DISCLAIMER:  I do not own FFX, FFX-2 or any of the characters and locations affiliated with it.  I do, however, own the story "Silver Wings" and all references to dialogue not originated by Square-Enix.

Author's Notes:  This chapter will set up a Gippal/Rikku/Baralai love triangle as well as start the conflict of the story. 

SPOILER:  There are FFX and FFX-2 spoilers in this chapter including the dialog to the perfect ending of FFX-2. 

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SILVER WINGS 2: 1000 CONFESSIONS

by akksgurl

Chapter Three: The Big Bang

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"Why not?" Tidus asked as he followed Yuna back into the Celsius after the game.  Yuna's abrupt 'No' to Gippal's idea upset the blitzer.  Rebuilding his home was the closest he could come to having it back.  Yuna just didn't seem to understand that, but he was determined to make her understand.

Yuna sighed and threw her hands in the air, "Because I just don't want to!" she cried.  Her eyes connected with the group that had followed them onto the ship.  She groaned.  She couldn't even have an argument with Tidus without everyone watching.  Connecting with Tidus' eyes, she asked, "Can we talk about this alone?"

"Yeah," Tidus agreed, "Let's go into the crew quarters."

Yuna smiled at her friends, "We'll be back out later." She said as she followed her boyfriend back into the crew quarters and dismissed Barkeep who locked the door behind him.  Yuna sat down on the edge of her bed and stared at Tidus who was leaning against the rail that hung over the item shop below, "I don't want to rebuild because it would be sacrilege to the summoners who died defeating Sin."

"How do you figure that?" Tidus asked as he sat down on the bed opposite Yuna and looked deeply into her eyes.  He just didn't understand her anymore.  Before he left, he understood everything about her and what she stood for.  Now, she was so completely different that he wasn't sure if she was even the same girl he'd fallen in love with.

Yuna sighed and stood up.  Placing her hands on her hips, Yuna paced back and forth between the two beds, "I just don't think it's appropriate.  We should leave it the way it is as a reminder."

"A reminder of what?!" Tidus asked, practically shrieking, "A reminder of how the Yevon faith made idiots out of practically all of Spira with their lies?"

Yuna stopped her pacing and stared at him, "Do you really think I'm an idiot?" she asked in all sincerity.  He didn't answer right away and Yuna narrowed her eyes at him, "End of discussion." She hissed.

"No, not 'end of discussion'.  This is crazy!  Doing your job doesn't mean sacrificing yourself for people who aren't even going to remember your name!"

"So now you think I'm crazy?"

"No, but I think that going to war is stupid.  Especially when you don't have to."

"Oh!  So I'm stupid and crazy now!"

A chill went up Tidus' spine and he spun around.  He was certain he was hearing voices now.  Maybe he was going insane.  He felt Yuna's hand on his shoulder and he looked into her eyes with panic, "I know I heard something.  I know it!"

"I didn't hear anything, Tidus." She replied.

Tidus sighed and sat back down on the bed with Yuna joining him, "Well, forget about that," he said, "Let's go back to our discussion about Zanarkand."

"Tidus!" Yuna cried as she fell back onto the bed defeated, "I don't think we should."

Tidus lay down next to her and stroked her stomach gently.  She turned her head to look at him as he whispered, "I promised you once that I'd take you to my Zanarkand.  You know I can't do that literally, but by rebuilding it I can fulfill that promise to the best of my abilities."

"Tidus…"

"Let me finish," he said as he placed a loving finger over her lips, "I want this, Yuna.  I want my home back.  Think about it.  We can rebuild Zanarkand and my house with it.  Then when we get married, we can live there."

Yuna's eyes lit up, "When…."

Tidus smiled at her, "When…" The former summoner was on her feet faster then Tidus could imagine and she motioned for him to stand.  Following her orders like an obedient guardian, Tidus asked jokingly, "What can I do for you m'lady summoner?"

Yuna was suddenly filled with the courage to do this.  It was thanks to Tidus saying 'when' they would get married.  She didn't have to wonder whether he wanted her or loved her anymore.  She pointed to him and said, "Take your clothes off."

