Spira as you knew it...
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, nor do I own Utada Hikaru's "Sanctuary". But I own this story!
A/N: Dear god I hope I don't disappoint with this portion of the story. I thought long and hard about how I was going to do this. Then again, it is 6:20am in the morning. The things you do in the name of writing! Anyway, enjoy :)
Yuna's POV
I thought about a lot of things as I continued on. But I thought most about Tidus. I wondered how much longer I had to go. How many more 'tests' do I have to endure? That last one almost killed me.
The more I thought about how good I was doing, the more my heart started to race. I could feel it, I was almost done. Before I knew it, my walking had turned into a jog.
"I know I'm almost there..." I mumbled.
With each step I took, my pace increased. It wasn't long before I broke out into a full run. There was so much to run to. My life, my home, my friends, and...my Tidus. A wide grin spread across my lips as I noticed a light a head.
"Tidus!" I cried out as tears flooded my eyes.
I didn't care that I could hardly see. I just kept...running. By now I could hear my heart beat as it thumped radically against my chest. The path my feet had been walking for so long was starting to dim because the light I was heading to was so bright.
Swept up in emotions I hadn't felt in so long, I didn't realize at first that someone was standing in the distance. The closer I came, the more I knew my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. I stopped abruptly and my breath hitched as I looked around me.
"Luca?" I whispered, still not paying attention to the figure that I brushed by.
"Yes, Lady Yuna. Luca."
"Am I...back in Spira?"
"Not officially." he chuckled as people walked through us.
I turned to face the mystery man, only to stumble back in utter disbelief.
"Lord Zaon?" I gasped.
He smiled and bowed, "Nice to finally meet you, High Summoner Yuna."
"B-but...the Fayth said..."
"Said that the guardians knew nothing of Spira or the Farplane." he cut me off, "He's partially right. I took this position a while back."
"I apologize for my rudeness..." I bowed back.
"No need for formalities, Lady Yuna. I'm here to give you your final task."
"There's...not test?" I asked him with a puzzled look.
"You've passed your tests. Do you remember the Fayth mentioning something about giving something in order to receive what you seek?"
I nodded, scared to speak.
"That's why I'm here."
I swallowed before choosing my words, "What is it that I have to give up?"
"Lady Yuna, you seek out a man named Tidus, correct?" he inquired.
"Yes. He was my guardian on my pilgrimage to defeat Sin. We fell in love, and I wish to be returned to Spira to be with him." I spoke with confidence.
"I see." he responded as he scratched his chin, "Very well, I shall explain the task I will bestow upon you."
I took a deep breath, and braced myself for whatever he was to throw my way. Once I was sure I could handle it, I nodded in his direction.
"You have to give up your past."
I squinted my eyes and tilted my head. I wasn't sure what he meant, and I voiced this out loud with him so he could clarify it for me.
"If you choose to go forward with this, Spira and the Eternal Calm with change. You will no longer be 'High Summoner Yuna' or 'Lady Yuna'. It will be as if you never existed. An alternate universe if you will. They will have no memory of you, and Tidus will be known as the man who defeated Sin."
My heart landed right at my feet. I felt as if someone had ripped it right out of my chest and stomped all over it. I just wanted to keel over and cry myself into oblivion. What was the point in trying to come back to Tidus...if he didn't even know I existed? Or worse...he never remembered what we shared?
"I see worry written all over you, Lady Yuna." he whispered, "I wasn't entirely finished."
I couldn't move, think, or comprehend. Let alone formulate coherent words.
"A select few will know who you are, and remember everything that happened. All your guardians will know, and the companions that accompany them."
"But..." I shook my head, "If we knew, what's the point in changing Spira's history that much? As long as we know, then I don't see a reason..."
Lord Zaon raised his hand to silence me, "Because, Lady Yuna. This isn't your test."
"You mean, you're testing Tidus as well?"
"Correct." he nodded.
