Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. But hey! A lot of *normal* people don't...

Character thoughts are in "italics." Watashi wa...mayowanai yo.

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You know what a dream is?

It's something so wonderful, it can't possibly be true.

It's something intangible, through fantastic, fleeting, but memorable.

He was all of these things once.

Isn't it beautiful? To have a dream come true?

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Final Fantasy X: Beginnings

Chapter Five: Our Story

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She dreamed of the night before, the lights, the music, his arms around her waist and the feel of his lips on her own. It was magical; that something like this was dreamlike, but also true. She didn't want to leave this dream world, only to be brought down by reality as she was in the past. A girl can dream of such things, right? "I'm...not lost. I can fly. Believe." She had to convince herself of her own confidence more and more these days. "But from yesterday..." a smile formed on her lips. "...everything has changed."

"Hey sleepy head, time to get up!" An energetic voice filled the room, and rays of morning sunlight poured in through the windows.

"Mmmm..." Yuna turned over in her bed, her body unwilling. "Don't wanna," she mumbled under the covers. She was still half asleep, exhausted from all of the things that had happened the day before.

"Aww, come on now!" He nudged her a bit, and got her to turn back towards him. Her eyes were still closed. "How about..." He walked out of the room quietly and into the living room. "Yo Tidus, get up, ya?!"

Tidus, sleeping on the sofa in borrowed pj's, stirred a bit in his sleep. "What is it Wakka? It's too early..." with that he promptly started sleeping again. "Zzzzz..."

"Hmph!" Wakka grunted, not satisfied with the situation. He took Tidus' shoulders and shook violently. Tidus was jolted from his slumber and immediately sat up, mainly to fend off Wakka's "attack." Wakka was amused, a huge grin on his face. Tidus, on the other hand, was not. "I'm up, ok? Geeeez, what's the big deal?!"

"Haha, here's the thing," Wakka started to explain, "Yuna's got an important meeting in Luca today that she has to get up for, and for some reason, I can never get her to wake up, ya?" Wakka rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's like she's learned to ignore me!"

"What about Lulu, Rikku, or Kimahri?" Tidus was puzzled. If Wakka couldn't do it, and if it really has been two years, someone had to do it...

"Well, I usually get stuck with it cause no matter who does it, it takes a long time! It ain't pretty." He continued, "Lu's usually the one making breakfast, Rikku's not always here, and Kimahri...he usually doesn't talk. We're s'posed to meet up with him today..." He was going to go on, but decided against it. He grinned. "But enough about that, Yuna can tell you all that's goin' on our way to Luca...once you wake her up that is!"

"Ok, Wakka, I gotcha." Tidus tried smiling, though it came out sleepy. "But you didn't have to wake me up that way..."

"Just get goin' brudda, breakfast'll be ready soon!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Tidus raised his hand in the air as he walked away.

Wakka grinned as he watched Tidus walk over to Yuna's room. Lulu was right, doing this matchmaking business is kinda fun.

*******************

Yuna was still in bed, apparently sleeping; the covers pulled tightly across her slender shoulders. She shifted upon Tidus' arrival, a smile forming on her lips.

"I knew you'd come." She opened her eyes slowly.

He waved and smiled sleepily. "Hey Yuna...zzzzz....." Tidus, in his exhausted state, plopped down next to Yuna and promptly... fell asleep.

"Tidus?" She shook him, once, twice.

"Zzzzzz...heehee." He latched onto Yuna's waist as he slept.

She hugged him back. "I almost forgot just how cute he can be," she thought, a smile forming on her lips. Still lying down, her two-toned eyes gazed at his sleeping face as she stroked his hair.

After a few minutes Tidus opened his eyes slowly as he became aware of the attention he was getting from Yuna. He smiled at Yuna lovingly, and his arms pulled her closer. "Hiya."

"Hey..." She placed her hand on his cheek and smiled back at him.

They stayed like that for a while until...

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU TWO ARE DOING?!" Wakka came storming into the room, the time for Yuna's appointment approaching fast.

