Untold Emotions

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Is this the end

For us my friend?

--The end, Creed

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So this is it.

The young blitzball star and the redheaded girl from a thousand years ago finally joined up with the others. The rest of the group had already been here a while, wondering where Tidus and Faith had disappeared to. Once they had thought about going back. If they did, that would have detrimental to Yuna if she found them listening to her sphere. All of her thank you's, her last wishes, and all of her thoughts were on there. It would have broken her heart to see Tidus and Faith listening to it before anyone was supposed to. Not that they didn't feel bad enough already.

As they regrouped, it appeared that nobody really cared that much about going forward. Either that or something else was on all of their minds. Everyone had built a campfire, and was sitting around it disheartened from the journey.

Yuna flashed a look to Tidus as the two made their way back to camp. It was a look that asked Where have you been? Tidus only answered that look by smiling at her, sitting next to her, and reaching out and holding her hand.

I don't care anymore, he thought solemnly. I don't care what Wakka and Lulu think. After all, we are together. And after all, we can't be together for much longer.

Faith sat down between Rikku and Wakka. Not really because of preference, but because that was where the most space was. But she was glad. Those were the two people that she felt the most at ease around. Granted, she had only been with the group for the better part of a day, but still she felt more openness and friendship from Wakka and Rikku than she did from Auron or Kimahri.

Nobody wants to go, Faith thought bitterly after a while. Nobody wants to be the one who says Hey Yuna, lets go. Let's go get Sin, so you can die afterwards.' No, she thought, nobody wants this to happen.

It was a long time before anyone said anything.

Tidus couldn't just take it anymore. Without warning, he stood up and looked around the campfire at the dejected warriors. The last part of the evening sun was starting to draw out from the sky. This warm, low light really showed the effects the journey had on everyone's faces. In this light, everyone looked a few years older than they did at the start of the pilgrimage. In this light, everyone looked as if they had aged drastically.

Tidus placed his hand on Yuna's shoulder.

She turned her head up and looked him in the eyes. Even in this light, he thought. Even after all we've been through, she still looks beautiful. It was then that he knew he loved her.

He removed his hand as he walked behind everyone. Tidus turned to face the fallen city that was once his home. It doesn't even look like home anymore, he thought. It looks like a graveyard. He stepped up on the mound of rubble to get a better look. At one point he almost fell, but then after a brief mental debate he caught himself. At first there was a hesitation to. I could end it here, he thought. I could fall, and end it. After all, I don't have much longer either.

But that moment of hesitation passed as he thought about Yuna. I want to be with her as long as I can, even all the way to the end.

Tidus now stared at the ruins.

"Listen to my story." He said suddenly and morbidly.

"This may be our last chance."

He then started to talk, filling in on every detail of his journey. For some reason, it seemed a little strange to Faith. But somehow, it seemed to fit. It was then, in his recital of his life in Spira, that Faith understood everything. All the missing facts that eluded her, people she had heard about in conversations, what an aon is, everything. She also felt more connected to everyone, and more traumatized by what was about to happen.

They talked until 5:00 that morning.

It was Yuna who finally stopped him. Nobody else would, Faith thought afterward.

"I think," she started.

"Yes?" Tidus asked.

"I think we should stop." She paused. "Maybe, for now."

There was a hesitation as nobody was sure what to do next.

"Let's go." Yuna exclaimed.

The warriors solemnly raised up and started off to the Zanarkand dome.

"Woah." Wakka said as they started along the rocky path. "It looks like the Farplane."

"Close enough" Auron replied as the fighters continued moving.

All along the way, there were various fiend attacks. Some were easy to handle, such as the machina. Rikku always had a talent for disabling those things, and she came in handy more than once. However she wasn't quite her cheerful and perky self. Nobody is, Faith thought. Nobody's talking to each other. Nobody wants this to be the end. For a moment, she thought about Yuna. There had to be another way, wasn't there? She hesitated for a second, thinking I sound a lot like Tidus now.

Faith was completely unprepared for what happened next.

Just randomly along the path to the final summoning, a man appeared out of nowhere. However, it seemed like an everyday occurrence to everyone else. The man then spoke.

"Journeyer of the long road, name yourself" the old man demanded.

"I am the summoner Yuna. I have come from the island of Besaid."

"Your eyes my dear," the man replied. "They have shown me the long road you have traveled. Very good. You have journeyed well. Lady Yunalesca will surely welcome your arrival. Go to her now, and bring your guardians with you. Go."

