CHAPTER 1: A Dream Awakened

A brown haired woman was spread out on the magnificent flowers of the Farplane. She was breathing in the scent of the plants as the wind gently blew through her hair. That same breeze carried numerous petals and leaves with it, making them dance gracefully through the air. The woman, lazily watching the myriad of colored blades, lied where she was thinking of everything that had happened, all that she had been put through, all that she had accomplished, all the things she had done. She lay there, thinking of him.

She slowly picked herself off the ground, wiping the dust from her clothes. The sound of rushing water could be heard, along with a giant waterfall that was overlooked by the floating landmass that she was settled upon. The sky never changed here. It always remained a tranquil mix of orange and purple. It was almost as if the sun was trying to push its way passed the horizon, however in one way or another got stuck. Rainbows were scattered all around, hiding amongst the few clouds and arching over the ocean. It was a beautiful sight, and the woman wished to never leave this place. But she had to.

Then she heard a whistle. Rather startled, she turned around, frantically scanning the area for the source. Her fingers quickly went to her mouth, and as she was about to blow, she stopped. This was silly. It couldn't be him, she thought. I've run with this game long enough, it's not possible. He was never really… he was just a dream.

Despite her reasoning, her naïve hope got the better of her.

Tweeet!

For a moment, nothing. Then it came again. An uncontrollable smile crossed her face, and instantly she replied in the same way.

Tweeet! Tweet!

After that point, she heard nothing. Though it didn't matter. He was here. Perhaps not visibly, but he was in her heart. To know that was good enough for her. As she turned to leave, a voice broke the calm, "Thank you, Lady Yuna."

A young boy in strange purple clothing appeared directly behind Yuna. It was one of the Fayth. As usual, his image was rather faded, like a faulty sphere recording. But she was always happy to receive a visit from him. Although they took something away from her, she was not angry with them. They had been dreaming for a long time. They just wanted rest. She understood that.

"You are very welcome." She replied, placing her hands behind her back, smiling at him.

"You heard it, didn't you?" His gaze remained on her. Yuna was confused at first, but it didn't take long to understand. "You want to see him again, right?" He asked again. Yuna gulped anxiously, thinking she knew who he meant, but didn't want to get her hopes up.

"Him?"

"Yes. You want to walk together again, do you not?" Floating there, he waited for her answer. He did not have to wait long.

"O-of course!" She blurted, adrenaline racing through her body. The excitement was too much to bear. Her hands and legs were vigorously shaking.

The boy smiled warmly, "I cannot promise anything, but we'll do what we can." And with that, the Fayth disappeared.

Yuna stood there, absolutely astonished. Would he really come back? Or was this just something to boost her hopes, only to make her fall again? She pondered the hundreds of questions racing around her mind as she made her way out of the Farplane, down the steps back into Guadosalam. What she failed to notice, however, was the large gathering of Pyreflies in one area, recreating a familiar face.

A massive crowd was gathered in Luca stadium, completely filling all the seats and then some. They were all awaiting the speech that was to be given today. As the anticipation began to build, three men finally came up to the main podium: Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal, leaders from their respective groups. They all shared the same platform, no longer separated by conflicting beliefs or values. They cleared their throats as the talking and chatter started to die down. Nooj held up his hand, finally ready to speak.

"Once my friends and I dreamt of flying. We would sail a ship, with me as its captain. In time, I became that captain. I found a new ship with new friends. That ship was the Youth League." Roughly a third of the crowd roared, waving their arms in the air.

Baralai walked up to the front, and also spoke. "Others chose a different captain, their boat was New Yevon." Appropriately, another third of the crowd applauded his words. Gippal walked up, speaking to everyone, "You know, I realize I'm like a lot of you people. We want a captain. And we want a ship to ride, but more important than that, really, we all want to ride together!"

The Al Bhed in the crowd, went crazy, chanting Gippal's name. Even a number of others couldn't help but shout.

"There are some things you can't do alone, but they become easy with friends beside you!" The Praetor, smiling, put his arms around his friends.

"That is a lesson we all learned when we launched those ships." Nooj said as he adjusted his half moon spectacles.

"It was power, and we misused that power. We turned our friends and followers against each other." Baralai, ashamed, frowned at this point.

"Forgive us." It was all Nooj could say as he hung his head down in shame.