Yuna and Tidus scrambled in the bed, trying their best to look innocent. This didn't work however, as their arms and legs became even more entangled in the sheets and with each other.

"Wakka...I can explain!" Tidus put his hands up in defense.

"I'm up! See?" Yuna tried her best to calm Wakka down.

Wakka was not amused. The commotion was also heard by Lulu, who just happened to pass by that part of the house at the time. She peeked over her husband's shoulder. "Isn't it a bit early for that, you two?" Lulu joked sarcastically.

Tidus and Yuna blushed profusely, Wakka crossed his arms, and Lulu grinned. An uncomfortable silence followed.

"BATHROOM'S FREE!!!!" Rikku's voice suddenly boomed throughout the hut.

Tidus spoke up. Things were getting a bit weird. "This would be a good time to get up, wouldn't it?"

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After the morning commotion, everyone boarded the S.S. Likki headed to Kilika. They would catch the S.S. Winno to Luca afterwards. Yuna made trips to Luca like this often, but somehow, this time was a little different. Leaning on the railing in her summoner's garb, she looked behind her to see Tidus practicing his infamous Jecht Shot while the Aurochs oohed and ahhed. "That's right. I remember...." she thought of the first time she rode this ship as a summoner, and smiled. It was the first time she had asked Tidus about his Zanarkand.

Yuna turned her face back to the ocean, closed her eyes, and let the wind blow through her hair. "Maybe one of these days I'll have him teach me the Jecht Shot!" She giggled. She could never look as cool as Tidus did, but she might as well try.

"Hey there, whatcha smilin' about?" Tidus had come to lean up on the rail next to her.

"Blitzball, what else?" Yuna imitated one of Tidus' hand gestures, pumping her left fist into the air. She grinned extra big, to the point that it was silly.

Tidus laughed. "That's pretty good! Wait..." He pointed to himself. "...was that supposed to me?"

"...Yup." She smiled. She couldn't lie to him. Yuna rested her elbows on the railing. "I think it's cute though, why else would I make fun of it?" She turned to face him. " Seriously though, I was wondering..." she hesitated a bit.

"Yeah?"

"Think you could you help me with blitzball?" A blush crept up on her cheeks as to what that could imply. It would be just the two of them in the warm ocean, splashing water at each other, and training to hold her breath with his arms wrapped around her would be like...

"Sure thing!" His answer snapped Yuna out of her straying thoughts. He executed yet another one of his distinctive hand gestures as he said this, but stopped himself before it got too far.

Yuna hid her smirk in her sleeve, and Tidus looked incredulously at Yuna, then his hand, then back to Yuna.

"It's gotta be automatic or something, I swear!"

Soon afterwards, they both couldn't stop laughing for a few good minutes, drawing the attention of people around them.

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After a brief stopover in Kilika, the group boarded the S.S. Winno, making good time for Yuna's appointment. As they were boarding, Rikku pulled Yuna aside.

"So Yunie, how's it going with lover boy? Heehee." Rikku already knew what her cousin's reaction would be.

"L-l-l-lover boy?!" Yuna became instantly embarrassed.

Rikku laughed."...but it's good to see you happy again, you know?" She had seen the two laughing on the trip before. "And be sure to tell him what's going on so he doesn't look like a complete doofus in front of all Spira, k?" She winked. "Wakka told me to remind you."

Yuna nodded. "Okay." she got behind Rikku and pushed her from behind. "We have to get on the boat first you know!" Rikku gave her a weird look as the both boarded the ship.

"That's right, he doesn't know anything, does he?" The thought had slipped her mind. She thought back to the last time she had to fill him in about the goings on in Spira; back when everyone thought it was Sin's toxin clouding his memory. She never believed it though. Yuna turned to gaze at Tidus across the ship's deck. To her surprise, he was already looking her way. His eyes widened as he made eye contact with her. He had been spacing out, apparently. Yuna smiled and walked over to where he was, her footsteps on the wood signaling her approach.

