Chapter Nine: The Messenger

Rikku approached the town square, still shaking from the blood covered Sora. She tried to calm her breathing, and found Tidus standing in the square. She came to him, looking up at his blue eyes and sand blond hair. "Tidus?" she asked, yet he didn't turn to her. He stood, looking up at the sky. Rikku gulped and placed a hand on his arm. "Tidus?"

Tidus didn't turn. "She's gone."

Yuna. Rikku thought, swallowing the knot in her throat. "She…she may be, Tidus! But we still have to fight on…we…"

"Fight on?" Tidus asked. "How can we 'fight on' if we sit around waiting for the attacks of this Heartless? Every time a heart is stolen, they multiply! We have no idea on where we could go to find these heartless, and find Yuna."

Rikku stood silent, unsure how to answer. She looked down at her feet, knowing what Tidus spoke was true. She gulped down another knot that came into her throat. "Well…there…there might be one way."

Tidus looked down at her. He had a bleeding wound on his face from a heartless, his yellow jacket splattered on blood. Next to his feet were a child that seemed to be dead, and Rikku wanted to yell out in anger at the destruction of the innocent child. Tidus's eyes were full of emptiness, and he looked down at Rikku as if he were lost. "What way might that be?"

"We can go to Zanarkand." Rikku stated and looked up at Tidus. "A-after all! Yunalesca is there…..and, even though it's in ruins, maybe that is how the Heartless are coming into Spira…" Tidus did not change his look. "Tidus, think about it! Zanarkand was the land of the summoners, in which case there is high amounts of magical energy there….if the people who control the Heartless are able to mend that energy, they could have ripped a hole into the space of Zanarkand!"

"You sound like Lulu." Tidus said.

"Well, now we all know what I've been thinking of!" Rikku spat. "Tidus, listen! It is the only place in the world now, besides the small temple here on the island, where there is enough energy for the Heartless to gather. It could be Zanarkand's ruins still hold some kind of magical power…"

"Zanarkand is a grave yard." Tidus mumbled and looked up at the sky again. "Everything there is dead. Destroyed by Sin, by Yevon-Ju. The only thing those ruins can hold is memories of the past, and faces of the people that once where there."

"Spira is changing." Rikku agreed. "Now that Sin is gone, the Al Bhed can move their technology in, and we can start a new way of living! But, Tidus….not all of Spira has changed. Even though now, that most the Aeons are gone, the ones that are still here are able to concentrate their magic….and where else but the old home of summoners? Why don't you want to return to Zanarkand?!"

"I do not want to return to a graveyard." Tidus said. "You all may go if you wish."

"And what will you do?! Stand here and wait for the Heartless to come? Wait for another raid? Wait until you can get your heart taken!?" Rikku screamed. A few locals turned and looked at her. "Tidus, what if Yuna is at Zanarkand?! She'll be crushed to know that your heart is gone!! Is that fair? Giving her the thought she had you back…..then you go and do something stupid, and loose your heart?! Tidus you need to wake up."

"I am." Tidus said. "There is nothing at Zanarkand for me, besides riddles and ghosts that I do not want to deal with."

Rikku was silent for a moment. She looked at him sadly. "Your mother?" Tidus didn't reply. "You didn't have a problem going to Zanarkand before…..are you afraid to be wrapped up in the memories? Everyone is afraid, Tidus.." she sighed. "Perhaps you should come back now…..Sora is hurt."

Tidus turned wide eyed. "How bad?!"

"He…well, we guess….he fell from the balcony of the east wing." Rikku said softly. Her eyes went to the ground. "Sora has at least a broken rib and side….possibly a broken back. He has a gash on his head…..and…."

"And?"

"And the last thing he said was something about the Light of Spira." Rikku looked up. "He isn't dead…but he passed out again. I am not sure what he meant…but I want him to go home. That poor boy…he's lost his friends and home, and he doesn't even know where they are." She sighed. "I just want him to go home."

"He has a mission, and he cannot go back."

"Now who sounds like Lulu?" Rikku giggled slightly, and Tidus chuckled. "Come on, we'll go back."

Sora stood up, swaying a little. Lulu grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to sit down. He looked up at her, his vision still blurry, and not aware of he was swaying as he sat.

"Sora-sama, stay put. You cannot be moving around like that." Lulu scolded gently. "You've lost a lot of blood…" her voice faded out to Sora. Sora blinked, looking up at her although he could no longer hear her voice. All he could hear was the sounds of screams and what sounded like buildings falling apart. There was shouting and finally it drained out and he heard Lulu's voice coming back. "…you were very foolish and brave at the same time."

Wakka looked at Lulu. "Ya, he was Lulu…but, at least he tried…"

"Wakka-domo, I just stated that he was brave." Lulu said, looking back at Sora. "Sora-sama, how do you feel?"

Sora shook his head lightly, swaying. "I….I…." he shook his head again. "There was a scream…..and a city crumbling…."

"What does that have to do with what she just asked, Sora?" Wakka asked, and Lulu silenced him.

"Continue, Sora-sama."

"…and there was more screams…and shouting…then a large Dragon appeared…and it is destroying more and more of a city.." Sora said, blinking. He wasn't sure why he was seeing this…or how, he swayed again. "..And there's a girl….she's standing with someone…and she does a dance like Yuna……and then the Dragon is gone…but…but it's still there…"

Donald looked at Lulu. "What is he saying?"

Lulu looked at Sora. "A Dragon, Sora-sama…" Sora nodded. "Tell me….does this girl have a name.."

"Yuna…Yunalesca…I think……that is what he says to her…." Sora shook his head again.

Lulu sighed. "There is only one possibility….some how Sora-sama has the memories of Zanarkand before it was destroyed." She looked around at the group. "Sora-sama is having trouble separating the now and the past."

"How could he know that, ya?" Wakka asked. "We didn't tell him."

"Grash." Goofy stated.

"She…she was standing with me.." Sora said, his eyes clouded over as if he were in a daze. "And…..she said….she was the Princess…and she was the Light of Spira…..and she needed protection….and…she asked me…"

"Sora is the Keyblade Master." Donald said. "And now he is the guardian of the Light of Spira as well?"

"Hai." Lulu said sadly. "Sora-sama….where should we go?"

Sora stood, swaying as he walked to the door, still in his trance like state. "Zanarkand…" he said. Lulu followed behind as she opened the door, and Rikku came up. Sora looked at the two, but his vision faded back and forth between the Al Bhed Island and Zanarkand.

"Lulu, where we goin?"

"Zanarkand…our Messenger from the Princess said so, Rikku-san." Lulu said. "We will need an airship."

Rikku smiled. "I'm sure my brother can get something!"