DISCLAIMER: I do not own FFX, FFX-2, FFVIII or any of the characters and locations affiliated with it. I do, however, own the story "Silver Wings", "Silver Wings 2: 1000 Confessions" and all references to dialogue not originated by Square-Enix.

DO NOT COPY MY STORIES!!

If anyone wants to post my stories anywhere else, please just ASK and then give me credit for writing it. Email with any requests.

PLEASE NOTE: "PaineOfBevelleSairysSkyeWind" is a fic stealer!! Watch out for her. She is also known as "Paine" and "Paine of Spira". She has also taken to stealing my name "akksgurl" so for future reference, I am the one and only "akksgurl" and I have never posted on any other site besides this one, so if you see my stories floating around out there and they are not directly linked back here then they have been stolen and I'd appreciate if you'd report them to the webmaster for removal. Thanks a lot in advance! I am also sure I am not the only one she is stealing from so be sure to keep an eye out for my fics as well as others on other sites.

Author's Notes: Okay, here's what I'm calling the "Happy Ending". To answer a few questions, my next fic is an AU in which Yuna is sent back to Zanarkand and not the other way around and, no, I'm not planning on doing a Silver Wings 4 at this point. I think I've driven this idea into the ground. I don't even know what I'd do with a Silver Wings 4, but I won't write it totally out just yet. You never know what may come around the corner. Anyway, thanks to my reviewers. I hope you like the endings and my new story!

SILVER WINGS 3: Back Into My Arms

by akksgurl

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Moment You've All Been Waiting For (Ending One)

Though she understood why he was doing it, watching her Noojie kissing the woman who was determined to kill them all filled LeBlanc with blinding white rage. She strained against the ropes that held her bound to the cement slab and, to her surprise, they loosened a bit. Ruefully, she realized that Seymour must never have been very good at taking hostages. He probably preferred killing them instantly instead of having witnesses.

She turned to Squall and whispered so low it was almost silent, "I think I can get loose."

Squall nodded his understanding and kept one eye trained on Nooj and Ultimecia while his other watched LeBlanc. The blonde struggled silently against her the ropes, the twine burning into her wrists and ankles. She tensed against the pain and continued her maneuvering. With a stifled yelp, her left hand was wrenched from the ropes.

"What are you doing?!" Ultimecia's shriek echoed in the room. Nooj saw instantly what LeBlanc had managed to do, but grabbed at Ultimecia's wrist to gain her attention before she could see.

"Why are you pulling away?" he asked sweetly, pulling her closer to him by the waist, "I've missed you."

Ultimecia smiled at him, giving LeBlanc enough time to slide her wrist back into the loose rope before the probing brown eyes were back upon her. The woman wearing Rinoa's skin eyed her suspiciously before turning back to Nooj, "I'm sorry, my love. I'm just a little suspicious of her. She does think she's your girlfriend after all, and jealousy can cause a woman to do stupid things."

Though it killed Nooj to say so, he spoke, "She's a fool. I've never loved her."

He saw LeBlanc's eyes moisten over Ultimecia's shoulder, but she nodded her understanding of why he said it. He pulled the brunette closer to him, holding her close against his chest. Over Ultimecia's shoulder, he mouthed, "I love you." to LeBlanc.

"I know." She mouthed back, removing her wrist from the rope again and proceeding to untie her right hand.

Nooj pressed his forehead against Ultimecia's to ensure he had her full attention, "So what's the plan, darling?" he asked, hoping he was giving LeBlanc enough time to free herself and Squall. He didn't dare glance up to see how they were doing. He didn't want to tip Ultimecia off.

"All we need to do is sacrifice the stupid girl and then you will have your body back." She grinned up at him, "Although…I do like this body too."

With her feet freed, LeBlanc silently slid off the cement block and released Squall who crept just as quietly behind her. Their weapons had been taken, so they had to do this by hand. Going against a powerful sorceress with just their bare hands wasn't something they relished, but they figured that they must do what they must do.

"So…" Ultimecia was saying, "How stupid do you really think that I am?"

Nooj froze as did LeBlanc and Squall. Ultimecia freed herself from Nooj's grip and turned to stare icicles into the two formerly tied individuals behind her, "Did you actually think that I didn't realize what you three were planning?"

"Don't pull me into this, sweet." Nooj started in an attempt to salvage some of their escape attempt.