The crowd went silent, stopping their crazy, rowdy behavior. They recognized the humility of not only their own leaders, but the remaining two that were supposedly their enemies. Nonetheless, a hint of dissatisfaction could be sensed.

"Somehow we forgot. There's a much larger ship out there. One we've been riding ever since we were born. That ship is Spira." Baralai brought the people back with these words, and they were met with great enthusiasm. "No one knows where our voyage will lead us, but we do know this: One way or another, we will get by. We will go on living. The Calm will continue." With his last addition to the speech, Nooj put on a smile for everyone.

Gippal cut in, "Just one more, thing." Before continuing, he darted to Baralai, trapping him in a head lock and giving him a playful noogie. Baralai finally managed to push him off, trying to look insulted, but ended up laughing hysterically. "We all owe a thanks to a very special lady!" Everyone went wild. For a guy who said so little, he sure could get a crowd moving. "Yeah, you all know who I'm talking about!" Gippal grinned, "We really hoped that she could be here today…"

Gippal pulled out a small slip of paper, with some writing on it. He held it out to the crowd, "She said she's going home. So farewell, but not good-bye!"

The crimson Al Bhed ship, the Celcius, lifted into the air with the engines thundering. Luca looked beautiful from above, Yuna thought. She was kneeling on the deck with her best friends, Rikku and Paine. As they got higher, they could see the crowd going wild, and their cry of love and appreciation could be heard. "See you next time kiddies! Yee haw!" Brother's voice boomed through the intercom, nearly matching the revving airship.

"Did we really have to leave like this?" Rikku whined, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just think of the party we're missing!" Paine leaned against the side of the ship, scoffing, "Hmph, I think we party enough, don't you?" Rikuu's hand moved over her mouth as she giggled.

Yuna smiled, finally standing to her feet, trying to yell into the CommSphere over the loud machine, "Brother, higher!" She ran to the side railings, watching the ground grow smaller as they ascended.

"Roger!" Luca was getting shrinking by the second, but that wasn't good enough for Yuna.

"Brother, faster!"

"Rogerrr!"

She teased, "I can't hear you!"

"Rogggeeerrrr!" The ship's overdrive finally kicked in, and the Celcius blasted away into the sky.

Paine and Rikku walked towards the deck door, calling to their friend, "Yuna, you coming?"

Yuna was gazing at the sea, looking rather dreamy. "I'll be just a minute, ok!" Both of them stared at her with curiosity, then turned around and entered the ship. As Yuna heard the doors close, she sighed, standing straight again. She was thinking of everything, and especially of what the Fayth had said.

Happiness—no, joy filled her heart at the thought of him. The idea of him being here with her in a tangible form was so surreal. After years of searching, it all came down to this. She imagined him being there, by her side. A coy smile formed on her face and she shied away in different directions as if he truly was with her. Conversations began forming in her head, things that they'd talk about if she ever saw him again. She supposed one of his first questions would be what started this whole career as a Sphere Hunter, something that was so unlike the Yuna he'd known during the pilgrimage years.

Well, you see, it all started when I saw this sphere of you…

A body, curled like a child waiting in a mother's womb, lay below the depths of the ocean. It was a man, one with golden tanned skin and dirty blonde hair. He wore strange attire, most of which would have seemed quite out of place two years ago. Many changes had taken place since then, however. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. His cerulean blue orbs reflected the light cutting through the water, making them shimmer in a unique way not normally attainable on land. The rays of the sun began to warm his body, though it did not completely protect him from the chilling azure waters. Becoming more conscious of where he was, the man began to straighten out. Looking left, looking right, all around he saw nothing but the far reaches of the ocean. It was one of his favorite places to be.

He broke the surface of the sea, finally feeling the full heat of the sun on his wet face. It was good to see sunlight again—anything, actually. Waves gently lapped against and around his body as he began to wonder where he was. Was he back in Zanarkand? Spira? Some other realm that he'd yet to hear of? Was any of this even real? He scanned his surroundings, trying to catch a glimpse of anything besides all this large expanse of liquid. And he did.

An island was not far off from where he was. It looked rather familiar. There was no way. But it was. Besaid Island was just within his reach, not a few hundred meters away. That was the place where everything truly began to unravel in his story. In her story. He whistled, waiting for a reply, but there was none. That was fine. He was back, back home, and he was sure he'd get the chance to hear it personally. Unable to contain himself, the man broke out into an eccentric swimming pattern and began rushing towards the land mass.