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"Well, this could take a while," Gippal said as he reached into the closet and onto the upper shelf to grab the box he was seeking.  It was the board game 'Spirapoly' and he thought it would be a good way to pass the time.  He sat the box down onto the card table the group had set up and said, "So, who's in?"

Rikku sat down across from him and looked sour, "Why do you think it's going to take a while?" she asked in all innocence, "All he's got to do is change her mind about rebuilding.  What's so hard about that?"

Gippal let a smirk escape as he looked at the group and then back at Rikku, "Well, I'm sure something is going to be…hard."

"I'll play." Baralai said as he snickered and sat down next to Rikku.  Paine joined in, taking a seat next to Gippal.  Buddy and Wakka shared one edge of the table with Lulu – holding Vidina - and Brother at the opposing end.  The Aurochs had decided to take in the view from the top of the Celsius.  Nooj and LeBlanc had decided to take a boat back to the former Youth League Headquarters.

Rikku wrinkled her nose in confusion as she looked at Gippal, "What's going to be hard about it?"

Wakka let out a snort as he waved his hand in the air, "Never you mind, ya."

Rikku's blonde braids hung in her eyes and she pushed them out of the way, annoyed, as she looked into Baralai's brown orbs, "Am I missing something?" she asked.

Baralai grinned at her.  Rikku was beautiful and her innocence was charming.  After being a priest for so long, the sudden realization that he's not anymore was a shock to his system and he couldn't help but let his eyes wander down toward Rikku's bustline for just a moment before reconnecting with her eyes, "It's not important, Rikku." He replied as he tried to calm his pounding heart due to her nearness, "Gippal is just being uncouth."

Gippal laughed and threw Baralai's starting money at him, "Speak for yourself!"

"You're always uncouth, Gippal!" Rikku sneered as she took the starting money he handed her.  Grabbing the dice from the table she said, "I'm going first so you can't cheat!"

Gippal feigned an injured look, "I never cheat!" he hissed as he grabbed the dice from her hand, rolled, and moved his pawn to the first Blitzball Stadium which he promptly bought.

"Cheater!!" Rikku squealed as she leaned over the table and put her face inches from his own.

As Rikku went to lower herself back onto her seat, Gippal impulsively grabbed the cloth on her arms and pulled her toward him, attacking her lips with his own for a mere fraction of eternity before letting her go.  The shocked look on Rikku's face was enough to relax the shock that was coursing through his system at his action and he placed a smug smirk on his lips, "Your turn."

"You always manage to buy all the Blitzball Stadiums and then you wipe the floor with me!"

Gippal laughed, "Well, right now I only have one."

She looked at Baralai and frowned, "Only my dad can beat him at this.  It's no fun playing with a cheater."

Gippal held his hand out, "You owe me $25 gil." He grinned, "Pay up."

Rikku glared at him and handed over the fake paper gil.  She pushed a strand of blonde out of her eyes and hissed, "You're going to land on Zanarkand or Gagazet soon and then you'll be crying!"

"Nobody ever lands on Zanarkand or Gagazet." Gippal replied, "That's why I never buy them."

Her short pink tongue protruded from her mouth before she said, "You just suck, you know that?!"  She crossed her arms over her chest and was content to sit and pout like that for quite sometime until a cry came from the crew quarters.  Jumping up, Rikku yelped, "That sounded like Yunie.  I hope she didn't hurt herself."  The Al Bhed made a move to head back toward the quarters when Baralai jumped up and grabbed her from behind.  Rikku had to stop the sudden giddiness she felt when his muscular arm wrapped itself around her waist.  Baralai wasn't the type of guy she was normally attracted to, but there was definitely something about the former priest that intrigued her.  However, this wasn't the time to ponder such things.  Yuna might have hurt herself.  Rikku struggled from Baralai's grip as she said, "Yunie might have hurt herself.  I want to go and check on her."

"Trust me," Baralai insisted, "she's fine!"

