Once More

Written by Alexiel91

I do not own Final Fantasy X / Final Fantasy X-2, nor the worlds, settings and characters. However the story may contain parts of the games, all other is made by me. Any resemblance to other fics written is purely unintentional, seeing that we all play the same game. Resemblances of theories is ought to be seen sometimes.

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Chapter 1 - A Tired Homecoming

The surrounding atmosphere was truly an magnificant view for the eyes that afternoon. The sun, that often shined over the island of Besaid was graced as if it had never been seen before.

The bird's singing, retold ancient stories of Spira to the people in their gwaking melody. The water was a blessing of earth. Everything was magic that day, that very afternoon...or was it?

Who could tell actually? Did anyone even think about it? Or were they all to gathered up in the laughters and smiles coming from every possible side they turned to look at?

Whatever it was that they were or weren't thinking about had been put aside for this moment of happiness as they all welcomed home a hero that had been gone for 2 years.

Cheers and smiles surrounded Tidus as every villager from Besaid lined up around him to shake his hand or hug him a welcome back.

Happiest of them all was Yuna, who stood a few feet away, smiling as she eyed him with her bi-coloured eyes, watching him trying to catch up with what everyone was saying and cheering.

He had been gone for 2 long years, 2 years of sadness and agony for her...2 years she most of all wanted to forget. All she wanted to do was watch him as she did now for the rest of her life.

And how she hoped that this time he would stay for the rest of their lives, and not be taken away to the nothingness again. She had barely survived watching him disappear the first time, surely

a secong time would break her totally, inside and out. She would've been crushed, tears tried to find their way out as the thought of anything like that ocurred in her mind.

Quickly she used her hands to rub away the small tear-drops that had formed out of the corners of her eyes, right before she was joined by Rikku and Paine, along with Wakka and Lulu.

They all waited for the others to say their greetings to the hero who had returned after 2 years, so that when they would get their chances, they wouldn't have to worry about others listening in.

"I can understand now how you misstakened Shuyin for being Tidus" Paine stated with a followed smile.

"Yeah, they're almost identical to the looks, but so separated by personalities." Yuna mumbled quietly as she kept her eyes steadily on Tidus.

Anyone could've misstaken Shuyin, the man on the sphere Rikku had shown her, for being Tidus. Yuna could almost see Shuyin as Tidus if it wasn't for the totally different personalities they both had.

Shuyin set out to destroy Spira, even a thousand years after his death and the destruction of the Zanarkand he lived in, his spirit would not rest in peace...it couldn't. For others, Shuyin may have been seen

as a fiend, wanting nothing else than to destroy and kill. To others, Shuyin may have been seen as someone born out of total evil and knew only hatred. ...but those people did then not know of what Shuyin had been through.

Yuna felt sorry for the agonized soul that had lived on mourning even a thousand years after his death...not knowing his beloved last words, not knowing her thoughts or feelings as he fought to his last breath to protect her.

He had known nothing coming out of her mouth, he had only seen her smile as tears were shed, running down her face, before the fateful bullets were shot, ending their lives..together in each others embrace.

People did not know that what had started the tragic story of Shuyin and his Lenne, was the horrible Machina War between Bevelle and Zanarkand. People did not know that Shuyin wasn't an evil person nor soul.

Only Yuna and her friends knew that Shuyin was sad and lonely. He was tired, living on a thousand year after his death without his Lenne at his side, he remained at Spira alone, blaming himself for not being able to save her.

Adn while noticing that people, one thousand years later the war between Bevelle and Zanarkand, still argued and fought over nothing enraged him. The very reason to why Lenne and himself had been killed down in cold execution

still lived on. What Yuna knew, the people of Spira didn't, they didn't know what a torn agonized and tired soul Shuyin had been.

Thinking over those things Yuna came to an almost conclusion that Tidus wasn't all that different when it came to that part. Tidus too, had fought for and beside Yuna on her journey 2 years ago to defeat Sin.

He had joined her and her guardians in hope to find his Zanarkand again, but as time went, he stayed by her side, and not just until the end...but always.. By doing so, he was alot like Shuyin, she guessed.