And with that being said, the old man disappeared as innocently as he appeared.

When they reached a point in the crossroads, something happened that shocked Faith even more and made Rikku jump back in surprise.

It was a ghost that passed directly through the group.

"If it might be benefit the future of Spira, I would gladly give my life," the dead spirit began. "It is the highest honor a guardian might ask. Use my life Lady Yocun, and rid Spira of Sin."

"Wha—what was that??" Rikku asked nervously.

"Our predecessors." Auron replied.

"She said Lady Yocun, didn't she?" Lulu asked. "Wait. She guarded high summoner Yocun?"

"This dome is filled with pyreflies." Auron said in his natural cool and collective way. "In this gigantic sphere, people's thoughts remain here, forever."

A few minutes later, the group was visited by two more ghosts from the past.

"No mother." The transparent young kid exclaimed. "I don't want you to become a Fayth."

"There is no other way." The other figure replied. "Use me and defeat Sin. Only then, will the people accept you."

The kid, obviously in tears, cried out "I don't care about them. I need you mother!! You and no one else."

"I don't have any other way."

"Woah, hey wasn't that" Wakka began.

"Seymour?!?!?" Rikku exclaimed.

Faith was confused and awestruck by what was going on here. However the group continued on in the mist of spirits from another time.

"Uhhh" Tidus suddenly moaned out from behind.

They were almost at the cloister of trials when the other three spirits appeared. Faith turned around to see what Tidus had saw. Jecht?? her mind raced. Sure enough, the once blitzball hero was standing there before her. So he really was here!! There were two other men with him, and one of them looked strangely familiar.

"Hey Braska." Jecht said. "You don't have to do this."

"Thank you for your concern." The other man said in a warm tone.

"Fine. I said my peace." The former blitzball player replied.

"We'll I haven't." the man dressed in red exclaimed. It was then that Faith recognized who the other man was. Auron. Wow, he looks really young. Wait, her mind wondered. If his thoughts and spirit is here, now, wouldn't that mean that Auron is

She suddenly looked at the powerful man and she knew, right then, that Auron was dead.

"Lord Braska, the young version of Auron said. "Let us go back. I don't want to see you"

There was a pause.

"die."

"You knew this was to happen my friend."

"Yes, but I" he paused again while looking down. "I cannot accept it.

"Auron, I am honored that you care for me so. But I have come to kill grief itself. I will defeat Sin, and lift the vial of sorrow covering Spria. Please understand Auron.

Wow, Tidus thought to himself. The old monk wasn't kidding when he said I reminded him of himself. I'm practically saying the same things now to Yuna. An unsettling emotion hit Tidus in the stomach for a moment. Yeah, he then thought, and were both coming up with the same answers.

"Are the trials ahead?" Jecht asked.

"Probably," Auron replied.

"Here too, huh, gimme a break. I was expecting you know, parades and fireworks."

"You can ask for them when I defeat Sin." Braska replied.

With that, the three figures disappeared.

"The trials?" Faith asked.

"Mind-boggling puzzles that lead to the chamber of the Fayth." Rikku answered.

Tidus flashed a look to his girl. "You ready Yuna?"

"Hmm-mmm" she replied. She really wasn't ready, but she is strong and is determined to get through this.

"All right everyone," Tidus said as he took a step to follow the spirit of his dad. "Let's do this."

With that, everyone followed his lead into the most difficult cloister of trials they have ever faced.

To Faith, it truly was mind-boggling. Looking for patterns in shapes and stepping on corresponding pieces of floor. Whatever lies beyond must be holy, she thought to herself. For something to be this protected must hold the secrets of defeating Sin. She looked around the ancient corridor as the warriors tried to unlock the chamber of the Fayth. The amount of concentration on everyone's faces equaled the amount of determination in their hearts.

When the last sphere was placed into the pedestal the entire room shook as an unearthly cry came from the next area. The fighters looked at each other and started to pull out their weapons and prepare for battle. Another roar came as the fighters hurried into the next room where the Spectral Keeper awaited them.

The battle was intense. Tidus continually was repositioning the combatants so that Auron was always the center of the beast's attention. This allowed everyone else to attack at will without fear of a counterattack. Faith was amazed at Auron's strength and skills. His attacks were fluid and the result of lots of training. But maybe she was more amazed by his endurance and the ability to take the full blunt of the Spectral Keeper's attacks.