Rikku ceased her struggles and twisted until she faced Baralai.  Their bodies were pressed tightly against each other and Gippal's face soured until he saw that Baralai was releasing his grip on her.  Rikku asked, "How do you know that?"

"Just trust him, ya." Wakka insisted, "She's fine."

Lulu nodded as she stood with the baby, "That wasn't a cry of pain, Rikku," she clarified.  Lulu looked at Wakka and said, "I'm going to put Vidina down for his nap."

"Okay, Lu."

Rikku wrinkled her nose again and looked at Gippal who had formed a smirk, "What is so damned funny all the time?!" she shrieked.

"You." He replied simply.

"And what's so funny about me?"

Gippal smiled at the beauty in front of him.  He'd known Rikku since they were both children.  Having mothers who were best friends meant that the children would be forced to hang out whether they liked it or not.  Gippal and Rikku had enjoyed each others' company until just before he'd went to the Crimson Squad tryouts.  It was a strange moment between them when everything changed and neither was sure whether it was for the better or not.  Considering how things turned out, it was obviously NOT for the better.  Making out with ones best female friend for 45 minutes under a bridge wasn't the most romantic thing in the world.  Gippal had to learn that one the hard way. 

Releasing himself from his reverie, Gippal replied, "Your innocence is very charming."

"Bah!" Rikku said with a wave of her hand.  It was as if she was trying to forget him and she was, in a sense.  When he had kissed her, it brought back memories and feelings from the last time he had kissed her.  Gippal had a hold on her and probably always will, but it was definitely something Rikku was going to fight.  She wouldn't let that cocky Al Bhed know she had feelings for him.  She sighed, "Well, I need to check on Yunie.  I'm worried about her."

"Rikku!" Baralai cried again as he grabbed her arm and pulled her gently back toward him, "Just leave them alone."

"Why?!" she asked, "What are they doing in there that's so damn important anyway?"  Baralai leaned in and whispered the answer to her question into her ear and Rikku gasped, "No way!  Yunie would have told me if she and Tidus were…close…"

"I hate to break it to you," Gippal replied smugly, "but I think there are certain things that Yuna won't discuss with you."

"Cridib oui yccruma!" she screamed at him.  She really hated it when Gippal got smug and acted like he knew everything. 

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"You know, this is a heck of a lot more comfortable then Macalania." Tidus said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Yuna. 

Yuna laughed and tried to fight the blush she knew was forming on her features.  After their kiss at the forest, the duo had gone back to camp for the night - or, at least that had been the plan.  Instead they hadn't been able to sleep and, by using hand signals to not wake anyone else, had ventured back to the sight of their first kiss.  His lips were as seductive then as they were now and Yuna had let all sense of propriety fly.  It didn't matter that she was a summoner and he was a guardian and that things like that just weren't done on a pilgrimage.  It didn't matter that she was technically married, although her husband was the walking dead.  None of it mattered.  All that mattered was that she loved him, and he loved her. 

Lulu and Sir Auron had figured it out through the body language the two had been sending out after their lovemaking and confronted Yuna about it while stopped at the travel agency in the Calm Lands.  After getting a lecture from both of them, they had not promised not to render Tidus incapable of ever doing it again. 

"The only person who doesn't realize what really happened that night is Rikku," Yuna said.

Tidus said with his goofy half-grin, "Does she still think you're a virgin?"

"Yeah," Yuna replied, "and she'll be really upset when she finds out that I'm not.  She was horrified when it came up that Paine wasn't."

Tidus made a face, "I can't imagine anybody doing…that with Paine."

"Oh, you're so mean!" Yuna teased, as she squirmed in the bed to turn and face him. 

Tidus laughed with her for a moment before his eyes took on a more serious look, "Are you still against rebuilding Zanarkand?" he asked.

Yuna sighed.  There was a part of her that desperately wanted to give Tidus this wish that he wanted so terribly, but the rest of her had a horrible feeling about what rebuilding might bring.  She looked into his blue eyes and said, "What if Zanarkand ends up just as it was 1000 years ago.  What if Sin reappears?"

