Yuna opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room. Framed pictures of Blitzball
players in dramatic poses lined the walls. The one closest to her was a
team photo, listed as the Luca Goers. She slowly began to remember the
night before. She had given the speech to the citizens of Spira. And she
had cried. Finally. She really did feel a little better. Her heart still
ached though. Love wasn't meant to be like this, was it? Nothing but
endless sorrow.
No! I need to stop thinking about it like that! She had been so optimistic, even when she was sure she would have to die to save Spira. Despite facing her own death, she was able to laugh and smile. To feel joy. But then, Tidus was with her. It was because of him that she was able to make it through some of the worst times. His strength and sense of humor had always kept her going, despite the odds.
With a sigh, she pulled the blankets tightly around her, trying to make a cacoon to shut out everything else. Trying to go back to sleep. In sleep she could either forget about her sorrow, or dream herself into a world where she was happy again. She saw his face often in her dreams. Those blue eyes, like a secret lagoon in the most perfect paradise. A crystaline sky, cloudless. He stretched his arm out towards her, eyes flashing like a becon. This time though, the dream was different.
Flashes of color danced fitfully across a surreal dreamscape. Tidus, running as though from an unseen enemy. "Yuna! I'm coming!" he shouted, voice pained. She ran to him, ran with all her strength. Glowing trees flashed by, becoming streaks of color if she did not focus on them properly. Shining crystals lined the path, giving off a quiet light, oblivious to the chaos around them.
Makalania forest... why...? The air she breathed now seared her lungs as though from a forge fire. Her heart beat came loudly to her ears, drowning out the sound of her footfalls upon the undergrowth and ancient shed leaves. Her body wanted to give out on her, to throw her onto the ground and sleep there forever, but she was catching up to him. Just a little faster, just work a little harder, come on!
Time seemed to slow around her as she accelerated. Tidus had stopped his running suddenly, though mid-stride and in an impossible position. Surprised to have caught up with him so quickly, she ran past him for three long strides before she came to a halt and turned to face him. He still stood there, balanced on the toes of one foot, the rest of his body suspended in air seemingly. His expression was one of horror and agony, and it too remained unchanging. Yuna reached to touch him, the simple action suddenly like moving in tar. The air itself seemed to have hardened somehow. With each inch closer she got to him, moving became harder and harder. The very air was resisting her!
"NOOOO! Tidus! I need you!" she screamed, pushing even harder against the invisible barrier. The space between them lessened slowly, though he was still agonizingly far away. She pushed her way towards him, trying harder still, straining every muscle in her body. For the briefest moment, she felt her fingertips brush against soft fabric, then skin. However, before she could even realize what happened, a flash of white light engulfed her. Icy cold enveloped her, lasting for less then a second, then it was gone. She was standing several feet away from Tidus, his body still frozen in that impossible position. A wordless yell escaped her, sheer agony and despair. She had been so close to him! Deep parts of her brain knew she had managed to touch him, if only briefly. Before she could throw herself at him again, the air began to visibly thicken before her, taking on a life of its own. It formed itself slowly into a humanoid figure, born of the air. As the transformation continued, the figure became more lifelike, more human. When at last fully formed, Yuna could still not tell if it was male of female, yet it was beautiful nonetheless. She stiffly stood there, gazing at it, paralyzed by a mixture of awe and despair. When at last it spoke, its voice was like the softest summer breeze. A mixture of power and gentleness.
"Finally, I have the honor of meeting you Lady Yuna. I have been seeking you for quite some time, but since you had locked up your emotions, the quest was futile. Now at last, we are here together in this dream. I thank you, Lady Summoner." Despite the strangeness of it, the creature's voice soothed her somewhat. Still, she could think of nothing to say. I'm not a Summoner any longer. There are no more Summoners at all. I had to destroy all the Aeons, kill all the Fayth, to save Spira. Yet another terrible loss... She remembered that last battle, forcing the Aeons she had bonded with to fight and destroy one another. It was the only way that Yu Yevon could have been defeated, and also the reason that Tidus no longer existed. The creature began to speak once more.
"Lady Yuna, the Fayth cannot be killed. Our deepest souls are bound to this planet's lifeforce. We took a hand in the battle as well, but paid a dear price for it. As did you, I know. The dream of the old Fayth ended once the battle was over, but as you know, dreams cannot die." Yuna gasped at those words. Could he really still be alive?Even the Fayth too? The hope was almost too much to bear after so much sadness. The figure began to change again, becoming a winged creature, though still beautiful. The wings stretched out to either side of a large feathered body, and their pinions showed a spread of magnificent color. Red, orange, yellow, and purple, all shining vividly. A feeling of peace and warmth spread over her at the sight, and the being spoke yet again.
"Yes Lady Yuna, we live again, reborn by the hope of Spira. The light of hope that you brought them has brought forth a new hope for us as well. My name is Phoenix. I am the spirit of life reborn, and the fire of strong hearts. Come, begin the pilgrimage anew, and restore us to our former glory. We wish to help rebuild this world as well! And yes Yuna, the dream lives again. Where, I do not know. That you are destined to come together again, is as certain as the sun rising each morning of your journey. Go forth Lady Yuna! Return to your beginning, and follow your heart from there! There is no ending at the end of this journey, only hope and joy!" With that, the creature, Phoenix, burst into fantastic multicolored flame. Many gleaming pyreflies appeared from the flames, their numbers increasing as the fires waned. At last, the pyreflies disappeared as well, leaving Yuna to drift upon the deep blue sea of dreams.
