Author's note: Hey everyone! Guess what! I beat the game! *sob* the ending was so sad! ^_^ Nothing else new. Thanks for the seven reviews! ^_^ That's good for me! Anyways, you know. I don't own any of the characters or the song. Now read, and afterwards review!

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"And I wonder

Are you thinking of me

Cause I'm thinking of you.

And I wonder

Are you ever coming back in my life?"

~BBMak

Back Here

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Tidus stretched lazily on the floor. He had just woken up from another one of his many dreams that included him back in Spira with Yuna. Yevon, he missed her so much.

He tried pulling back the covers that weighed heavily upon his being only to find they were around him like a coat of some sort. When he tried to see just what he could be wearing that was so heavy, he also found that he could only open one eye. Heart racing, Tidus sat straight up and looked down at his body. Strangely, he was wearing Auron's outfit.

"Did we get drunk last night?" he thought aloud. While he thought of this, Jecht looked over at him sleepily. Tidus caught his gaze.

"Hey Auron. You're not the type to fall out of bed." He joked.

Tidus raised one eyebrow, still aware he could only see out of one eye. "Dad, what are you talking about? It's me, Tidus." Instantly, he brought his hand to his head and scrambled into the bathroom. Flicking on the light, he glanced in the mirror. Instead of seeing the usual reflection of a blonde hair, blue-eyed teen, he was staring into the face of his former mentor and guardian.

Jecht ran into the bathroom too and stood side-by-side with him. "Is something wrong, Auron?"

Tidus frantically looked from the reflection to his father. Then, he screamed.

~*~*~

Auron slashed his way through the woods, having to pause a few times to take in the madness of all this. While his old body was quite sluggish but powerful, Tidus' body was quite agile yet a bit weaker. Hey, at least he was back on Spira!

Ecstatic, he broke into a run, dodging branches and stones among other things littered about the forest floor. Just over the tree tops he could see the small village of Besaid. This might be the day he could revisit those who, along with himself, had guarded Braska's only daughter, Yuna.

At the thought, he skidded to a halt. If Auron was in this body, people weren't going to know that it was really him at all. They'd think it was Tidus! If that was the case, how was Auron going to get with Rikku again, especially since Yuna and Tidus had that little puppy love thing going for a little while. Yuna would definitely want to be with Tidus for a while.

Auron shook the thoughts from his head. He still had time to think of that. All he wanted to do now was to see everyone.

It didn't take as long as Auron thought it would to get to the village. When he arrived, he slowed down to almost a complete stop. The scene was a whole new world for him. Villagers bustled about, kids playing happily in the sand and on the steps of the temple, everyone just enjoying life without Sin.

His feet felt frozen in place. Fear kept him from making the final step into the village. Auron shook his head, blonde hair swaying into his vision. He didn't have to go in. He could just leave and no one would know. But he knew that wasn't like him. Sure, he may have been nervous, but what's rejoining with your friends going to hurt? He had already experienced death for Yevon knows how much.

Taking a deep breath, he held his head high and marched into the village. It seemed like everyone stopped their activities to watch him pass. Auron approached a girl about fifteen and smiled. "Excuse me, but can you point out where someone by the name of Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri, Yuna . . . or Rikku resides?" the last name made his whole body go weak. So close!

The girl hummed as she looked around. Then, in her heavy accent, she spoke. "I'm not sure about your Rikku or Kimahri, but I know Wakka and Lulu live in that hut over yonder. The next hut is where Lady Yuna stays. Ya?"

Auron looked to where the girl pointed and nodded. "Thanks."

"Before you go," the girl stopped him. "I must ask. Are you one of Lady Yuna's guardians?"

"Was. I was one of her guardians." He replied, his voice coming out higher than he was used to.

The girl smiled. "I'm sure she'd be happy to see you again, sir."

Auron smiled and gave a small wave before heading to the huts. When he found the right one, he stood before it. Just how were you supposed to knock on cloth doors, exactly?

He found no need to, however, because the cloth flew back, revealing a rather beautiful woman clad in all black holding a small baby. Her free hand flew to her mouth when she saw the body of Tidus, unaware of who it really was.

"Tidus?" she whispered, "That can't be you. You're . . ."

Auron's eyes were wide with surprise at the woman holding the baby. "Lulu . . . are you a-." he was cut off when she enwrapped him in her free arm. He continued to stand there while she hugged him for some time. When she pulled free, she was smiling.

"I can't believe it. How did you get back here?" she asked, bouncing the baby who had begun to cry.

"I don't know." Was all he said.

There was a silence as Lulu worked to get the baby to go back to sleep. During this, the door was pulled back again, this time revealing a well-built, dark man with flaming red hair. He walked to Lulu and smiled. "Hey, want me to take him?" he offered, referring to the baby. Lulu cleared her throat and threw her head in the direction of Auron in Tidus' body. Wakka looked up, his eyes widening quickly.

"No way . . . how . . . when . . . what?!" he stuttered. Auron waved slightly, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. Yet, he had to remember. They all thought he was Tidus. They were closer to him than Auron himself.

"He doesn't know." The gothic-looking woman spoke for him. Wakka's face split into a wide grin and he hugged Tidus' body tightly, lifting him off the floor.

"Wakka! Wakka! Wakka, let me go!!" Auron begged while trying to gasp for breath. When he felt his feet touch ground again, he stumbled backwards and fell on his backside, rubbing where Wakka crushed his ribs.

"Hey brudda! I can't believe you're here! You're back! You won't believe how much you missed here!"