Tidus said nothing as he got up from his sitting position on the deck floor, walked toward Yuna and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He pulled away slowly, leaving Yuna there with her eyes closed. She slowly opened them, a look of confusion on her face. Tidus grinned at her reaction.

"Tidus?"

"Impulse. Sorry!" He put his hands up in mock defense.

Yuna giggled. "No need to apologize...I-I kinda liked it." She turned her face away, feeling a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks. She smiled. Only he could ever make her feel this way.

"So...um. I was wondering just what you were doing in Luca today... I'm feeling kinda lost. Hehe." He rubbed the back of his head. "From the looks of it, you're really famous now, huh?"

She leaned up against the railing and gazed over the water. "If you haven't heard already, I've been appointed Grand Maestress of Spira. It's a lot of work, but I want to feel the peoples' hope, dreams, and strength. We've come so far...since then." She looked up at Tidus. "It makes me happy, you know?" She continued. "Today I'm going to be giving a speech about the rebuilding of Zanarkand, actually... "

"Zanarkand?" The name alone caught his attention.

"It's strange you know? I thought that today was going to be so difficult because..." she hesitated.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry..."

Yuna shook her head. "...I'm just glad you're here." She smiled at him warmly, and he smiled back. "We're supposed to meet Kimahri in front of the big blitzball stadium; he went a little early to make sure things were going right with the preparations and everything."

Tidus laughed a bit. "I wonder how the big guy is doing?" He nudged Yuna on the shoulder. "Does he help you with blitzball too?"

Yuna laughed a bit too. "You know how much he hates getting into the water! During my practice with Wakka and the team, he usually just watches from the beach..." she said, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Yuna. We're here." Lulu had come from behind them.

"Really?" She looked over the bow to see Luca inching closer. "I didn't even notice!"

"Yeah, me neither!" Tidus looked in the same direction Yuna did.

Lulu allowed a slight smile to come to her lips. In the past, it had been different. Yuna would be leaning on the rail, just like she was now, but with a sad expression on her face; a sense of longing evident in her features. Yuna would be the first to catch sight of Luca, tell everyone about it, and walk slowly off the boat, practicing her fake smile for the people.

"It's a blessing that he's come back to us, isn't it?"

************

The boat docked, and everyone got off, only to be greeted by crowds and crowds of people. Even after all of this time, Yuna still hadn't gotten used to it. The whole experience still frazzled her.

"Lady Yuna! This way please." A man dressed in Crusader's armor had made his way through the crowd.

"Yes. Thank you." She followed him, with Tidus in tow.

"Oh, and Sir Tidus? It is an honor to finally meet you." He bowed deeply. "I am Yeivel, of the Young Person's Alliance of New Yevon."

"New Yevon?" Tidus was puzzled.

"I'll tell you about it later! We're going to be late!" Yuna grabbed his hand and followed Yeivel through the crowds. Wakka had come up behind them, with Lulu and Rikku close behind.

Tidus became short of breath by the time they had made it to the blitzball stadium. They had met up with Kimahri there, and he was stoic, as usual. He turned to Lulu for an explanation; Yuna looked too busy getting her speech ready, Rikku was watching over Yuna and helping her calm down, Wakka was currently keeping the reporters away, and Kimahri...just stood there. "Does this happen every time Yuna has to come here?!"

"Yes." Lulu started to explain, "It seems that ever since Sin was defeated, everyone seems to have put her up on a pedestal of sorts. She keeps saying that everyone, especially you, helped to defeat Sin; but since she was the summoner...well. You know the rest."

"Lulu? What about this Yeivel guy? What's his deal with Yuna? And what the heck is New Yevon?"

Lulu looked past Tidus and saw Yuna step up to the balcony. She extended her hand out to quiet him. "Hold your questions until later." She looked his direction and smiled to comfort him. "All will be answered in due time, don't worry. For now, just listen to her. She needs your support, ok?"

"Gotcha." He whispered.