"There's something you're not telling me..." I whispered.
"You and your guardians will know who you are, and what transpired a year ago. It's not just your exsistance you have to give up. You have to give up Tidus as well."
I felt a pang of anger rush through me that I had never previously felt before, "What? Lord Zaon, forgive my bluntness...but what sense does all this make?" I spat out unable to control what left my mouth.
"You proved your worth. Now he has to prove if he is worthy enough to have you. Your task, is to simply reside on Spira. You are not to let him know that you know him. As of right now, he is nothing more than a stranger to you. He has a limited amount of time to piece together what you went through to get to him. If he doesn't, you come back to the Farplane, and you will stay."
"That will crush him! If I acted like a perfect stranger...it would kill him!" I cried out as tears streamed down my face freely.
"If he loves you, he won't give up. You are not to warn him, and you're not to help him. You are however, allowed to meet by random chance. And you will be watched. The minute you over step, you will be brought back immediately."
"So you're putting me back on Spira...alone." I said in an emotionless voice.
"You were warned that this would not be easy. And if Tidus is smart, he'll pick up on everything. If his love is as strong as yours, you will over come this, Lady Yuna."
"What happens if we succeed?" I asked.
"If he succeeds in his test, everything will go back to normal and we will leave you alone to live out your lives together."
"And...if we fail?"
"Then Spira will know no better. Tidus will be proclaimed as the High Summoner, and you will have been erased forever. Though, the memory of you will linger on with your friends."
The world seemed to stop spinning. Everything up until this point now seemed so much easier. The Fayth kept true to his word. I was going to be wandering Spira alone, with visions of Tidus emblazoned in my mind, but I wasn't going to be able to tell him the truth. And as for Tidus, he was going to see me walking among the people, and I was going to have to reject him.
My stomach twisted up in knots so bad, that I felt sick. So much was hanging in the balance of my decision. If we passed, everything would go back to normal. But if we failed? No! I can't think like that. I have to have faith in Tidus. I know he can do this. Maybe seeing me will renew him.
"Lady Yuna, do you wish to continue on?" Lord Zaon inquired.
I took a few deep breaths before raising my eyes to meet his, "Yes, Lord Zaon. I will continue on."
"Very well. Remember everything that I've said to you. Because there will be no second chances. Good luck, Lady Yuna. We have faith in you."
He faded, and I was left standing there alone. The vision of Luca disappeared a long time ago, and now I was standing in the dark. Feeling lost and alone, I couldn't help but to succumb to the exhaustion that I didn't previously notice before. I felt myself collapse to the ground and drift off into a dreamless slumber.
Tidus' POV
"Wow, Luca hasn't changed a bit." I smiled as we stepped off into the harbor.
"Nope nope!" Rikku giggled, "Actually...hold up. Why are there so many people here? Isn't this the off season for blitzball?"
"Yeah, it doesn't start for a few more months..." I mumbled as we stood looking around at people.
"It's hard to tell with these people." Paine scoffed, "A chocobo could lay an egg and they'd celebrate these days."
I had to admit, when Paine wanted to, she could be quite the joker.
"There he is!" someone shouted in the crowd of people.
"Huh?" I squeaked as people swarmed us with sphere recorders and microphones.
"High Summoner Tidus, did you come to see the concert?", " How is life treating you?", "Are you planning to marry soon?", " Will you take a position as Maestor?"
"Rikku...what the hell is going on?" I shouted as all the questions were flung out at me.
"I don't know! They're out of their ever loving mind!" She huffed, shoving people away from me.
"Quick! To the locker rooms!" Paine shouted as we took off running.
"Lord Tidus, how do you plan on spending the Eternal Calm you brought us?" they kept shouting.
We squeezed into the Besaid Auroch's locker room and I stumbled back from the door as Paine and Rikku desperately tried to fight them off. After a few seconds and broken fingers later, the ruckus subsided.