It took some time, but he finally made it to shore. Falling to his knees, the man felt the sand scorching his skin. He didn't care, though. After all, he'd actually made back here. The fresh coastal air entered his nostrils, filling him with a euphoric sensation that he hadn't felt in a long time. The trees were still standing, the rock cliffs and ruins unchanged. This was definitely it. Seeing everyone on this beautiful isle was his first and top priority. Above all else, however, he had to see her.

He couldn't contain his excitement any longer. The man began dancing, shouting and yelping with joyous bliss. Before he could run off down the island road though, he heard a peculiar noise, quite out of place from the serene surroundings. Fiends? It couldn't be. In the time he'd spent in this strange world, he'd never heard a beast like that. The next thing that came to his mind was machina. Wait, machina? In Spira. Placing his feet firmly on the sand, he turned around to the origin of the noise.

Not far off, the man could see an airship. Instinctively, though not truly sure why, he dashed back into the shallows of the water. As it drew nearer, he could see someone standing near the railings of the deck. It was a woman. But not just any woman.

Besaid was becoming ever closer. Yuna couldn't describe the feeling of seeing her home again. She would finally have the chance to have the rest and relaxation that she deserved. For the duration of the ride across the ocean she'd been on the deck. She didn't want to go inside. She loved it out here, loved being outside. Her heart could think of no other place she'd love to be than the magnificent island she was raised on. It carried all of the people she loved and had absolutely breath taking scenery. In her opinion, it was the greatest place in all of Spira.

As the engines died down, she sighed and turned back towards the hangar door. She was about to go in, but she stopped. She heard something out of the ordinary. There it was again. It couldn't be. A whistle?

Yuna ran back to the railing, hearing it once again. Fumbling with her fingers, they got into her mouth and she blew, whistling in reply. It was returned with another one of those pleasing sounds. Her eyes looked down to the shoreline of Besaid. They rolled over a person, someone standing in the water. Her heart leaped inside her chest upon the realization of who it was.

Tidus.

Yuna bolted through the giant doorway, dashing for the elevator. Upon entering it, she immediately made it go down to the hatch level. "C'mon! Can't this thing go any faster!"

Paine was impatiently waiting for the elevator to come to her, tapping her foot to a rhythm forming in her head. The light above the door finally flashed, signaling the elevator had made it. "I wonder what took Yuna so—" her thoughts were cut short as she was trampled along the ground. She just lied where she was, not attempting to move. Yuna didn't even seem to notice her at all. Confusion jumbled Paine's thoughts, "Did I miss something?"

Yuna was at the bottom of the ship, waiting as the hatch door slowly revealed the outside. Come on, come on! She didn't wait for it to go down completely. When there was just enough room for her to go, she jumped through, down into the water below.

Rikku came bouncing over to the seemingly unconscious Paine. "What's wrong, Dr. P?" She asked, obviously curious as to made Paine so vulnerable on the ground. As she seemed to be gathering her thoughts, Paine spurted out, "Yuna!"

"Yuna?"

"Yuna!" Paine repeated. Leaping onto her feet, she took hold of Rikuu's hand. "This way!"

Yuna struggled to move speedily, pushing herself to go faster through the deep water. She hadn't swam as much as she would have liked, so it was a little frustrating. But soon, she edged towards the shore, her clothes dripping wet as she finally stepped out of the ocean. She ran to him, ran as hard and fast as humanly possible. Despite being in such great shape, the adrenaline in her body had been going for a long time, and caused her to use more energy than she could spend. But she made it. She finally reached him, almost jumping on him as she wrapped her arms around his chest. Tidus returned this gesture ,hugging her around the neck. They both just stood there, taking in each other's presence after being parted for so long.

The ex-Summoner finally looked at him, remembering his tanned face, his blonde hair, his strong body. Tidus gazed at the woman in front of him, taking in her beauty, all that she was; her chestnut brown hair, her slim build, those precious green and blue eyes. They embraced again.

Yuna asked somewhat hesitantly, "Are you real?"

"I think so." There was a short pause. "Do I pass?" A smile crept on his face. Yuna backed away so that they were face to face.