Yuna opened her mouth to speak, and looked upon the crowds gathered in the stadium. "Zanarkand. A city dead for more than a thousand years. Many of you have come to me for my opinion on what to do about the city now that Sin is gone. If the people could work together to rebuild all of Spira, they can work together to rebuild Zanarkand to the way it once was. It will be for us, a new world; a bright and vibrant machina city where we can all thrive. We no longer need a reminder of the power of Sin's destruction...and sadness. Here is what I propose..."

Tidus was mesmerized by Yuna and her innate skill at this sort of thing. "Zanarkand, huh? That'll be interesting." He smiled to himself. "I guess it's Yuna who's going to show me my Zanarkand, not the other way around!" He looked up toward the crowds, awed by the sheer number of people that had come out to hear Yuna speak. A flash of metal caught his eye, the light making him squint his eyes. "What the---?" As the flash before his eyes subsided, he could make out someone...a guado.

He was holding a machina gun, and it was currently pointed at Yuna. Tidus' eyes widened at this realization. He saw a shift in the guado's weight, and knew that it was his time to move.

Yuna was oblivious to all that was going on as she continued her speech. "Zanarkand's location near the ocean carries many advantages, blitzball being one of them..."

Tidus started to run towards her, the events starting to unfold in slow motion. He saw the sniper pull the trigger. Once. twice. The gun made no sound as it was fired; it must have been fitted with a silencer. "No! Please...let me get there in time!" He leapt from where he was, taking Yuna down with him. He felt something tear through his torso as he fell, though he still attempted to shield Yuna from the impact with his arms wrapped tightly around her.

"T-Tidus?! What's going on?"

"Yu...Yuna...you're in danger..." Tidus' voice came out weakly.

"Tidus? I don't understand!" She was distressed by his odd behavior. She tried to get up from under him, only to be pinned down by his weight. Her hand brushed against his torso and came back wet. She gazed upon her hand in horror. "Blood?"

"Yuna." Tidus was getting weaker by the moment, as the blood began to pool around him, staining his yellow jacket and Yuna's long sleeves a deep crimson.

Yuna's body began to shake with sobs. "Why Tidus, why? I could've cast a shield, I could've deflected it, I could've...! You didn't have to! I..."

"Shhh." Tidus put a finger to her lips. "Just tell me you'll remember this one thing from now on."

Yuna's vision was becoming blurry from her tears. "Anything."

"This is our story now. We live it... together."

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Author's Notes:

Whooooa! Has it been a whole *month* since I last updated? I'm sorry I'm sorry, a thousand times I'm sorry! (If you've seen Fruits Basket, imagine Ookami or Ri-chan-san. ^_^) My excuse? A combination of writer's block and midterms. Now that those tests are over, whoo! Time to write, right? The problem isn't the idea, it's all in the execution. *nudgenudge* Isn't that right Shad? hehe. (Check out her fics Dreams Come True and Remembrance! *plugplug!*)

The creative process for this chapter? A Noelle fueled on Flaming Hot Cheetos ;-). As you could probably tell, the action is picking up in this fic, (or at least I'm trying to make it do so...) so hold on, I'll try not to leave you guys on this cliffhanger for too long. I'll continue to make up for my busy ( or...lazy) self by continuing to get these long chapters out for all you wonderful people!

Some references in this chapter:

- The beginning quote is yet another translation from the Japanese version of FFX. It's from Yuna in the Calm Lands. "I'm not lost..."

- Yeivel really is part of the Young Person's Alliance of New Yevon! If you've seen the translation of Another Story, you'll see it's true. He was actually trying to get Yuna to join his group, annoying Wakka in the process.

- The fact that Yuna wanted to feel the people's strength? Check out the translation to her song, "Feel."

Thank you so much for your continued support through reviews, emails, and AIM! Drop me a line! I love talking with my reviewers. All of you guys are awesome, and heck. Every time someone comments on my work, I get inspired even more! So keep your comments coming in, and be constructive! :-)

Long author's notes, huh? You're not the only one Fire Rules! ;-)