The three of us just stood there in silence. All that passed between us were looks, and the sounds of our heavy breathing from running. I placed my hands on my hips staring the other two down.
Finally I swallowed and licked my lips before finally addressing them, "What in the hell has been going on around Spira for the past year?"
"I-I honestly don't know, Ti. Did they really..." Rikku whispered.
"High Summoner Tidus?" I winced, "Yes. Yes they did, Rikku. They most definitely called me a 'High Summoner' as well as 'Lord Tidus'."
"Why would they...I mean...how could they..." Rikku kept stumbling over her words.
"Everybody knows that Yuna was High Summoner. It doesn't make any sense." Paine grumbled.
"Something's going on." Rikku huffed.
"Yeah, thank you Captain Obvious." I replied sarcastically.
"Hey!" Rikku pouted, "It's not my fault!"
I sighed ruggedly, "I'm sorry, Rikku. I was out of line. It's just..."
"We get it, Tidus. It's alright." Paine nodded.
We stood there for a few more minutes, and I slumped down on one of the benches and put my head in my hands, letting out another exasperated sigh. What was going on? I was certainly not the High Summoner. That was Yuna...
"Wait a minute..." I snapped my head up, "If they think I'm High Summoner, then what happened to Yuna?"
Rikku was about to say something, but she was interrupted.
"Attention Luca residents! We regret to inform you that the tickets for Lady Nayu's concert are now sold out! We apologize for the inconvenience."
"Concert?" I scoffed.
"I have a feeling we should check it out." Rikku eyed me and Paine mischievously.
"Didn't you just hear them, Rikku? They're sold out of tickets." I reminded her.
"And?" Paine grinned along with Rikku.
"Why do I get the feeling you do more than hunt spheres?" I smirked.
Yuna's POV
"Lady Nayu?"
I stirred a bit at a faint voice in the distance.
"Lady Nayu?"
My eyes fluttered open and I looked around me, not recognizing where I was, "Where...am I?"
"You're supposed to be getting ready, that's what!" a woman's nervous voice replied.
I sat up a little bit, and looked around. I seemed to be what looked like a brightly lit dressing room. Vases of flowers covered the entire room. It smelled like a field of wild flowers in spring time. Looking over to my left, I noticed a woman running frantically around the room.
That's...when it hit me. "I'm back..." I whispered as I looked down at myself.
I was still in my summoners kimono and everything. It was like nothing had changed. I looked over at the woman running around, and it hit me.
"Elma!" I shouted as I jumped up and hugged her tightly. I met her on my pilgrimage, she was part of the Chocobo Knights.
"Are...you ok, Lady Nayu?" she asked in a concerned voice.
"Of course I'm ok! It's me! Yuna!" I shouted excitedly.
"Who? Are you sure you didn't drink anything before you fell asleep? Ohhhh I hope you're well enough to preform! Luca sold out!" she cried nervously.
Wait a minute...Lord Zaon said nobody would remember me...
"Who's Yuna?" Elma asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Oh...nobody. I must have been dreaming." I mumbled.
"Alright. Well, I hope you're ready. The concert is about to start. Your dressphere has been altered correctly, so it'll switch on it's own." she went to walk out of the room and paused, "Oh! We left the music sphere player over there so you could practice one more time before you go on, which is in...ten minutes. Good luck!"
I stood looking very confused at the door as she left. Dressphere? Music? Concert?
"No...no, no, no! Me? Singing on stage? In front of people?" I cried out nervously.
As I paced back in forth in the room, I noticed the music sphere player.
"Ugh...the things I put myself through..." I groaned as I pressed the play button.
Tidus' POV
After some convincing, or dragging more like it, Rikku and Paine got us past the guards and into the stadium. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This place was packed as if they were watching a blitzball tournament! We made our way to the front undetected easily enough, but I still felt uneasy.
"Rikku, are you sure we won't get caught? This place is crawling with security!" I yelled out over the screams.
