As she was enveloped in a sea of blackness and half-listening to the heated argument between the same guard and the captain of the Zanarkand Abes, Yuna was still conscious enough to ask herself multiple questions about her predicament. Mainly, how and why she and her friends were brought to the past in the first place. She could hear bits and parts of a conversation she wasn't sure she was actually apart of, but pondered why she would remember it if that was the case. Those voices died out as soon as they arrived as her weary eyes opened and the words of this dispute could be more clearly heard.

"She didn't do anything wrong!" Tidus said, crossing his arms. "In case you didn't notice, we probably wouldn't even have a stadium if she didn't step in and help out!"

"That doesn't change the fact that she broke one of the critical rules of our city!" the guard said. "She wasn't even allowed here in the first place! How do we know she didn't bring those things here in the first place!"

Yuna sat up, watching blue stars dance as her head rushed. What's… going on? Where are my friends?

"I don't think someone that brings fiends into a stadium would bring them just to destroy them!" Tidus's face was currently flustered from the amount of yelling he was doing. "That just doesn't make any sense!"

The guard walked closer and kept his dark, questioning eyes on the boy. "Do you even know this girl's name?"

Tidus bit his tongue. "I… uh…"

"Yuna…"

Both turned their heads to her and Tidus went to help her stand. "Are you okay?"

"Well I'm sorry, but the law is law, and I'll have to take her in," the guard said. "It doesn't matter who she is or what she was intending, we can't risk allowing this kind of behavior throughout the city."

"I'm sorry…" Yuna said. "I can't always control my magic outbursts like that… I have this condition where my powers will activate themselves without my consent… especially around fiends."

Tidus looked at her, surprised at her answer. The guard straightened his position and kept his hands firmly grasping his weapon.

"That still doesn't excuse you for entering the stadium when you were strictly prohibited to do so."

Yuna kept her determined eyes locked on the guard and her eyebrows were sharp. "I'm sorry, I just saw all these fiends and I headed inside, anyway. I wanted to help."

"Wait, but if you wanted to help, then you did know what you were doing when you were using your powers!"

Yuna's head pulsed and she stumbled as Tidus tried holding her upwards. "Look," he began. "She's obviously too drained out to do any more spells. Whatever damages she's done to the stadium, I'll take care of it." Both he and the guard studied the arena for signs of destruction, but there was so little that it was highly insignificant. "Just let me walk her home."

The guard was about to protest, but Tidus had already wrapped Yuna's arm around hid neck and helped her walk out of the stadium. However, he still made one last comment about Yuna never showing her face back in that stadium again, unless she wanted to face the consequences.

Yuna felt an uncomfortable knot in her stomach. It was more of a nuisance than the feeling in her head or the tingling feelings in her limbs as they slowly regained circulation. She had lied almost effectively for the first time in her life. The only time when she made false claims was when she said nothing important was on her mind, when clearly she was about to make a decision that would affect everyone. Auron once told her she was a poor liar, and because it wasn't in her nature to do so, it was a completely accurate statement. If it wasn't for Tidus's save, she would've been taken into custody, and she felt ashamed of herself for letting it come to that.

Although the overwhelming sense of guilt was upon her, there was another factor that toyed with her mind: she was walking beside him. Every now and then she would steal glances at him and see his thoughtful gaze focused on the path ahead of them. Every feature on his face, from the curve of his cheekbones, to his dark eyebrows and his youthful eyes, sunk deep into her heart and nearly brought tears trailing down her face. She never thought she'd walk beside him, again, or hear the sound of his gentle voice talking to her. His touch still sent chills down her spine. How she wanted to take him into her arms and never let go. Unfortunately, that wouldn't have been the best decision. Especially after she heard what he had to say about her.

"Uh… thanks a lot," she told him. "You know, for helping me and all." He didn't answer and his expression was much less friendly than before. She bit her lip and beads of sweat ran down her face. "I… wish I could repay you, but I have-"

Her voice was cut off as he stopped abruptly. He observed the area, where fewer people were traveling, but they weren't alone. He took her hand – wrist, actually – in his and tugged her along. "Come with me."

He led her to a small alley in between two short, abandoned buildings, where it was dirty, grimy, and the perfect hiding place for thugs. A few cats hissed at them and made their way from a couple of rusty dumpsters. It stunk and Yuna wrapped her arms around herself protectively as she took a couple of steps back.

"Why are we…?"