Because Tidus, just as Shuyin, fought until his very last breath for his loved one and for Spira...knowing that defeating Sin, he also defeated his own existance. It had been the end of Yuna's pilgrimage, but also the end

for her love, as he, before her eyes, disappeared into the nothingness... She had been glad, only for that Sin was now gone forever. The Eternal Calm had finally arrived. But her heart had never ached as much as it had then

and for the last 2 years. The Eternal Calm was upon them, smiles found their way back to people's faces, laughters was heard again, joy and happiness was everywhere...but Yuna couldn't share all that with the one that had saved Spira,

she couldn't share it with the one person that had saved her...she hadn't been able to share it at all with Tidus.

In a few ways, Tidus was just as Shuyin. But it was their choose of action that separated them all in all. And the fact that Shuyin left in peace to rest with Lenne, and the fact that Tidus came back and now stood infront of her

being greeted by the last villagers, also made them different on some kind of level...she couldn't say for sure, all that she knew was that they all were connected on some alternate plain. Everything was connected.

"Dozing off again, Yunie?" the cheery voice of Rikku broke through her thoughts. "I expected you to be at least a little happier about seeing Tidus again."

"Sorry Rikku, I was just thinking that's all..." Yuna mumbled with a shake of her head. "And of course I'm happy to see him, don't you ever think otherwise!"

The goofy smile on Rikku's face worried Yuna slightly, and seeing Rikku leaning into to whisper something to Paine, making her chuckle lightly, worried her even more.

"Hey, what're you talking about?" Yuna exclaimed, turning to stand in front of them, hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, just a little something, something" Rikku smiled innocently, at least trying to look innocently.

"Don't give me that look! You're so far from being innocent that could even make LaBlanc look at you and say 'Damn!'"

Yuna's statement made Rikku pout slightly and look at Paine for back-up. However, Paine's comment made her wonder on which side Paine was on.

"She's got a point you know." she had said with her Unique-Paine-Smile.

"Oooh, the anger and fustration you guys give me when you agree!" Rikku pouted with a whiny, yet lay-off glare.

Yuna merely sighed deeply with her eyes closed.

"Whatever, just tell me what you were whispering about" she continued as she opened her eyes

"Sigh all you want, Yunie. And ask all you want, 'cuase I ain't telling you!" Rikku teased

Yuna turned to Paine as her last hope of knowing what this was all about.

"Paine?"

The negative smiling shake of Paine didn't solve Yuna's problem any further. Just who's side was Paine on exactly she couldn't tell even in a houndred years.

"Sorry, Yuna. No can do, what Rikku told me was something worth keeping quiet about and torment you with." Paine had said. "Don't take it personal."

"'Don't take it personal.' ? You got to be kidding me..." Yuna sighed again, settling herself down on the beach's sand in a defeated kind of way.

There she sat quietly, legs drawn up and pushed into her stomach with her hands, her head digging slightly into ther drawn-up legs, eyes closed.

How she was tired, but she had never been happier. Tidus was back, that was all she cared about. Staying in that position for a while, she did not notice how the beach became emptier as Rikku, Paine, Wakka, Lulu and baby Vidina

slowly and quietly made their way back to the village with all the other people. She was all to deep into her thoughts and dreams to notice anything. Not even noticing how Tidus stood infront of her fighting off the tiredly feeling that he had felt

ever since his return. He had been all to happy about seeing her to care about how his body felt as he held onto her as they stood together in the water embracing. His return had happened so unexpected that he had not had the chance to figure out

how he had returned or why he felt the kind of weakness. And having to shake hands or recieve embracing hugs from practually every human being from Besaid only tired him out more, even though he felt happiness.

He had soon gotten the chance to talk some with Lulu and Wakka. Rikku had said that she'd talk to him later and introduce their new friend Paine a little more later, and gathered everyone to leave, giving him some alone time with Yuna.

As she sat there, silently resting, as he thought. He grew weaker in the same pace as his heart felt warmer for the beautiful girl in front of him that had been his everything. Carefully he lowered himself down onto the sand, feeling his legs almost

giving away any moment. He had to try and control this, for Yuna's sake. She had just gotten to have him back, having to scare her or worry her with this unexplained feeling and state he was in, was not an option for him.

He had to pull it together for just another few hours. Wakka had said something about a Bonfire-celebration later on, to celebrate his return, and supposedly another victory and world-saving that had come from Yuna and her friends.

Had Yuna saved the world yet again, he thought? How long had he been gone really? What had been going on in Spira whilst he had been gone? Although he had noticed some changes in Yuna; her clothing-style, her confidence, her athletic skills and much more, he had no clue on what had been going on ever since his disappearance. That he had to ask her later was the conclusion he came to before focusing his stingingly tired eyes at her resting state again.