"We'll be fine, Ti! Keep your cool. If all else fails, you remembered your dressphere, right?"
"Yeah, I got it."
"Just keep your eyes open." Paine shooshed us as the concert started up.
The lights dimmed, and a soft music started up. A woman's voice started vocalizing, and the crowd ceased all sounds.
"Wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I." (I need more affection than you know)
My eyes averted to the stage as soon as I heard those words escape her lips. I still couldn't see anything as the stadium was black. That's not possible, I thought to myself. An upbeat tune started increasing, and the lights on the stage landed on a woman. As soon as I saw her, goosebumps appeared all over my body.
As the music got louder, she approached the front of the stage. I was just a few feet away from her. There was no mistake in who it was. It was...
"Yuna!" Rikku squealed as she choked on her soda.
"Be quiet!" Paine slapped a hand over Rikku's mouth.
My eyes never left Yuna. She transformed out of her summoner kimono, and into a much more revealing outfit. I was sure it was the Songstress dressphere Rikku had been telling me about. One things for sure, Yuna was as beautiful now, as she was the first time I saw her in Besaid. Nothing else around me mattered at the moment. All I could do, is listen to her angelic voice.
In you and I, there's a new land. (Angles in flight)
Wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I (I need more affection than you know)
My sanctuary, My sanctuary yeah
Where my fears and lies, melt away (Music Inside)
Wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I (I need more affection than you know)
What's left of me? What's left of me?
The more I watched her graceful movements, the more I wanted to reach out to her. Part of me thought I was crazy for thinking it was really her, but something inside of me was telling me that it was. Her hair was shorter and cut like mine, but it was the same deep chestnut brown I remember. And of course, how could I have forgotten those eyes.
I watch you, fast asleep.
All I fear, means nothing.
In you and I, there's a new land (Angels in flight)
Wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I (I need more affection than you know)
My sanctuary, My sanctuary yeah
Where fears and lies, melt away (Music inside)
Wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I (I need more affection than you know)
What's left of me? What's left of me?
As the music kicked in a little more, I watched her preform a solo performance. It was all I could do...to not run up and put my arms around her.
Snwod dna spu ynam so.. (So many ups and downs)
My hearts a battle ground
Snoitome eurt deen I (I need true emotions)
Wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I (I need more affection than you know)
Snoitome eurt deen I...(I need true emotions...)
As a musical interlude rung out, I heard rushing footsteps coming right for us. Rikku had punched one of them in the face after giving a flirtatious look. Paine on the other hand, took a more subtle approach and round housed another. As for me...I chuckled under my breath and soaked up the rest of my beautiful Yuna.
"We had it under control lover boy." Paine yelled out sarcastically.
"Yeah, nice to know we can rely on you for fighting and not oogling girls!" Rikku nudged me in the stomach playfully.
I pretended to care...but my attentions...laid solely on Yuna.
You show me how to see
That nothing is whole and nothing is broken
In you and I, there's a new land (Angels in flight)
Wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen I (I need more affection than you know)
My sanctuary, My sanctuary yeah
Where fears and lies, melt away (Music Inside)
I kept looking into her eyes, until suddenly her eyes caught mine. It was then I knew...I wasn't crazy. It was my Yuna. And our eyes stayed locked for the rest of the song. For the first time in a year, I felt alive again. My Yuna, my reason for existing, was back again.
Wonk uoy maht noitceffa erom deen I (I need more affection than you know)
What's left of me? What's left of me now?
Oh, my fears, my lies, melt away.
Wonk uoy maht noitceffa erom deen I (I need more affection than you know)...
A/N: Since I figured I'd add in the concert from FFX-2, I decided to use a different song. real Emotion seemed a little too...over used. So I chose to go with this song. It...kinda fits in my opinion. Sorta...I hope. And I hope I didn't disappoint! Much love! Review and let me know how the story is coming along! :D
Yunasdestiny~