Okay, people… this is it. The long-awaited epilogue of my story. I hope you all liked this story as much as you say you do, and I also hope you enjoy my ending. I am still playing with the idea of making a sequel but I do want to know who says "yes" to that idea and who thinks that a sequel wouldn't be as good. Just let me know in a review.

Note to "Past Obsession": Yes, I read "Speak" as well. I really loved that book, but at the time I was writing that scene, I hadn't really remembered that part of it until you brought it up. Maybe my subconscious did it! I just thought it was a fitting scene.

Disclaimer: For goodness sake, people, can't you take a hint by now?

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Epilogue

It was July. It had been almost three weeks since the final incident with Seymour, and Yuna was confident that she would never see him again. He had been tried and sentenced to thirty years, in a prison in Guadosalam. Tidus had gotten a total of thirteen stitches in the four cuts on his arms from breaking that window with his fist, so most of his forearm was wrapped up in a gauze bandage for the last few weeks.

Cicadas chirped lazily in the sunset as Yuna relaxed in her back yard, absently petting her dog. Lulu had been at her house earlier, and had left a late graduation gift before she had to leave to meet Wakka. She smiled to herself. Lulu had actually stayed with Wakka, which half surprised her and half didn't. In any case, she was glad that things had worked out the way that they did with them—and that Wakka had finally put aside his religious prejudice to get the girl he'd had his eye on for ages.

She stretched her arms out in front of her, and looked at the bracelet that Kimahri had given her, from her parents. A simple silver chain with two charms hanging from it: a hawk and a dove. There had also been a letter with the bracelet that he had given her, written by her mother, dated about two moths before the day of the car accident that had killed both of her parents. It was obviously written with the idea that they were not going to be around to see their daughter grow up, but it said that they were proud of her no matter what path she took. There was a photograph as well, a picture of her and both parents. She remembered that picture being taken, when she had just turned six.

Kimahri had gone back to Gagazet about a week ago, and things had settled down considerably. Her long-time guardian surprised her the day of her graduation by giving her gifts from both himself and several of the tribe members who had known her since she was very young. She had not known that so many people cared for her the way they did.

Next to her on the deck was a copy of that days' newspaper. The article she had intended to write for the school paper never actually got published in the school paper. Instead, the Journalism teacher had contacted the editors office of the Besaid paper, asking if an editor could come and look at this article. Long story short, it was published in the Besaid paper, and thousands of people read it and, hopefully, understood the hardships that people like her lived through, because of something that they had absolutely no control over.

She lowered herself backwards and stared at the sky, hands behind her head. Since she was leaving for college in a month or so, Cid, Brother, and Rikku were staying at the house here in Besaid. Rikku had grown accustomed to the school and general life on the island and she discovered that she liked it much more than the war-torn and secluded Bikanel. And she didn't want to go back to being schooled at the Al Bhed Home again. Yuna had been accepted to an art school in the Moonflow, and the entire campus was actually built on bridges over the water. She was looking forward to going.

At the thought of leaving for college, she drooped a little bit. She was happy to be out on her own, but she was afraid of just that—being on her own. Rikku was still in high school, so she wouldn't have her obnoxiously loud cousin by her side. Lulu was staying in Besaid and looking into Spiran History, since it was a subject that fascinated her lifelong friend. Wakka, too, was staying in Besaid, as he had gotten a Blitzball scholarship at the University. Tidus… despite the fact that he was also going to a different college than she was, he would be the closest to her. He was going back to Zanarkand, and although they wanted him for his Blitzball skills, he had told her that he wanted to pursue something else in life, but he was absolutely clueless as to what.

Yuna sighed. This would be the first time in quite some time that she would be so far away from her friends. It frightened her, but she knew she'd get used to it—eventually. The world was full of possibilities.

"Hello, Sleeping Beauty," she heard Tidus say. She opened one eye and saw him standing over her, smiling.

She sat up and moved over, making room for him next to her on the stairs. "Hello. Did Rikku let you in?"

"Actually, Brother did. He didn't say anything so someone must've warned him, but if looks could kill, I'd be a big grease spot on your front porch." He sat down next to her with his left arm in his lap. The bandages were still around it.

"I wish you would have let me have a look at those cuts. I could have healed them quickly and then you wouldn't have needed the stitches," she said, feeling somewhat guilty at being the cause of his injuries.

"Yuna, we've been over this. They took me in and stitched me up before you even came to. Besides, the scars will make me look dashing," he winked at her. Then he noticed the look on her face. "Nuh-uh, you gotta stop thinking this is your fault. It isn't! None of it is. It just… happened. Okay? Stop blaming yourself. I don't even know how you can blame yourself for this. All fingers point to Mister Facial Varicose Veins."

The nickname for Seymour Guado made her snicker. "I don't know… I still feel like I could have done something…"

"Hey, cut that out! That's all in the past now. What's remembering it now going to do, huh? You've got a lot ahead of you, and now that the burden is gone, you shouldn't think about it anymore. You're got your life ahead of you, you know? There's so much you can do with yourself, now that you don't have to hold so much back." He looked down at her, and she was staring ahead into the grass, hardly even blinking.

"You're right," she breathed, still staring at the grass. "It won't do me any good to keep thinking about it, but I think it'll do me good to remember it. To remember how lucky I am to have gotten this second chance."

"Yep. Now come on, enough tearjerking. Lets have a smile." He nudged her but she just shook her head. "Come on, Yuna, just a little one?" He nudged her again. "For me?"

Yuna giggled softly and looked up at him, smiling shyly and biting on her lower lip gently.

"There's my smile." He turned to face her completely and put his good arm around her and nuzzled her cheek gently. He kissed her cheek gently and moved to her lips, and he felt her hesitantly put her arms around him. She broke away and sighed sadly, looking down.

"Once school starts up, I'll be on the Moonflow, and you'll be in Zanarkand," she said abruptly. "We won't get to see each other much."

"We won't be that far apart. We can still see each other. And we have phones and stuff. It'll be fine, Yuna. I promise." Despite his words, he, too, dreaded being so far from Yuna, but it was necessary.

"I'm holding you to that promise, you know," she said threateningly, but with an impish look in her eyes.

They sat in a comfortable silence while the sun finished setting and the stars came out one by one. The evening chill made them sit close together.

"Hey, look, a shooting star," Tidus pointed towards a streak of light across the night sky.

"Well, don't just sit there. Make a wish," she told him.

For a moment he was silent as he made his wish. "Okay, done. Lets see if it worked!"

Yuna looked down at her wrist, and made a face. "That's funny…"

"What?"

"My watch just stopped."

Tidus smiled and looked at the sky, whispering, "Thank you."

Wow. There it is, people, the Epilogue of MTEMTH, my baby for the last nine months. That's awesome. I hope you all like it despite it's shortness. I will shortly have up a final "thank you" and little tidbit chapter. Nothing major, but it will have my decision for a sequel so if you want to read a sequel, let me know. My answer will be in the next chapter/note.