"Yeah, I was just going to ask. That isn't you're child, is it?" Auron asked.

Wakka beamed, taking the child into his own arms. "He was born three months ago."

Lulu stood beside Wakka, one arm linked through his while her other hand brushed the baby around the cheeks and face. "We got married last summer, after the Pilgrimage." Lulu faded off, her eyes still glued to her baby. "Yuna was real upset it wasn't her at the alter, you know."

Auron began to worry. He'd have to act fast to get the right characterization of Tidus which would prove to be a difficult task. What did he have to lose? He lowered his head in mock shame. "Yeah. I . . . well . . . you see . . ."

Fortunately, Wakka interrupted him, his giddiness faded to anger. "You promised her, ya? You know how many days she waited at the ocean, whistling, wanting you home again? How could you?"

Wakka's tone of voice struck little fear in Auron's heart only because he knew that, given chance, he could have easily knocked Wakka out. Yet, he was still supposed to play a role, and Tidus would have cowered now. Yet, it was hard to even try to do so. Auron wasn't used to cowering.

"Maybe you'd like to visit her, no?" persuaded Lulu.

"Like I have a choice." Auron muttered under his breath.

Wakka looked up from the baby. "What was that?"

"I can't wait to hear her voice."

He turned and walked away to Yuna's hut and stood in front of it. How weird would it be to show even the tiniest affection to someone he had guarded? What would Braska think?

Knocking on the side of the hut, he waited while listening to the commotion inside. A meek voice called out, "Hold on! I'm coming!" when the cloth was pulled back, a small, brunette teen stood in the doorway. When she saw the man whom she'd fallen in love with standing before her, her eyes welled with tears. Auron remained emotionless, his hands wringing each other nervously.

"Tidus?" she murmured, reaching out and running a single finger down the left side of his face. It sent chills down Auron's spine. He gave no sign of a yes, only standing and staring. Overcome with joy, Yuna jumped into his arms, burying her head in his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his neck. Tentatively, he returned the hug but only to comfort her. Yuna's voice was muffled, yet he understood what she said. "Please don't leave me again. Promise me you won't leave me again."

Wakka and Lulu watched, noticing how cold 'Tidus' was to his former lover. Both gave knowing glares to each other and escaped to the inside of their hut, leaving the couple to their reunion, however weird it may be.

.:*:.

Author's note: Hey! I've decided, with my sister's help, I might add something extra to the end of every chapter! This time, I wrote a short, bonus story titled 'A Life in the Day of an Aeon.' Hope ya enjoy! By the way, don't forget to review! Again, I don't have a Beta-Reader. So your reviews really help! (The bonus story is in no way a part of One Last Breath. It's just a crappy, five-minute story I made up from the top of my head.)

One night, Yojimbo sat under a tree with his puppy not too far off. His hat was off and by his feet, the gil he'd received piled neatly beside it. What a great way to earn money. That stupid summoner paid him five thousand gil to do a rather strong attack, only to find that he had done Daigoro, his weakest attack. She had gotten pretty mad. That was, after all, their traveling money.

Taking a quick glance around, he figured out the time and groaned. Tonight he had a poker game to go to at the house of Valefor. The rest of the aeons would be there soon, he supposed. Calling his puppy, he started to the meeting place, thinking silent thoughts to himself.

          When he arrived, without knocking, he opened the door to see everyone else had arrived and started a round of poker. The all looked up from their hands and smiled at him, some much colder than others. Yojimbo gave a small wave and sat, wordlessly, in an unoccupied chair. Ixion, an ornately decorated unicorn, stood at the table, the deck beside him. When the rest of the aeons started to pass their cards to the dealer for new cards, the phone rang in the next room.

          "Yojimbo, could you get that? We're busy." a beautiful ice woman by the name of Shiva asked politely, never once looking up at him.

          Yojimbo got up and answered the phone. In the background he heard clashing of swords, shouting, screams . . . the works. He almost hung up when a voice shouted on the other line. "Is that you, Yojimbo?"

          Oh great. Yojimbo closed his eyes. "Yes, Yuna. What do you want?"

          "Oh, thank Yevon that's you! Listen, we're in the middle of fighting Braska's Final Aeon and we need your overdrive. Can you come out here?"

          Bahamut, a large dragon-like aeon, leaned his ear in a bit to hear the conversation. When he heard Yuna ask to use their power, he frantically shook his head no. But Yojimbo continued. "We're in the middle of a poker game right now. You can't defeat her yourself?"

          "Please! We need you! We're out of everything!"

          Bahamut took the phone. "Hey! Give us a break why dontcha! I want to relax sometimes!"

          Their summoner's voice turned cold and unforgiving. "Get down here right now before I turn you over to a summoner who's much more abusive and evil! Don't think I won't! NOW!"

          The two aeons stood there, staring at the phone. Somehow they were quite frightened of her. Yojimbo took the phone back and pressed it to his ear. "Fine. When do you need us?" he sighed.

          "Now. In the Zanarkand Ruins. Also, I must warn you. This boss, he's quite dangerous. You might just die in this battle. I'm not promising you'll live through this one."

          Bahamut growled. "I can't believe this. She calls us down there and expects us to give up our life for her . . . such insolence in a child."

          "I'll be down there soon." Yojimbo growled. Before he hung up the phone, he heard her voice once more from the earpiece.

          "By the way! I have only ten gil left! Does that mean you won't do your really good attack? Hello? Yojimbo? You there? Hello?"

          With the phone left on the table, Yojimbo and Bahamut rejoined the game Ixion smiled. "The game is Five Card Draw . . ."

END