She didn't finish her sentence as he walked closer to her. His eyes were accusatory, his brow was furrowed, and his arms were crossed. He circled around her, taking in her wears and her thin body. She kept her eyes on him, worried she might've said something that really set him off. "W-what is it?"

He exhaled sharply. "Look… I know that story you made up about your 'condition' being you can't control your powers was fake." Her mouth was agape as she thought of how to talk her way out of this, but he kept going. "I saw you out there. You were dropping 'em like they were nothing. Which is giving me the impression that you're not only a mage, but you're a really strong one, too. And you've fought even worse things than that huge guy."

"Oh! Well…" she averted her eyes. "Not… exactly. S-someone like me… has to learn a few spells for, you know… basic survival. We… get fiends every now and then, and… and…"

His face was extremely close to hers, and it was enough that she was backing away from him. Why is he looking at me like that? Do I look… like someone he knows?

"Someone like you?" he asked. "What kind of 'someone' are you?"

"Uh… well…" her hand gripped her necklace and she smoothed over some loose dirt on the ground with her boot. "I… hit my head pretty hard when I fell on the ground and… my head's… a little foggy…"

Her uncertainty wasn't helping her case and Tidus straightened his posture. "You're not from Bevelle, are you?"

She swiftly turned her head to look at him. "No. Why do you ask?"

He scratched the back of his head and Yuna assumed he must've been feeling less interrogative. "Nothing. Forget I said anything."

He walked away from her and she didn't realize she was holding her breath for a while until she relaxed her body. What was that about?

"You coming?" he asked her.

"Where?"

"I said I was going to walk you home," he replied. "I'm going to do just that now."

"Oh, well… the thing is…" she bit her lip. "I don't… I'm not… I'm not from around here."

Tidus stared at her for a second and walked back to where her feet were still planted. "Well, if you're visiting the city, don't you have someplace to stay?"

She shook her head. He put his hands on his hips and walked around a couple of steps, thinking of what to do. "Well… I guess if you don't have anywhere to go, or anywhere to stay, maybe… you could come to my place."

"Really?" her eyes went wide and a small smile crept upon her face. It faded away. "That's… very kind of you, but… my friends are… still out there."

"Oh, your friends? Are they also visiting?"

"Yeah… and… they're probably wondering where I am at the moment."

"Oh… well…" he rubbed the back of his neck and turned his head up to the enormous moon. "Then I'll help you find them."

"You will?"

"Sure!" he said. "I wanna make sure you're okay. Plus, it's easy to get lost in this city if you don't know where you're going."

It was more of a difficult situation than Yuna imagined. If she left with him now, she might've been setting a perilous course for her journey. Every decision she made, every experience she had, would open a multitude of possibilities for Spira's future. Perhaps this choice would've proved itself completely insignificant, but she kept in mind that it was a slippery slope. She told herself that she would keep track of her interactions with this world, and hold them to a minimum.

Well… there's no harm in spending a little time together. She smiled at him. As soon as we find Wakka, Lulu, and Rikku, we'll go our separate ways.

The stadium was so eerie without the massive, eardrum-splitting crowd cheering for their beloved team. The stadium was the only place in this city that turned off its lights when the day was over, and the games were won. It was extended from the city itself on a port that floated over the ocean, and it looked like an even darker place above the murky waters. As they searched around the area, Yuna imagined a wave of pyreflies flowing through the city instead of the artificial lights. The holiest city of Spira, where many people lost their lives, their homes, and their stories. Just as Tidus had.

Is that what's supposed to happen? She asked herself. Is history going to repeat itself before my very eyes?

Her friends were nowhere to be found and Yuna suspected the reason was because they had the same thought as her in mind and went to seek her out.

"What do they look like?" Tidus asked her.

"One of them is tall, with tall red hair," she responded. "The other is shorter, with long black hair and a long black dress. The third is also short and she has blonde hair."

Tidus laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"I think you just described like half the population of Spira."

Yuna smiled. "I think they stand out a bit more than anyone around here."

"Well, I guess we should keep looking."

A cool breeze swept the hair off Yuna's shoulders as she wondered what went on in Tidus's mind. If she remembered correctly, the Tidus from her world was very expressive with his words. Slightly cocky in the beginning, but he meant well. He based his thoughts and opinions from what he believed was right, not by what the world around him was preaching. But who was this living, breathing man that walked with her throughout the streets of his true home? She often wondered, and theorized, and fantasized about what his life would've been like had he been a real person. That was when she believed that he was only a dream created by the Fayth to put an end to the suffering.