Ultimecia turned and snapped, "Don't even start with me. I'll get even with you later." She threatened, slapping him hard across the face, "But that'll just have to suffice for now."

"YOU BITCH!!!" shrieked LeBlanc. The thin blonde lunged at the shorter brunette, knocking her to the floor and rolling her underneath. LeBlanc punched her hard in the face before she felt herself being lifted by unseen hands. Ultimecia's hand was extended ahead of her and Nooj realized she was some sort of spell to lift LeBlanc in the air. He went to lunge for Ultimecia himself but realized that he was still chained by the feet to the wall.

Squall took a step toward her and Ultimecia glared at him, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, pretty boy." She hissed, lifting LeBlanc's whimpering form higher, "I'll drop her if you do."

"So what?" asked Squall, hoping a bluff that he didn't care would make Ultimecia look for another way."

She saw right through it and flipped her wrist, causing LeBlanc to spin so that her feet were above her head, "Do you still not care?" she asked, lifting LeBlanc another five feet from the ground.

LeBlanc sputtered, unsure whether she was furious at the way she was being treated, or mortified that her lacy pink panties were now in view. She struggled to hold her purple robe in place but then decided that it would be better to be mortified now and still alive than dead. She needed her hands to cushion her fall if Ultimecia decided to drop her.

The cock of a gun echoed in the silent room. All eyes turned to the door to find the dream crew, Lulu, and Wakka standing at the door. Irvine's gun was trained on Rinoa's form, "I'd put her down if I were you."

"I'd definitely listen to him" came Yuna's voice as she, Tidus, Rikku, Gippal, and the trio of Al Bhed bound through the door. She grinned at Ultimecia, "I've heard that he's crazy…"

LeBlanc hissed angrily, "Um…hostage still floating in mid-air!"

Attention was brought back to Ultimecia and LeBlanc. Irvine's trained eye was still focused on the woman in Rinoa's body, "Put her down, nice and gentle-like and you won't get hurt."

"Why not just shoot me?" questioned Ultimecia, her lip curling into a sneer, "Oh, why that's because if you did, I'd drop the prissy little bitch on her head and the dream bitch I took this body from would die as well." She smiled triumphantly and lifted LeBlanc ever higher, "I'm the one in control, Irvine." She stated simply. Imitating his slow drawl, she said, "So why don't you put the gun down, nice and gentle-like?"

Irvine did so, holstering the weapon and glancing askance at his friends as if to ask, "What now?"

"I told you not to trust them…" came Seymour's voice from the entryway. He marched right passed the group of do-gooders and toward Ultimecia, "Didn't I?"

"Are you here to rub it in, or help me?"

Seymour shrugged, "I suppose I'm here to help you." He replied, turning to gaze at Yuna, "I saw my lovely bride heading this way, so now I figure I can do both things at once."

"First things first." Ultimecia hissed, using her powers to maneuver LeBlanc over the slab she formerly inhabited. She let the girl drop onto it, temporarily shaking the girl up so that she couldn't move, "Tie her up." Ultimecia ordered.

Irvine made a move for his gun, but the sorceress was quicker, using her powers to yank the gun from his hands and throw it across the room. It cracked into several pieces against the wall just above Nooj's head. The broken pieces bathed him in a shower of metal. Ultimecia flicked her wrist and Yuna found herself dangling above the group she had just momentarily been ensconced in.

Tidus jumped to grab her ankle but missed, "Yuna!" he shouted, trying again and again to get to her.

Ultimecia laughed, "Don't be pathetic. Do you actually think you pulling on her ankle would bring her back down?" she winked up at Yuna, "Just a little insurance, dearie. No hard feelings?"

Yuna spat down, the liquid landing on Ultimecia's nose and trailing down her cheek. The sorceress glared up at her, "Fine." The snapped, spinning Yuna several times in the air, "You want to play rough, you little bitch? Then we'll play rough!"

Seymour's hand on her shoulder stopped Ultimecia's next move, "Leave my wife alone. I'd like to take care of her, if I may."

Seymour nodded and grabbed Yuna's arm as Ultimecia lowered her. He pulled Yuna hard against his chest and hissed in her ear, "Soon, darling, you'll know the price for betraying me…"

Ultimecia retrieved the huge sword and walked toward LeBlanc menacingly. She glared up at Nooj and then back at LeBlanc before hissing in the blonde's ear, "Don't worry about this traumatizing him. He won't remember you in a minute."