"We'll just beat it again," Tidus replied, "Besides, we defeated Yu Yevon.  It won't come back."

"But how can you be so sure?"

Tidus rubbed his nose affectionately against hers and replied, "I love you.  That's how I can be sure."

Tidus always knew how to say the right things to make her feel better.  He's the reason she didn't completely lose her mind during her pilgrimage when everything she had ever known turned out to be a lie.  She loved Tidus and wanted him to be happy.  Smiling at him, she said, "Okay, then.  Let's rebuild it."

"Really?" Tidus asked, with a barely concealed glee forming on his features.

"Really." Yuna said with a firm nod, "Let's tell everyone that we head out tomorrow."

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The sun was setting on Zanarkand the following evening when the Celsius landed on the outskirts of the ruined city.  A skeleton crew consisting of Gippal, Baralai, Rikku, Paine, Tidus, and Yuna had decided to travel to Zanarkand and survey the land to decide where to start and how many men would be required.  The six walked carefully over rocks and boulders down the path that led to the main street of Zanarkand. 

"I just thought of something," Gippal said.

Rikku replied, "Gee, I thought I smelled smoke."

"Vmendehk femm kad oui hu frana." Gippal sneered, yanking softly on Rikku's braids before he said to the group, "Why don't we split up and then all meet back at the blitzball stadium in about 30 minutes.  That way we can see most of the city without spending all day at it."

Yuna nodded, "I like that idea."

"Me too," Tidus agreed as he wrapped an arm around Yuna, "We'll start over by the ocean."

Rikku grabbed Paine's arm and shouted, "We'll start in the park near the stadium."

"Guess that leaves me and Baralai to work the housing area." Gippal said, "Let's get to it.  We'll all meet at the stadium in about 30 minutes."

Yuna waved goodbye to her fellow Gullwings and then allowed herself to be pulled by Tidus toward a hill that overlooked the ocean.  It was a breathtaking sight with the sun setting slowly over the ruins of Zanarkand.  Yuna looked in awe of the beauty around her and felt another flicker of doubt forming.  Would rebuilding this place ruin the beauty or enhance it?

"Being here makes me think about the pilgrimage…" Tidus whispered, "but mostly about the end of it."

Yuna nodded solemnly as she turned so that they were back to back.  She thought about the end of her pilgrimage a lot too.  She dreamed about it every night, even after he came back.  She hated this fear of him disappearing.  She didn't even know if he was real.

As if sensing her thoughts, Tidus looked out toward the ocean again and said, "I got a theory. I think the fayth gathered up my thoughts and put 'em together to bring me back. Maybe. Something like that."  Yuna turned to him and watched with concern in his eyes.  Tidus focused down on his hands and waited a moment as if expecting pyreflies to fly from them the way they had two years ago, "Or maybe…I'm still a dream." He finally whispered.

Yuna gasped and her alarm was evident on her lovely face.  She didn't want to face the thought of losing him again.  She couldn't live without him.  She wouldn't live without him, "Wait!  So you'll disappear?"

Tidus paused and looked at his hands again before turning to look at Yuna, "Cherish me, Yuna.  And I'll cherish you.  All right?" he smiled at her, "We gotta stay together.  That's what we have to do."  His eyes filled with hope at that thought before turning to look back out onto the breathtaking sunset. 

Yuna ran to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind, gently running her fingers along his muscular chest, "Is that what the fayth told you?"

Tidus shook his head, "Nah," he said with a laugh, "but I like it."

Yuna laughed heartily as she slowly pulled her arms back toward her.  Suddenly an idea came to her and she shoved him hard from behind and watched from above as he fell into the water below.  The handsome blitzer surfaced with a laugh as he wiped water from his eyes and shouted, "That's not cherishing!"

Yuna shrugged and said with a laugh, "You didn't disappear."

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Thirty minutes later, Paine, Rikku, Baralai, and Gippal waited for Yuna and Tidus.  Some waited more patiently then others. 

"Where are they?!" Rikku whined as she plopped down on the ground between Baralai and Paine, "What's taking them so long."