If the truth be told, she didn't want to convince herself that he was a real person. It was already painful enough that this projection of the Fayth's wishes and desires had captured her heart and crushed it at the same time when he disappeared from her life. If he had been a real person, living in the city of Zanarkand one thousand years ago, then Yuna would feel even more heartbroken knowing that not only was he well past his time of being alive, but that their meeting, their moments together, and their love would truly have not been meant to be.

But... I'm here now, aren't I? And we're together again.

"So, Yuna, was it?" Hearing her name escaping his lips could've possibly been the most pleasant thing in the world. "If you're not from Zanarkand, where are you from?"

"Uh..." she said. "Well... I'm having a hard time remembering..."

"Wow, that fall to the ground must've really done something to your memory," Tidus said. "How'd you remember your name?"

She shrugged. "I guess some things the brain just can't un-learn."

"You mean like casting spells?"

"That's kind of different," she held her hands behind her back. "Some people have a natural talent for it. Others have to learn, and practice harder than them."

"It looks like a lot of work," Tidus stretched as he watched the lights pass by. "You looked like you were about ready to drop after using a couple of 'em."

"It's not always that bad. I haven't had to use those spells in... well, a long time."

Tidus looked at her. "You must live in one of the most boring, deserted places in the world."

"Why do you say that?"

He thought for a moment. "I thought fiends were practically guaranteed for other places besides Zanarkand." He gestured to himself. "Even I have to defend myself. But I always hear talks from people about how Muruka and Bevelle always get these monsters crawling all over the place and they need these mages and these other mystical magic-y people to protect the cities. It doesn't happen all that often here, but it's been going on more than usual."

Yuna was a bit hesitant to ask, but she was genuinely curious. "So... what do you do for people that... pass on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how those fiends come to be?"

His eyes widened. "Those are from dead people?!"

"Yes, but not all of the deceased turn into them."

He was embarrassed by the fact that he didn't know. "I guess it makes a little more sense why these strange people dance around over here when someone loses their life..."

"Strange people?" She stopped walking for a bit. "What kind of strange people?"

"Well, if we're not allowed to know that those monsters come from dead people, I think we're also not supposed to know who, or what those strange people are."

Yuna wasn't sure if she should answer her own question by explaining to him what the dances were about. By the time they decided to take a rest from walking, it had been over an hour of searching through the city. They had no luck, and the air was growing much colder as the hours shifted later in the evening. Yuna's sleeves and long skirt weren't enough to hold her against the cold.

"Well," Tidus said, noticing her shiver in the wind. "It's getting late and my mom's probably wondering where I'm at. You can still stay over at my place, if you want."

"But... what about...?" Her voice trailed off as she stared off into the direction.

I can't go. They'll be worried about me. And what if this turns into something else? Something that changes history?

Still, she turned around and nodded. "Okay, but... tomorrow. I want to search for them some more. It's highly important that we all stick together."

"Okay," Tidus walked close to where Yuna was hearing a man's voice coming from loud speakers. "Let's take the subway."

"Sub... way?"

He gave her a confused look. "Yeah, you've never been on a subway before? It's like the main way we get around here."

"Oh, right..." Yuna said, hanging her head. I must sound like an idiot not knowing anything about this world. She felt even more sympathy for Tidus when he first arrived in Spira. The funny thing was that her Spira was the same Spira as this one. Just years and years apart from each other. Nonetheless, Tidus brought her to the subway station and her eyes were fixated on the piece of technology. She'd been on an airship speeding thirty thousand feet in the air, and seen the most sophisticated Al Bhed technology her Spira had ever seen. But somehow, this metal contraption, traveling through the underground portion of the city captivated her completely.

It was loud and brought a rush of wind as it arrived. Tidus stepped onto one of the vehicles and Yuna carefully followed. He sat on one of the seats and motioned for her to sit next to him. Before she could, however, the doors closed, the man on the intercom said another unintelligible thing and the subway jerked forward. Yuna tripped and fell against something soft. She turned her head up and saw Tidus's flustered face.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. The embarrassment on his face was nothing compared to hers.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She picked herself up from his lap and sat up straight, hands folded on her shaking thighs. She looked out the window as they traveled.

Wherever you guys are, I hope you know I'm okay. She smiled a bit to herself. I'm... better than okay.

