cry in his arms, and was surprised to feel his own tears slide down his face and fall onto her own.
Finally
It was he, Tidus, with her again. After all her searching for him he had finally come to her. He was exactly what she remembered.
"I-I thought you had left me for-forever," Yuna said through her sobs. Slowly, she looked up at his face, which looked beautiful though stained with tears.
"So did I," he replied. "After I left Cid's ship I saw my father, and Auron, and Braska, but then everything went black. I was only vaguely conscious of being on water, and now I'm here. Whatever happened to me doesn't matter now, because I'm truly grateful. The angles answered my prayers. All I wanted was to tell you that I love you." Yuna's eyes began to fill again with tears, her eyes of blue and green shimmering like crystals. Even through her tears she smiled.
"I love you too, and always will," she whispered before he placed his hand on her cheek and moved his face to her. They gazed into each other's eyes, barely an inch away.
"Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you," he said just before closing his eyes and giving her an ardent kiss. Both Yuna and Tidus poured their emotions into the kiss, which was for so long, yearned for.
Thank you
End of Part 1
End Notes: Ahh, sweet love! That's what the ending should have been like. I really hope you enjoyed that; I certainly did while writing it. Now that Tidus is back, we need to know why and then the real story can begin! Yes! It is not only a romance, there has to be some adventure. Too much romance can cause too many trips to the bathroom, or at least I think so! Thanx for reading and I hope that you would like to continue!
