Along for the Ride

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Must be for real

Cos now i can feel

And I didn't mind

It's not my kind

Not my time to wonder why

Everything's gone white

And everything's grey

Now you're here now you're away

I don't want this

Remember that

I'll never forget where you're at

Don't let the days go by

Glycerine

Glycerine--Bush

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Tidus, he didn't know how to feel about Faith. Part of him felt compassion, and even some kind of connection with her. After all, he thought, we're both from a world that nobody else is from. We're both from a Zanarkand of a thousand years ago. The secong feeling he had was fright, not nesseasarily of her, but of the situation. Why are there others who are coming to Spira, he thought to himself. For what purpose? And the last part of him felt attraction towards her. As she was walking in front of him going down the backside of Mount Gagazet, he would look at her occasionally, and then scorn himself immediately afterward.

But then he would look beside him and see Yuna, who would look back at him and smile. At times like that he would feel as if he had to smile back at her.

He was happy.

They've been walking down the trail for about fifteen minutes now without much conversation. After Faith had come to terms with the fact that her homeland was no longer there, and everything she had ever known is gone, she turned back to the group with tears in her eyes. Although she always referred to herself as being a strong girl, this was almost too much to bear. What's happening to me? She solomly thought to herself. Why is this happening? Have I died? Mom, where are you?

"What happened to it?" she had said looking down at the snow.

"Sin." Tidus answered morbidly.

"Sin?" she repeated as she turned back towards the group. "What is Sin?"

"An evil, evil being that destroyed almost all of Spira." Lulu said. "Were on a mission. Were trying to stop it."

"Sin." Faith repeated, more to herself that to any of the group. "When did this happen?"

"A thousand years ago." Yuna said.

"Why am I here?" Faith asked finally.

There was no response.

That's how it had been. Now as they walked down from the freezing mountain, Tidus had a chance to think. Maybe, there's a pathway between the two times, he pondered. There had to be, someway. Me, My old man, and now Faith. We had all went through. But is there a way back? That threw him for a loop, because if there is a way back, then there might be a way to save Yuna.

His footing almost gave way as the thought of Yuna. Soon, she would have to sacrifice herself for the next calm. Tidus managed to catch himself before he fell. He still didn't want to believe that she had to die for everyone else's happiness. There has to be another way, right?

Tidus was so wrapped up in thought that he was completely taken by surprise when an Ogre burst through the snow and came charging at them. The massive fiend was heading right for Faith. Tidus took a step towards her in an attempt to push her out of the way. It was obvious that he wasn't going to make it in time. But right before the Ogre plowed into Faith, Kimahri swept down and pulled her out of the way.

Immediately the group set up for battle.

Auron threw the first blow from his massive sword as Yuna used protection on the group. Lulu unleashed Flare and the monstrosity withdrew backwards. It was then that Tidus stepped in and sliced the Ogre into oblivion.

From begining to end, the attack had taken no more than thirty seconds, but for Faith it seemed like an eternity, or better yet, a thousand years. She was surprised by the ability that Lulu had to make the beast seemingly combust upon itself. But she more shocked by Tidus' ability to attack so fluidly and quickly. It was weird, seeing this guy, the only guy, from her home, use a sword when she expected a blitzball. Just more things that doesn't make any sense, she thought. When is somebody going to explain this?

"Faith, Faith, are you Ok?" It was Rikku who rushed in to see if the new girl was all right. "You're not hurt are you?"

"No. I think I'm ok. What happened? What was that thing?"

"That was a fiend." Rikku retorted.

"An extremely powerful one." Auron added as he looked down upon Faith.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Rikku had a way to persist on things, Faith thought. I like her though. She's naturally caring, and kinda cool. Faith paused her thoughts to get up from the snow and brush herself off..

"Yes, I'm fine." She said to answer Rikku's question

When she looked around, she saw Kimahri staring directly at her. But it wasn't a menacing stare, it was a stare of concern. I misjudged him, she thought bitterly.

"Thank you." She said to the blue Ronso. "You saved me."

"You're welcome." Kimahri said in his natural way of understating things.

Auron, who still seemed irritated that Faith was along for the ride, spoke up again. "You should be more careful. This world is not as forgiving as the one you came from."

"Hey, give her a break." Tidus responded. "She doesn't know."

"Then she will have to learn." Auron said as he began walking down the trail again.

"What's his problem?" Faith asked slowly, hoping that Auron wouldn't hear.

"Oh he's just like that." Rikku responded, "You're just going to have to ignore him sometimes."

"Sir Auron" Yuna began, "Is always a little too serious."

"Yeah well, I just wished he would lighten up." Faith said as the girls began to follow the rest of the group.