Gippal sneered at her from across the cement walkway, "They're probably having sex."

Slamming her hands over her ears, Rikku shouted, "I'm not hearing that!  I'm not hearing that!  I'm not hearing that!"

"E's zugehk.  Namyq!" Gippal said with a heavy sigh.  Rikku was definitely beautiful, but she was also incredibly annoying.  The whole Yuna thing bothered him most.  Rikku placed her cousin on some sort of a pedestal and the ex-summoner couldn't even do a normal human thing without Rikku freaking out.  Rikku was almost as bad as Brother when it came to Yuna.

"Sorry we're late." Yuna cried. She and Tidus were running down the street and Gippal noted that both were dripping wet.

"What were you two doing?" he asked.

Tidus pointed to Yuna, "It was all her fault," he declared, "She shoved me into the water and then slipped in herself!"

"Whatever." Gippal replied as he pointed to the stadium, "That is what's important."

Tidus' eyes caressed what remained of the blitzball stadium.  He hadn't seen it since Yuna's pilgrimage but it hadn't changed.  It still stood partly with huge holes in the roof and crumbled stone all over the place.  He remembered playing in that stadium when Sin attacked and destroyed it and Zanarkand. 

Did Sin really do it….?

That sudden thought confused Tidus.  Of course Sin had destroyed the stadium.  Everyone knew that.  Sin destroyed Zanarkand and that included the stadium.

Right….?

"So, care to describe what it used to look like?" Gippal asked, "Baralai will record what you said so that we can give the builders a better gauge."

Tidus shook off the strange thought and nodded, "Not a problem." He said as Baralai clicked the record button on the sphere he held.  Tidus moved his hand as if painting a picture as he spoke, "There was a huge glass ceiling that let the sunlight in.  Along the rafters were lights if there was a night game." He pointed to a sharp object jutting out of the ruined roof, "That was an antenna and it reached all the way up to the sky…" His eyes went back down to the stadium and he gasped.  It wasn't in ruins.  It was perfect down to the very last detail.  The sun seemed higher then it should have been at dusk and for a moment he thought he was alone.  None of the group was near him as he looked around frantically. 

What was going on?

He looked to his right and saw Yuna.  He reached for her but when she looked at him he gasped.  It wasn't Yuna.  It was that girl that he'd seen before.  The one that smelled like lavender.

"I love you.  That's why I'm like this, you know."

It was that strange voice again.  He kept hearing that man's voice in his head and he didn't know why.  He stared at the girl who smelled like lavender.  She looked like Yuna, and yet she looked completely different.  No matter what, though, he had the sense that he'd seen her before. 

"I know that, Shuyin.  I lo…" Before Tidus could ask her why she was calling him Shuyin or even who she was, an object in the sky caught his attention.  It was a bomb.  Tidus made to scream out but it felt as though his voice was caught in his throat and he was helpless.  He could do nothing but watch as the bomb hit with full force and knocked himself and the girl off of their feet.  He could feel the smoke in his lungs and the heat of the flames. 

He stared at the blitzball stadium again.  It was back to normal.  It was the rubble it had been during Yuna's pilgrimage.  His friends were kneeling beside him with looks of concern on their faces.  Yuna leaned close to him, "Are you okay, honey?"

Tidus stared at her and breathed deeply the smell of vanilla.  He smiled weakly at her and then he passed out.

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"You must stop!  That's enough!"

His blue eyes fixed on her as he spun to the sound of her voice, "What are you doing here?" he hissed as he angrily jumped down from the collapses and approached her, "I told you to stay at home!"

"This is crazy!" she cried, "Let's just…."

Footsteps echoed behind her and his gasp caused her to spin around.  A barrage of Bevelle soldiers with machina guns were approaching them.  He felt panic take over and he grabbed her arm and began pulling her toward a side exit.  The soldiers followed suit.

He and she ran and ran, turning this way and that in a futile attempt to lose the soldiers in their own base.  Before they knew it, the couple was back where they started.  They were standing in front of Vegnagun's eye – a piercing blood red eye that almost foretold certain doom.