Sensing that she was being watched, and how all the cheering voices that suddently died out, Yuna slowly lifted her eyes to first meet the gazing sunlight again. Looking to her right where the crowd had been before she noticed it was all empty.

Had they all left already, and left her there alone? No, they would never do that...would they?

Her eyes turned with a haste to her left, slightly catching a glimpse of blonde, softly spikey hair. Empty to her left too.

Having the fast image of the blonde hair initalizing in her mind, she turned to look in front of her. There she was met by the goofy smiling face of Tidus and his cerulean blue ocean eyes.

She couldn't believe that it had been 2 years since she had last seen them. And here they were, gazing into her own bi-coloured eyes with so much adoration. She smiled brightly, this was a face she could look at all day long.

"Hi there" he quietly said, hos voice sounding rather tired.

Not wanting to fear anything that could be nothing but usual and normal tiredness, she smiled even brigther.

"Hey there yourself"

Moments of total silence went on between them, as they kept on looking into each others eyes.

"I-I've missed you...so much" Tidus said in a hoarse voice, he felt his heart wanting to crack up for the time he had been apart from her.

Yuna, herself felt as tears were born in the corner of her eyes as she heard him say what she too felt. The world had been so unfair on them.. 2 years.. Yuna couldn't believe it.

"I've missed you too, more than words can ever describe." She softly spoke, tears running down her face, shattering Tidus heart as he looked on.

In his weakened state, he refused to let Yuna notice anything wrong, as he with no power at all forced himself closer to her and throwing his arms around her. Embracing her, holding her with all his might.

"Yuna..." he mumbled into her hair, as he felt her arms circling around his waist, as she too held onto him. "Yuna..." he cried.

They stayed like that for what seemed as eternity. Feeling Tidus weight increase slightly on her, Yuna felt herself losing her balance little by little, and they soon feel to the sand. Tidus ontop of Yuna.

Yuna giggled lightly at the embarrasing action and not being able to control her balance. But found it soon odd, as she was the only one giggling or making nosies. Even more odd it became when Tidus didn't budge or

made any movement. As a minute passed. Yuna figured something had to be wrong as she carefully started to shake Tidus.

"Tidus?" she asked quietly while shaking. "Tidus?"

A few seconds later Tidus seemed to react and carefully pushed himself off of her. "Sorry, I didn't-" he slowly started, looking down at the sand.." I-.."

Yuna eyes him carefully, her eyes full of concern.

"You didn't respond to anything in minutes...are you okay?" she asked, her voice showing of what Tidus feared that she would feel... Worry...

Tidus smiled up a fake smile, hoping to reassure her that he was fine.

"I'm fine, really." he chuckled

Noq quite buying what he said, she gently nodded.

"Okay, if you say so."

"Yeah" Tidus nodded too. How he hated to have to lie to her, but it was a small white lie. he thought. He just didn't want to worry her. After all, what he felt could just be common tiredness for all he knew.

Yuna only looked at Tidus, her eyes scanning every part of him. She wanted to ingrave his image into her mind forever. She wanted him with her in all times.

Though he smiled, his eyes were distant somehow. They seemed so far away, so tired...why? she wondered.

"Yuna.." Tidus whispered, breaking her concentration that she had upon his eyes. "Before I disappeard that time on the ship.." he started, painingly, as memories of that moment rushed back into their minds.

"I wanted to say the same words to you...but I couldn't..." he weakly continued, his voice felt like giving away.. There was no way he could hide what he had felt for sometime now from her. Never could he in a million years go

by her while sounding like he did. He clearly noticed her eyes looking on with so much concern..

"Tidus, what's wrong?" her voice that seemed so distant asked worriedily. But he decided not to answer her question, but to tell her what was most important for her to know.

"I figured...that, if I said it..it would've been more...painful..." he said between tired gasps..

Yuna was practually shaking him now, trying to get an answer out of him.

"Tidus! Please, tell me what's wrong... What's going on?"

"I'm so tired...Yuna... I-I want to say it now... I have..to.." he tried, her worried face was all that he saw, and it was now slowly fading into the blackness of nothing.. "..I love you..."

"Tell me, please! Tidus! What's wrong? Tidus!..Tidus?..Tidus?" she almost yelled, as his tired form collapsed in front of her.