It was then that they heard a voice come from down the trail. It was a shout of shock. It was followed by Tidus yelling "Hey guys, get down here."

"Woah," Wakka exclaimed, "What are those?" he said as he pointed to the face of the cliff.

He was standing beside what looked like a water fountain. But what was more shocking was what was next to Tidus. It looked as if hundreds of people had been grafted into the rock wall.

"Those are Fayth." Yuna replied.

"Faith?" Faith asked.

"No, not you, Fayth." Rikku said "F-A-Y-T-H. It's powerful people who give summoners their power."

"Oh." Faith responded. She had no idea what Rikku said, but she was just glad they weren't talking about her.

"A summoning." Yuna said, as she recognized the scene. "Someone is using these Fayth. Someone is drawing energy from all of them."

"This many?" Rikku asked as she looked around. There must be hundreds here.

"Who wields power on this scale," Lulu asked. "And what could they be calling?"

It was then that Rikku looked at Auron and she believed she had an answer.

"You," she began as she pointed her finger towards him. "You know something don't you?"

Auron only stood there, silent.

"Spill the beans." Rikku demanded.

"Look not to others for knowledge." He replied as if he had the wisdom of a temple monk. "This is your journey too."

He began to walk away when Rikku yelled out "Yunie might die, you know."

Faith didn't know who Rikku was talking about, or how someone was going to die. What fascinated her was the water fountain, which really didn't look like a water fountain at all. It had some kind of mystic flow to it. But there was something else; something that she couldn't put her finger on.

It looks familiar, she thought after a few seconds. Wait. It doesn't look like anything I have ever seen before, but something seems familiar about it. She then had a sudden feeling of homesickness that she couldn't shake.

"No." Tidus said reluctantly. "Auron's right."

"Hmm?" Rikku replied.

"This is our," but the Tidus paused. "This is my story."

And without warning, Tidus fell to the ground.

When Tidus came to, he was in that place between sleep and awake. He wasn't sure what had happened, or if he was dreaming, or where he was. He felt disoriented. Until he opened his eyes.

Zanarkand? He thought as he rose up. What is this? Where's Yuna?

He was walking around looking everywhere. He was walking in a daze thinking, Why am I here? Is this a dream? He stumbled around the vacant street until he saw something that made him stop in his tracks.

That's my house, he thought

With a sense of confusion, and a bad feeling inside, he stepped towards his old home.

"Welcome home." A strange, but somehow, familiar voice said. He turned around and saw that same mysterious figure he had seen somewhere before.

"Remember me?" the figure said. "We met in Bevelle."

"Uh, yeah." Was all he could coherently reply.

"But that wasn't the first time we met." The figure said. "I've known about you for a long time. A long, long time."

Reluctantly, Tidus said "I feel like I've known you too." He paused. "Where are we?"

At that, the figure started laughing. "Don't recognize your own home?"

Then the figure disappeared, as quickly and quietly as it had appeared.

As Tidus walked out the door Wakka's voice seemed to come out of nowhere, but it seemed as if it was coming from everywhere.

"What's gotten into you? Hey!"

Then, to Tidus' surprise, he saw Rikku phase into his realm and say "Wake up!! Wake up!!"

In a way, he wanted to. But he felt that he should find this person again. Something important is about to happen, he thought.

The figure was outside and up the stairs.

As he was walking up to her, he realized what was going on.

"Wait," he exclaimed "This is a dream."

"Precisely" was her reply.

But that wasn't exactly the reply he expected.

"Wait," he caught himself. "A dream. Are you crazy? I don't have time to be dreaming now." His mind flashed to Yuna as he thought about needing to continue the pilgrammage.

"You're wrong." The figure responded. "It's not that you are dreaming, you are a dream."

That last sentence hung in the air a moment before Tidus could respond.

"Hey. Wait a sec."

And with that, the person was gone again. But it didn't take long for Tidus to find her.

"Long ago, there was a war." she began.

"Yeah," Tidus agreed. "With machina right?"

"Yes. A war between Zanarkand and Bevelle. Bevelle's machina assured their victory from the start. Spira had never seen such power. The people of Zanarkand didn't stand a chance. Zanarkand was doomed to oblivion."

"That's why we tried to save it." She continued. "If only in a memory."

"What did you do?" Tidus asked.

"The remaining townspeople who survived the war, they all became Fayth. Fayth for the summoning."

"What summoning?" Tidus asked. "You mean Sin?"

"No." the Fayth responded. "I mean this life. A Zanarkand that never sleeps"

"Wha—what?" Tidus asked. He had no idea what was going on anymore. The more he tried to understand, the more it eluded him. But it felt as if he was on the right track. He felt as if she was telling the truth, but he just had to grasp it.