She nodded, a little unsure, but had faith. And it was all the faith she needed. "You're back." A few stray tears made their way down her face.

"I am back. I'm home."

Yuna wrapped herself around his waist, not wanting to ever let go. "Welcome home." She paused for a moment, analyzing her words articulately, "Yes… home."

What the two didn't see was a pair of giddy girls watching them. Paine, though usually cold, couldn't help but stifle a giggle. The silence was finally broken by the two lovers as they heard a familiar, Besadian voice.

"Eh! Get a room, you two!" Tidus and Yuna turned towards the shore, surprised to see Wakka and Lulu backed by the entire population of the island. Every single one of them was hooting and hollering at the top of their lungs, both for Lady Yuna and the man that had done so much for them. Wakka smoothly waved his hand with a goofy grin on his face. "Wassup?"

"Who asked you to watch Wakka?" Unfolding himself from Yuna, but still holding her hand, Tidus let out a laugh. Wakka turned to his wife in a humorous fashion as if he was guilty of something. Lulu gave Tidus one of her rare, heart-warming smile.

"Hiya!" Called a familiar, high pitched voice. Tidus acknowledged Rikku and quickly waved to her, giving her one of his classic clean smiles. His attention was diverted back to Yuna as she began pulling him towards the shore. At first expecting to be the lead, Tidus was a little surprised by the force that Yuna had. It was different. But he liked it. "You know, you've changed."

Yuna replied with a giggle, "Well, you've missed a few things!"

"I wanna hear everything!" Tidus could feel the love of all the people lined along the sandy beach of Besaid, it was almost like it was emanating from them. He caught a glimpse of Yuna's eyes as they raced towards the shore. They were filled with a new playfulness that Tidus wasn't used to. It was exhilarating.

Before they reached the mass of islanders, she spoke one final thing, "Well, it all started when I saw this sphere of you…"

Tidus and Yuna now stood on a cliff that overlooked the ruined city of Zanarkand. The Celcius, which had flown them here, was waiting further away, out of sight from the two. This was the very spot that he and all the others had stopped to rest. This was a place they took camp before entering what was left of the great Machina City. Many sad memories about this place flooded Tidus's thoughts, ones which he did not wish to recall. But it was alright. The one that he loved most in the world was with him, and with her by his side he could face anything. They both stood there, a small distance apart, watching the sun beginning to sink over the horizon.

"I got a theory." Tidus started, "I think the Fayth gathered up my thoughts, and put em' together to bring me back. Maybe. Something like that." Yuna listened intently as she was captivated by the sun's rays shining on the water. Tidus glanced at his hands, inspecting them. "Or maybe I'm still a dream."

Fear filled Yuna as her eyes sprung to Tidus. His back was facing her, making it seem like he was afraid to look at her. Her voice quivered slightly, "Wait, so you'll disappear?"

There was a pause. Yuna waited patiently for an answer, though anxiety wracked her frame. Tidus finally turned around, giving her a comforting smile, "Cherish me, Yuna. And I'll cherish you. All right?" A sigh of relief escaped the woman's lips. "We gotta stay together. That's what we have to do." Giving her one last grin, he turned back out towards the sea surrounding the ruins.

Yuna ran up behind Tidus, hugging his waist tightly. "Is that what the Fayth told you?" She asked coyly.

"Nah. But I like it." He chuckled, covering her hands with his. The laughing gradually became louder, until it was hysterical. Then out of the blue, Yuna nudged Tidus off the edge, sending him into a puddle of water a few feet below. He sputtered the dirty liquids in his mouth, spraying them everywhere. He looked at Yuna a little insulted, "That's not cherishing!"

She just smiled at him, "You didn't disappear."

A look of realization covered Tidus's face. Last time he'd fallen off an edge, he'd left her. Not by choice, but even so it was heartbreaking, for her especially. He lifted his hands in the air, scanning them, feeling them. They were solid. No transparency. This time I'm here to stay, he thought. For both of us. They smiled at each other lovingly as the sun was fell into the backdrop, coloring the skies and waters before finally disappearing into the night.

This was a love that outlasted time, faith, and even death itself. It was a dream, but now a dream that was fully conceived and ready for great things. They would share their dreams together, and bring them all to life as they continued love and care for each other until the end of time.

But no matter how hard we wish, no matter how hard we cling, all dreams must and will come to an end.

One way or another.