No! I need to stop thinking about it like that! She had been so optimistic, even when she was sure she would have to die to save Spira. Despite facing her own death, she was able to laugh and smile. To feel joy. But then, Tidus was with her. It was because of him that she was able to make it through some of the worst times. His strength and sense of humor had always kept her going, despite the odds.
With a sigh, she pulled the blankets tightly around her, trying to make a cacoon to shut out everything else. Trying to go back to sleep. In sleep she could either forget about her sorrow, or dream herself into a world where she was happy again. She saw his face often in her dreams. Those blue eyes, like a secret lagoon in the most perfect paradise. A crystaline sky, cloudless. He stretched his arm out towards her, eyes flashing like a becon. This time though, the dream was different.
Flashes of color danced fitfully across a surreal dreamscape. Tidus, running as though from an unseen enemy. "Yuna! I'm coming!" he shouted, voice pained. She ran to him, ran with all her strength. Glowing trees flashed by, becoming streaks of color if she did not focus on them properly. Shining crystals lined the path, giving off a quiet light, oblivious to the chaos around them.
Makalania forest... why...? The air she breathed now seared her lungs as though from a forge fire. Her heart beat came loudly to her ears, drowning out the sound of her footfalls upon the undergrowth and ancient shed leaves. Her body wanted to give out on her, to throw her onto the ground and sleep there forever, but she was catching up to him. Just a little faster, just work a little harder, come on!
Time seemed to slow around her as she accelerated. Tidus had stopped his running suddenly, though mid-stride and in an impossible position. Surprised to have caught up with him so quickly, she ran past him for three long strides before she came to a halt and turned to face him. He still stood there, balanced on the toes of one foot, the rest of his body suspended in air seemingly. His expression was one of horror and agony, and it too remained unchanging. Yuna reached to touch him, the simple action suddenly like moving in tar. The air itself seemed to have hardened somehow. With each inch closer she got to him, moving became harder and harder. The very air was resisting her!
"NOOOO! Tidus! I need you!" she screamed, pushing even harder against the invisible barrier. The space between them lessened slowly, though he was still agonizingly far away. She pushed her way towards him, trying harder still, straining every muscle in her body. For the briefest moment, she felt her fingertips brush against soft fabric, then skin. However, before she could even realize what happened, a flash of white light engulfed her. Icy cold enveloped her, lasting for less then a second, then it was gone. She was standing several feet away from Tidus, his body still frozen in that impossible position. A wordless yell escaped her, sheer agony and despair. She had been so close to him! Deep parts of her brain knew she had managed to touch him, if only briefly. Before she could throw herself at him again, the air began to visibly thicken before her, taking on a life of its own. It formed itself slowly into a humanoid figure, born of the air. As the transformation continued, the figure became more lifelike, more human. When at last fully formed, Yuna could still not tell if it was male of female, yet it was beautiful nonetheless. She stiffly stood there, gazing at it, paralyzed by a mixture of awe and despair. When at last it spoke, its voice was like the softest summer breeze. A mixture of power and gentleness.
"Finally, I have the honor of meeting you Lady Yuna. I have been seeking you for quite some time, but since you had locked up your emotions, the quest was futile. Now at last, we are here together in this dream. I thank you, Lady Summoner." Despite the strangeness of it, the creature's voice soothed her somewhat. Still, she could think of nothing to say. I'm not a Summoner any longer. There are no more Summoners at all. I had to destroy all the Aeons, kill all the Fayth, to save Spira. Yet another terrible loss... She remembered that last battle, forcing the Aeons she had bonded with to fight and destroy one another. It was the only way that Yu Yevon could have been defeated, and also the reason that Tidus no longer existed. The creature began to speak once more.
"Lady Yuna, the Fayth cannot be killed. Our deepest souls are bound to this planet's lifeforce. We took a hand in the battle as well, but paid a dear price for it. As did you, I know. The dream of the old Fayth ended once the battle was over, but as you know, dreams cannot die." Yuna gasped at those words. Could he really still be alive?Even the Fayth too? The hope was almost too much to bear after so much sadness. The figure began to change again, becoming a winged creature, though still beautiful. The wings stretched out to either side of a large feathered body, and their pinions showed a spread of magnificent color. Red, orange, yellow, and purple, all shining vividly. A feeling of peace and warmth spread over her at the sight, and the being spoke yet again.
"Yes Lady Yuna, we live again, reborn by the hope of Spira. The light of hope that you brought them has brought forth a new hope for us as well. My name is Phoenix. I am the spirit of life reborn, and the fire of strong hearts. Come, begin the pilgrimage anew, and restore us to our former glory. We wish to help rebuild this world as well! And yes Yuna, the dream lives again. Where, I do not know. That you are destined to come together again, is as certain as the sun rising each morning of your journey. Go forth Lady Yuna! Return to your beginning, and follow your heart from there! There is no ending at the end of this journey, only hope and joy!" With that, the creature, Phoenix, burst into fantastic multicolored flame. Many gleaming pyreflies appeared from the flames, their numbers increasing as the fires waned. At last, the pyreflies disappeared as well, leaving Yuna to drift upon the deep blue sea of dreams.