However, after a few minutes into the fight, the monster attacked Auron, and the monk fell to his knees with his large sword falling out of his grasp. The monster bashed him again and Auron's body went limp.

"Auron!!" Rikku yelled. "Are you ok?"

But there was no answer from the silent body. It was then that the great monster shifted and turned its attention to the rest of the group. Fear struck Faith as the great beast looked directly into her eyes and gave another roar.

"Auron!!" Rikku screamed again.

The monster lashed out and Tidus took the attack directly into the chest.

Faith somehow found her words. She turned to Rikku and asked, "How can I help?"

Without really thinking, Rikku passed her a bottle of a purplish liquid. "Take this to Auron. Hurryyy!!"

Faith took the bottle, looking at it uncertainly, and turned back towards the fallen friend. By then, the Spectral Keeper had turned to the right, focusing its powers on Kimahri and Yuna as Tidus slashed at its right side. With her heart pounding quickly in her chest, she walked hurriedly towards the figure lying on the ground. At one point, Faith was five feet from the backside of the monster she was so afraid of. She found herself trembling, almost so much that she was afraid she would drop the bottle on the ground. Just the thought of the crashing sound causing this large creature to turn around was enough to make her want to turn back and run towards Rikku.

No, I can't. She thought to herself. Auron needs my help. Somewhere, deep down inside her soul, she found the strength to keep walking. When she got to the seemingly dead body, she was almost too amazed to move. Auron looked bad. Blood from a large gash on his shoulder run down his body, forming a pool of crimson around him. Numbed by shock, Faith's mind and body moved slowly. What do I do with this? How do I get him to drink it? Feeling ignorant, she opened the bottle and sprinkled it over the body.

Tidus was getting pissed. When is this thing going to die? he thought desperately. During one of his attacks he looked up and saw Faith, creeping ever so slightly behind the beast. He could feel the fear coming from her body. What's she doing? he thought. He then looked at her again and realized the she had a Phoenix Down. Wow, he thought. I hope she gets to Auron in time. Then Tidus had an idea.

"Hey." Tidus yelled. "Hey, you big ugly."

The monster paused its attack and looked at the young fighter.

"Hey." He said again, this time waving his arms. "Show me what you got!" Tidus was just hoping that he could distract the monster enough for Faith to help Auron. "Hey!!"

Suddenly the Spectral Keeper lashed out and flung Tidus across the room like a rag doll. His world slowly faded to black.

When he came to, he felt this aching in his side and tasted blood in his mouth. He tried to look around but the pain in his neck wouldn't allow it. He forcefully propped himself up and didn't like what he saw.

Wakka and Lulu were attacking the monster, but it didn't look pretty. Then the Spectral Keeper roared and raised both of his hands in order to do a move that would finish the little party off. It was then that a man seemingly fell out of the sky. His red robe and raven hair were flying backwards against the wind and his eyes, although you could barely see them above his glasses, were locked in a fierce look of determination. In his hands was a sword larger than a man.

Auron buried his Mansamme into the neck of the monster as he came down. The beast gave another roar, and then fell lifelessly to the ground.

"Woa-woah." Wakka said as he raised up on one knee. "That was one bad finishing move Auron."

"Hmph." The now refreshed fighter replied. "Is everyone ok?"

"I think so," Tidus said. "Everyone?"

After small nods of affirmation, it seemed everyone was going to be alive to fight another day.

"Yuna," Auron said as he turned to the summoner. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, I believe so," she said shallowly.

She then took a deep breath and stepped on the glowing platform that would lead her to Sin's, and ultimately, her demise. As she stepped off the ledge she glanced back at Tidus. Their eyes locked as she rode the platform all the way down. They looked at each other until the she couldn't see him anymore, and then closed her eyes, hoping to burn that image into her mind for the rest of her brief life.

Tidus' heart sank when he heard the slam of the platform down below. He couldn't help but tell himself that maybe that was the last time he was ever going to see her.

It was a total surprise to him when he heard Yuna yell back to the group.

"Everyone, get down here!"

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, came Jecht's voice from the past.

"What do ya mean there's no final Aeon???"

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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—Yeah I know, it's been a while. I've been way too busy to do this chapter lately. But I promise the next one will be soon.

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

6—FFX rocks. Introduce this game to somebody and watch their GPA drop