"The dreams of the Fayth summoned the memories of the city. They summoned all the buildings and all of the people who lived there."

"The people. Why? They're all dreams?" Suddenly a sinking feeling hit Tidus. He didn't want to hear anymore. He had this bad feeling that he was about to find out something that he really didn't want to know. But he made himself go on.

"Me too?" he asked, not really wanting the answer.

There was a pause that he didn't like.

"Yes. You're a dream of the Fayth. You, your father, your mother, everyone, all dreams."

There was another awkward pause before she continued.

"And if the Fayth stop dreaming." She paused, allowing for the visualization to take effect.

One by one the buildings, the streets, and the lights started to dissapear. Tidus was frightened. Then the only thing left was the street he was on, his house, the girl, and himself.

"No." He shouted as his own house disappeared before his eyes.

He stood there a moment, trying to process what was going on.

"So what if I'm a dream. I like being here." There was a sense of arrogance in his voice that he didn't like.

"But we've been dreaming so long" the Fayth replied.

To Tidus she sounded desperate. "We're tired"

"Would you, and your father, would you let us rest?" There was that desperate tone again in her voice. "Both you and your father have been touched by Sin. Sin, the one around whom all Spira, the spiral, revolves."

"What are you saying?" Tidus asked.

"You two are more than just dreams now."

Somewhere behind him, he heard Yuna's voice plead "Wake up, wake up, please."

At the sound of her voice, Tidus wanted to turn around, and to hold her here and now in Zanarkand. But he was too transfixed upon the Fayth to even move. Somewhere in the back of his mind his thoughts were going around and around. He was looking for something to disprove this. He was looking for something to tell her that this wasn't true. And then he found it.

"Faith!!" He exclaimed. "What about Faith? Is she part of the dream too?"

At this, the girl turned her back on him. "She isn't one of ours."

"What?" Tidus asked. "What do you mean?"

"She isn't one of our dreams, but still she was there."

"Yeah I know." Tidus said. "She knows who I am. But what do you mean she wasn't one of yours."

"She's not one of our dreams. But she was there. We really don't know much about her. But she frightens us. I hope she disappears when you beat Sin."

"Woa, what a thing to say." He paused thinking about what was just said. "So when we beat Sin, I'm gonna dissapear. Me and my old man?"

"You two are dreams, and a little more." The Fayth paused and turned back to Tidus. "And maybe, maybe you are the dream that will end our dreaming at last."

Then Tidus phased back into reality. It all became clear to him now.

As he came to, he heard Yuna ask "Are you allright?"

Tidus still felt groggy from his trip into the dream world of Zanarkand. More than that, he felt a sense of dread. He felt as if his own end was coming. Now I know how Yuna feels, he thought to himself.

"Whew, we were so worried about you" Rikku said.

"Are you ok?" Lulu asked.

"I'm ok" he said, still thinking about all of the implications of what had just happened.

"What happened?" Yuna asked.

What do I say? He thought to himself. I can't say the truth.

"Nothing." He said. "I blacked out. I was dreaming." That word still hung awkwardly in the air. "You called me, and I woke up."

I hate to lie, he thought bitterly. Especcially to Yuna. I really don't want to lie to the person I He hung there a minute thinking about the next word in his thoughts. the person Ilove? But did he love her? He wasn't quite sure. But he cared for her. He cared enough to accept the fact that he would disappear if they could beat Sin. I would rather myself go, than for Yuna to. Either way, he felt horrible for lying to her. He tried not to think about it as he walked past her, then Auron, and then Faith.

What about her? He thought to himself about the new redheaded girl who is also a dream. Where is she from? What is her story? And why are the Fayth afraid of her? He would figure all of that out later. I feel like I need to go somewhere and clear my head.

He gave a fake stretch and continued lying. "Nothing like a good nap. I'm ready, lets go." With that, he started to walk toward Zanarkand.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's notes.

1—The characters, places, events referred to, etc., are copyrighted by Squaresoft.

2—This story however is created by me.

3—Faith is my character, don't use her in any way she wouldn't appreciate.

4—That dialogue should seem familiar, it's word for word verbatim from the game. That is, everything that doesn't have to do with Faith.

5—I suppose that Squaresoft owns the verbatim conversation as well, so I had better say that or fear their wrath.

6—I will try to post the next chapter kinda quickly, but no guarantees, I've got finals coming up and I should probably play the game from this point out just to stay consistant in my story.

7—More Faith character development next time, I swear.

8—Any comments, complaints, advice, bashings, etc., hit me at rune_paradigm@yahoo.com, or just put it in a review.