A/N March 19, 2014: thanks to everyone who's been reading my story! I know the beginning is a little slow, but I wanted to set everything up properly; bear with me.

Thanks to kaito136 for leaving a lovely and constructive comment, I really appreciate your words! And thanks to kaito136, Aer1th, SakuraCat96,and Half-demonChild17 for following my story.


Chapter 3: A Familiar Journey

It took two days to prepare everything; I barely slept or ate, and drove the others up the walls with my nervous pacing and impatience. I wanted to get going, to get Yuna back as soon as possible – not strategize and plan and check the damn inventory twelve times.

Our first confrontation with the Fayth in Besaid Temple had gone surprisingly well. Rikku, Paine, and I went in together and slowly moved through the abandoned Cloister of Trials. When we reached the Chamber of the Fayth, the core of the temple that enshrines the Fayth, a familiar voice was singing a soft hymn. Valefor's Fayth was in the room, as Lady Yunalesca had predicted; a frail, teenage girl sitting cross-legged on the ground, crying.

"Is it true?" she asked with a shaking voice when we came in.

We stood in front of her in silence. She is crying for Yuna.

When we said nothing, the girl collapsed forward and punched the ground. She screamed loudly, and slowly her arms started to elongate, forming thin skin that attached them to her spine. Feathers started to cover her neck, back and tummy, and her mouth stretched into a beak.

"Tidus! She's transforming!" Rikku yelled. "You have to do something!"

Paine drew her sword and prepared to strike.

"No! Wait!" I shouted, and ran in front of Paine. "There has to be another way. Yuna wouldn't want me to hurt her." I turned around and faced the girl, who was now more bird than human – though her eyes were still filled with tears. Valefor.

"Please," I pleaded. "We are here because we need your help. We want to save Yuna from Yu Yevon, and give you eternal rest again. Please help us…" I don't want to hurt you, I added in my thoughts.

With one big swoop the aeon was airborne, hovering over us with wings almost as wide as the chamber. I fell to my knees. Please, I thought, please just help us. Paine lowered her sword and both her and Rikku knelt down as well, bowing down their heads. The silence in the chamber was eerie as Valefor drifted quietly for a few moments. Then she let out a piercing screech and embraced herself with her wings. Her whole being became engulfed in light and then within seconds condensed into a small orb: a pyrefly. It buzzed in front of me for a second, and then burst into my chest just like the light Yunalesca had sent through me.

Save her, Tidus, Valefor's voice echoed in my mind.

I had done it. I'd absorbed the aeon's power.

The three of us sealed the Chamber of the Fayth again after the ordeal, because Rikku insisted that that's what Yuna would have wanted us to do. Then we went back to report to Wakka and Lulu, and further prepare for our journey, which had suddenly become a little bit brighter now that Yunalesca's words had meaning.

On the eve of our departure we all had dinner together at the big bonfire in the middle of the village. We had decided earlier that our group would consist of Rikku, Paine, Wakka, and myself, much to Lulu's dismay.

"Yuna is my family too!" she had screamed at Wakka when our majority agreed that she should stay in Besaid. Of course, after a heated and rather public argument, she understood Wakka's point; if she would come along and anything would happen to them, little Vidina would be an orphan. They had stood in front of their hut, embracing, with Wakka whispering sweet words in Lulu's ear. Remembering that intimate moment caused me heartache – not so long ago I'd embraced Yuna like that

Now we were eating together in harmony, all packed and ready to leave on the morrow. Many villagers had offered to come along, which was a true testament to how beloved Yuna was in Spira. My eyes moved from face to face, burning everyone's features in my memory so that I had something to hold on to when times got rough. I used to look at Yuna's face all the time, from the day that I met her; I would watch her perform her Sendings while holding back her tears, watch her smile when she didn't mean it, watch her give people hope when she herself had trouble finding some… Her eyes would always betray her emotions, either burning with fire or weary with sadness. But seeing her always made me feel happy, hopeful – and I knew that many people felt the same.

I will see her again, and when I do, I'll make sure she never leaves my sight.

After another restless night we gathered at Besaid's beach at dawn. The S.S. Liki was waiting for us, ready to take us to our first destination: Kilika. We had sent word of warning to all our friends across Spira, to let them know we were on our way and that we would require shelter and food during our journey. Though no answers had come, we had to leave today and hope that people had received our pleas.

After an emotional goodbye, our group finally boarded the ship, and we took off towards the calm, blue sea. I walked to the front of the boat, where only a few years ago I talked to Yuna for the first time after finding out she was Lord Braska's daughter.

"I believe you. I've heard in Zanarkand there is a great stadium, all lit up, even at night. Great Blitzball tournaments are held there, and the stands are always full!"

"How do you know that?"

"A man named Jecht told me. He was my father's guardian."

It still feels like yesterday… I can hardly believe that was only the beginning of our journey.

I sighed and went back to check with the others. They were in the main hut, bent over the map of Spira and once again talking through the planned route.

"Alrighty," Rikku said happily, "so after Kilika we go on to Luca, then take out the meanies at Djose Temple, stop by Guadosalam and say hello to our BFF LeBlanc, on to Bevelle and Calm Lands, where hopefully Kimahri will wait for us, and then we'll almost be with Yunie again!"

"Almost," Paine grunted softly. "But I can't shake a bad feeling about this whole trip. Yunalesca made it sound too easy. And you've seen what happened in Besaid Temple. I wouldn't underestimate the journey ahead, Rikku. I think we're up for some real trouble."

Rikku threw her hands up and gave a dramatic sigh. "Gosh, Paine, you're always such a downer! Yunie always used to smile, even during tough times! So let's just keep our heads up before giving in, geez!"

Though I understood Rikku's point, I couldn't help but feel like Paine had a better grasp of this whole situation. Something surely felt off, and it was a feeling I couldn't shake for the rest of the boat ride – and was confirmed when the island of Kilika came into view a short while later.