He walked more slowly down the morbid road, every one of his muscles and joints aching from the pain of pushing himself. But even worse than the physical exhaustion, was the emotional turmoil. He wished more than anything that he could push himself to move faster, because time could be speeding past him by the years and he would never know. Every part of him ached for her, and with every breath he was practically screaming out her name on the inside. His heartbeat was fast and delicate, and with every beat, it made him even that much more devoted to her.

He looked up to the black sky, and the red clouds and pleaded to just be able to make it back to Besaid before things changed. Before she got over him.

He walked for hours, staying to the middle of the path, feeling as though he were dragging his feet terribly. Maybe it was just the tension and the panic, but it felt as though his blood had taken the opposite route of his feet, getting quicker by the second.

Suddenly, though, it became easier to walk. He passed a marble chess table, a game half-finished and abandoned. There was a white house on the path, hidden, and practically camouflaged behind the massive trunks of numerous white trees. Only then he realized that the path did lead to the house, and there seemed to be no way around it. The path dropped away on both sides, so he figured he'd just have to go up to the house.

The white steps were wide, and old, and creaked with every footstep. The black atmosphere made the old, creaking house seem like a temple. A place to be welcomed, finally, after all those miles of barren half-darkness, half-silence, and half-haunting. He made his way to the large double doors and swung the handle on one of the large, brass knockers.

The dense air reverberated the sound slowly, as though the sound had gotten stuck somewhere. Or maybe that was just his heart, caught in the back of his throat. He took a deep breath as one of the huge doors creaked open.

In front of him stood a woman, who looked barely older than himself, though had probably gained many centuries of knowledge. Her hair was icy blue, and her eyes a shade of green-blue-black that there was no name for. She smiled quietly, and invited him in with a gesture of her hand.

"Hello, Tidus. My name is Yukiko. I have been expecting you."

The inside of the aged fortress was white with deep reds. Although the color scheme wasn't much different than that of the outside path, it was much more inviting. She sat down on a large red couch.

"Have a seat," she said in her surprisingly deep and somewhat subtle voice.

He chose an over-sized, over-stuffed armchair at a comfortable distance from her. He looked at her, puzzled, but staying silent in awe and respect.

"You are eager," she smiled. "Your next task is hard, you can stay a while if you would like?"

He shifted a bit uncomfortably, and looked up to meet her gaze. The proposition did sound tempting, and he found himself suddenly drowsy. But something inside him screamed no, and it hauntingly sounded like Yuna's voice. He squashed a yawn. "No, I have someone I need to get back to, quickly. I think she needs me."

"Very well. Follow me for your next test," she got up quickly, and he followed her, the sound of her bare feet and his shoes clunking echoed of the inviting walls. It could have been a comfortable place to live in, but there was something more important than comfort now. He needed to run back to her, and taking any unnecessary naps was out of the question.

She led him out a back door, and he suddenly found that it was hard to tell the ground from the sky. There was no steady path, and he found himself in front of a labyrinth of glowing white bushes. He wasn't able to see the end, and the ground was dark now. He looked up at Yukiko. She smiled.

"Time moves quickly here. You followed your heart about resting. May she guide you through the maze before it's too late. Go, quickly."

Tidus nodded and thanked her with a smile, before turning around and setting off at a run.

* * * * *

Yuna laid in bed, not sleepy, but not wanting to move. She feared that if she moved, she'd be spent forever. So she just laid, staring out the window at the late-morning bliss of Besaid. She could hear the water climbing up the shore. Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them back.

Lulu walked in her room with two cups of tea, and sat on the bed with Yuna. She smiled at her almost-sister and offered her one of the cups.

Yuna sat up and leaned herself against the headboard, taking the cup in between her fragile hands and setting it on her knees. Lulu leaned against the foot of the bed, sitting with her legs folded. She had taken to staying at Yuna's mostly, and wearing pajamas the majority of the time. Yuna very rarely left the house.

"How are you feeling? Any better today?" Lulu asked quietly. She looked from the half-empty cup of tea in her hands, to Yuna's face.

"Not really. My heart keeps hurting, and I don't have any strength left. I don't know what it is. . . I don't think I'm sick. I'm just. . .chronically tired. And I hurt almost everywhere," Yuna looked tired, and sad. She was so lost without him, that she was becoming physically drained.

"Well- just drink your tea, and rest. Although you should at least go for a walk or something."

"Maybe later, Lulu. Hopefully I'll feel better, then." She smiled weakly.

"I'm going shopping, anything you want me to pick up for you?" Lulu unfolded her legs and stood up, still looking down at Yuna.

"Umm-maybe another book, if you can find one I haven't already read? And ice cream. I think I'll be in an ice cream mood tonight," she smiled.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do. And the ice cream is definitely a yes," Lulu reached down and hugged her with one arm. "I'll be back in a while."

Lulu walked into the kitchen to set down her tea-cup and was faced with Wakka. She looked up at him, startled.

"How's she doin'? I been worried about her, ya?" Wakka looked sincere, and a little sad.

Lulu's eyes filled with tears, but tried to blink them back before he could see. He knew her too well, though, and put his arms around her. She put her hands on his shoulders and buried her face into the base of his neck, crying freely.

"I think her soul is dying," she sobbed. Her defenses were crumbling quickly, her walls, her sarcasm, her bitterness, all flying quickly away from her like there was nothing more she could do to keep her pride intact.

Wakka held her tightly, and she cried into him, not knowing what else to do. "Where's Tidus when we need him? It's been two months since her last dream. . ."