"YUNIE!" Rikku called and her voice echoed into the distance. The three of them were separated from Yuna when the crowd rushed out of the stadium away from the fiends. They'd been searching for her during the past three hours.

"I don't think we should be drawing more attention to ourselves," Lulu told her.

Rikku pursed her lip out in a pout. "How else are we gonna find her?"

"Let's try asking around," Wakka said.

"And who exactly might we ask?" Lulu asked him.

They turned around to see the people currently walking around them. The crowd had died down so much, it was almost lonely. Everyone was leaving work, heading home, and the excitement from the game wore off. The city lights were still going and most of the shops were still open. Rikku thought for a moment and turned to the person closest to them.

"Hey, could you help us?"

She was talking to a small boy in a vibrant purple hood. A golden spinning wheel design was embroidered on his back and when he turned around, his eyes were covered.

"Sure," he responded, keeping his head low.

"See, we have this friend, she's about as tall as me, with shoulder-length brown hair, and she's wearing a long skirt and long sleeves?"

The boy was silent for a moment. "I believe I have seen her." He said. "She was walking with somebody else."

The others shared a look with each other before Rikku asked, "Who?"

"He's a blitzball player," the boy said. "Blonde hair."

"Did you see where they went?" Rikku asked him.

The boy shook his head. "I think they might have passed through here. But I only saw them for a minute."

Rikku looked to the others and turned back to the boy. "Do you know a place where we can stay for the night?"

He pointed forward to a small building further down the street.

"There's several hotels down that way," he told them. "Just follow the signs."

"Cool thanks!"

Before Rikku could join the others on their walk down the road, the boy stepped in front of her tracks. "You should be careful about showing your eyes in any other city."

"What do you mean?"

"This city is one of the most diverse places in all of Spira." He explained. "They're more accepting of different races than anywhere else."

"You're saying I should be disguised in other places?"

"Not necessarily 'disguised', but your eyes are a dead giveaway about your identity. You should at least hide those from the public."

Rikku hung her head. "I've heard that before..."

They arrived at the hotel, which they assumed was just another word for "Inn", and while all three of them pulled together enough Gil to stay in for the night, they took in the extra amount of attention the other guests gave them. Something wasn't right about being here. It was as if they knew these three were from another world, another time period at least, and maybe they were the cause of some horrible, devastating event.

Or maybe it was because they were the strangest looking ones there.

The receptionist raised a quizzical eyebrow at Rikku while she piled the golden coins on the counter.

"Is this a joke?" She asked.

"Uh... no?" Rikku said. "You said the price was 300 Gil." She gestured to the money. "There's 300 Gil."

"We don't take change," she responded. "We take credit."

"...credit?"

She sighed in frustration. "There's an ATM over in that corner."

Rikku had seen many advanced contraptions in her lifetime, but this was something completely out of the ordinary. "Um... how does it work?"

"Seriously?" She rubbed the headache appearing in her forehead when she saw Rikku's sincere look. "Insert your debit, or credit card and turn your money into electric Gil. It's as simple as that."

"Oh, well..."

The receptionist crossed her arms. "Let me guess. You don't have one."

Rikku shook her head.

"Well I'm afraid I can't check you three in." She eyed them thoroughly. "Most hotels in this city only take credit, so I would suggest you get one established so you don't waste their, or your time counting coins."

Rikku took a couple of steps back and her cheeks were flustered with embarrassment. Lulu approaches the counter. "We appreciate the advice, really. But if you don't mind sparing us actual useful information, could you please tell us where we can stay that will take this form of payment?"

Her eyes went from skeptical to slightly uncomfortable. There was a hint of fear in her voice at Lulu's sharp tone and the expression on her face.

The small Inn the receptionist referred to them was the last of its old-fashioned kind and was located much further away from the city's center. It was the only wooden building that was only a couple of stories tall, hidden between two skyscrapers. It was a quaint little Inn with a cafe where a couple of young guests were chatting up a storm. There was a bookstore on the other side and a small section where magic materials were sold.

This receptionist greeted them with a warm, welcoming smile.

"Good evening!" She said.

Rikku stepped forward and eyed the small bag of change nervously. "You wouldn't happen to only take credit, would you?"

"Oh, no!" She replied. "Technology isn't our strong suit."