The soldiers cocked their rifles and aimed them at the young couple.  She looked at him with an unfortellable look in her eyes before she gave him a weak smile.  All he could think about what how he'd failed her.  He'd failed her…

The sound of the guns firing seemed to come from far away.  Her fingers tightened around his arms and he increased his grip on her but it was all for naught.  The bullets pierced their skin, the force broke them apart…

Tidus woke up screaming and clutching his chest.  His heart was beating fast and he was afraid he'd never catch his breath.  Yuna was by his side in a second, wrapping her arms tightly around him like a blanket, "Are you okay?  What happened to you?"  The blitzer looked around.  He didn't know where he was, but somehow it seemed very familiar.  Yuna noticed his confusion and said, "It started to rain so we took shelter in this house.  Sin didn't completely destroy it and it's pretty much intact.  Most of A-East is in relatively good shape considering."

"Oh." Tidus whispered as he continued to look around the tiny living room he was in.  There was something about this place that seemed so familiar to him.  It was almost like he'd been there before…

"He's awake!" Rikku squealed with delight as she, Baralai, Paine, and Gippal came from down the hallway.  The perky blonde bounced toward him, "Welcome back, sleepy head." She teased, rubbing his head affectionately.  Rikku's eyes brightened as she looked at Yuna, "You'll never guess what we found!"

"What?" Yuna asked.

Paine tilted her head, "The bathroom has porcelain fixtures."

"Oooo!!  I wanted to say it!" Rikku whined.  Although announcing that was taken from her, it didn't ruin Rikku's perk and spunk as she grabbed Yuna's hand and dragged her down the hall to look at the fixtures. 

He was alone again and Tidus slowly stood up and took a long look around the room.  It was dusty and dirty.  There was dirt inches thick on the floor and he was filthy from lying on a dirty sofa.  However, something about this place was incredibly familiar.

"This place looks much better than when Yuna lived here.  Less pink…" Tidus suddenly whispered to himself.  He froze.  Where had that come from?  What was going on with him lately?  Was he going insane? 

Tidus knew that Yuna would ask him again what happened when he passed out, but he was too afraid to tell her the truth.  He didn't know why he was seeing some gorgeous brunette and she was calling him Shuyin.  He didn't know why he was imagining a bomb being dropped on the blitzball stadium, and he didn't know why he dreamt he was being shot at by Bevelle soldiers.  He didn't want to worry Yuna unnecessarily.  It had to be a side effect of being brought back by the fayth.

Right….?

Right. 

Suddenly feeling the need to be near Yuna, Tidus followed the voices down the hall to the bathroom with the porcelain fixtures.  He was greeted by the excited squeals of Rikku.  Tidus hadn't realized how exciting porcelain was until he entered the bathroom and saw the entire group taking pictures of a 1000 year old toilet.  It was a truly strange sight.

Sighing, he turned from the bathroom and looked into the bedroom.  He had a clear view thanks to the moonlight that echoed through the window.  Thinking he saw movement, Tidus took a step closer and then immediately wished he hadn't. 

It was the girl that smelled like lavender and had called him Shuyin.  She was sitting on the bed with only a sheet covering her bare form.  She seemed to look at him and yet through him at the same time. 

"I thought you had left." She whispered.

Tidus took another tentative step toward her and he heard a response in his head.

"Why would I leave?"

"Yunalesca told me that you tend to do that.  She called it 'love 'em and leave 'em'." The girl replied. 

With Tidus' next step, she vanished.  The bed was untouched and it looked as though she'd never been there.  Tidus felt a flash of terror go through him.  Was he seeing ghosts or just losing his mind?  He spun on his heels to tell Yuna what he'd just seen but his foot caught on a rug that was hidden under the dirt.  Losing his balance, Tidus' head hit against the doorframe with a sickening crack and the world went dark.

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AL BHED TRANSLATION

Cridib oui yccruma!: Shutup you asshole!

Vmendehk femm kad oui hu frana: Flirting will get you no where.

E's zugehk.  Namyq!:  I'm joking.  Relax!