It was late, an hour and a half and it would be midnight, and all three had aching limbs from their walk and were drained of energy, but their growling stomachs were calling for a late supper. As they sat at a small booth, sipping on different drinks and waiting for their meals, they pondered how they came to their current predicament. They remembered being on the tiny island far from most of Spiran civilization, and then being in this unfamiliar world. The knowledge of what occurred in between was a complete mystery to them.

"I don't get it," Rikku said. "Are we in some kinda weird dream, or what? All of this seems so real."

"Yes, it seems real, but dreams can appear real, too." Lulu said, sipping her tea. "What do we already know?"

"That... we were just at home, hanging out and then we were here, ya?" Wakka said. "That's all I really know."

"Oh! I got something!" Rikku said. "Yunie said something about visiting the Farplane."

"You're right," Lulu said. "I do remember Yuna proposing a visit to the Farplane, all four of us. I guess that confirms that we might be in a dream simulation."

Rikku blinked and shoved a spoonful of her soup into her mouth along with some crackers and tried speaking at the same time. "Ho dee oo fogger hat?"

"Say again?" Wakka said.

She swallowed. "I said, how do you figure that?"

Lulu was preoccupied with nibbling away at her sliced fruit to answer and Wakka had already inhaled his steak without any effort.

"It's not a good idea to stay in the Farplane for too long, see?" He said. "Sometimes, people say it does things to ya head. Like maybe the air gets to ya, and you start hallucinating, or having all these weird dreams, ya?"

"Well," Rikku took another spoonful of her soup. "Real or not, this dream soup is super tasty! Way better than fiend stew."

Lulu gave her a funny look. "Rikku, I thought that dish was called Bashura Onion Dip."

The blonde was about to take another spoonful but looked at the mage with wide eyed and let it fall off the silverware. She shrugged. "Whatever, I'm too hungry to care!"

Wakka drank the last of his drink and looked to the two girls. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?"

"We will search for Yuna, and gradually gain more knowledge about our situation and we will find a way back to our home from there."

Wakka eyed the small bowl of fruit which was already gone in front of Lulu. "Lu, aren't ya starving?"

"I haven't really had much of an appetite." Lulu replied.

"Yeah, I noticed," Wakka said. "Maybe you should do something about that."

"What, I'm just simply not in the mood to eat more than I already have," she said. "It's not a big deal."

"Yeah, but this been going on for some time now, ya? And I think-"

"I'm fine, Wakka," Lulu snapped. "Most importantly, I don't need you to parent me about my health. I know myself."

Wakka lowered his gaze. "Right... sorry." He stood up. "Be right back."

When he was gone, Lulu rolled her eyes and she caught sight of the large grin across Rikku's face. "What is that look for?"

"Aww, he's concerned about you." She cooed.

"I don't know why for," she said. "I think it's himself he should be worried about. He can barely handle himself in battle."

"Oh, you guys," Rikku said, stretching her arms. "You have a really strange way of showing your looove."

Her last word was a bit quiet but Lulu heard enough that she could assume what Rikku said. "Excuse me?"

"Whoopsie, looks like I gotta go use the little girl's room."

This area was much more quiet than the rest of the city, strangely. The hallways were lightened with dim wall lamps and oil paintings hung in between each light. The pictures were recreations of what looked like pyreflies, the spirits they created when they banded together, and the rainbow-like trails they left behind.

"Hey, you guys notice this is the only place that has these?" Rikku said.

"What?" Lulu asked.

"Pictures of pyreflies. Or like, pyrefly anything."

"We've only been to a couple of places in this city," Lulu replied. "Maybe we could find them elsewhere."

"Right," Rikku stretched and yawned. "Well, time to turn in for the night. I'm bunking with you, right?"

Lulu nodded.

"Wait, you mean I'm gonna be by myself?" Wakka said.

"What did you expect?" Lulu told him.

"Uh..." he scratched the back of his head. "I don't know..."

Rikku giggled. "Wakka, that's so lewd! Us girls sharing a place to sleep with you? That's breaking the rules! Unless..."

She turned her head towards Lulu, who's face turned almost as red as her irises.

"I don't know what you're implying, but it's late and I'd like us all to be well rested for our search tomorrow. Goodnight, Wakka."

"Good... night..." she hurried in without hearing his response.

"'Night, big guy!" Rikku said. "Oh and fair warning, Lulu, I kick in my sleep."

And so they spent that restless night in the city that never slept, and they listened to the urban ambience of the outside world, awaiting what would happen the following day.