Ultimecia's chants started low and grew louder and louder. Nooj felt strange but not nearly as strange as Squall must have felt. The man had collapsed to his knees, wheezing as if he couldn't breath. Nooj bent down, hoping to unclasp his legs, but found that the chains were firmly in place. There wasn't anything he could do.

Seymour held Yuna firmly, a small blade nudged at her hip. That fact didn't escape the blitzer who was watching fiercely – so fiercely that Nooj realized Tidus was once again inhabiting his body.

There had to be something he could do…

There was…

Nooj let out a pained scream and clutched his chest, letting himself collapse into a heap on the floor. Ultimecia stopped her chanting and dropped the sword, rushing toward him and rolling him over, "Oh no!" she shrieked, "Not now!"

"He's faking it!" Seymour shouted, pushing the sword a little harder against Yuna's hip. The girl moaned in pain.

Ultimecia ignored Seymour and quickly released Nooj's feet. With his feet unshackled, Nooj just waited for the perfect moment. He stayed completely still as Ultimecia lay her head against his chest. He felt her breath a sigh of relief when she heard it pounding steadily. Her body moved higher until he could feel her breath against his cheek. He knew she was close enough to grab now, and that's what he did. Lunging with a massive power, Nooj gripped the sorceress' neck in a vice-grip and forced her to her feet.

He looked at Squall, "What do you want me to do?"

Squall inhaled sharply. This wasn't the woman he loved, but there was a chance he could still get her back. Yet, at what cost? Would his Rinoa become an evil sorceress down the road or was this just a chance encounter never to be repeated?

Rinoa had made him swear once that if she needed to be killed, it would be done only by him. The least he could do was obey her wishes. He walked toward her.

Seymour felt like his world was shattering as he saw Squall stepping toward the sorceress. It would only be a matter of time until he killed the sorceress and all of Seymour's plans would go up in smoke. Taking a breath of courage, he hissed, "Not so fast there." He pushed the blade a little harder into Yuna's hip. A trickle of blood escaped just past the hip but Yuna's mind was made up. She squirmed slightly to gain access to her holster in which she had wedged the small book.

Seymour didn't notice her maneuvering. His focus was on the man standing mere inches from Ultimecia. The man who was reaching for the sword the sorceress had dropped to use in lieu of his own. Seymour glared at him, "Don't even think about it."

Yuna reached the book and moved as quickly as she could manage. Stopping her left boot down hard on Seymour's foot, she was released just enough to elbow him in the face and run back into the safe embrace of Tidus' arms.

Seymour's nose was gushing blood and he shouted obscene words at her, moving lightening fast to grab the weapon from Squall's hand. He stalked toward Yuna, his intent clear in his eyes, but she just smiled calmly and pulled the book from its hiding place. He stopped, mouth gaping, as she opened to the page she and Tidus had found earlier.

"Discedo antiqua tempastas." She said, grinning at Seymour before turning her duel colored eyes at Ultimecia.

Seymour turned to follow her gaze and saw terror in Ultimecia's eyes. He gaped at Yuna, "What are you doing?"

She smiled again, "It's an incantation I found. It sends dead sorceresses back where they came from."

Seymour didn't know what to do. He had to think quickly. He hadn't used his own powers in quite some time. He just hoped they still worked. His eyes connected with Tidus' as he repeated the incantation Ultimecia had taught him, "Excitate vos e somno, liberi mei. Excitate vos e somno, liberi mei . Cunae non sunt. Excitate vos e somno, liberi fatali. Somnus est non. Surgite. Inventite hortum veritatis."

"Don't listen to him." Yuna commanded as she tried to find her place in the book again.

Tidus glared back at Seymour but didn't rise to the bait. Seymour was getting frustrated. It should be working by now. Maybe he just wasn't powerful enough. Yet he couldn't give up. If he gave up, he was as good as dead and so was Ultimecia.

"Ardente veritate. Urite mala mundi. Ardente veritate. Incendite tenebras mundi. Valete, liberi. Diebus fatalibus."

"Ignore him!" commanded Yuna again as she finally located her place in the book, "Vocatum spes, beneficium…"

Tidus put a hand over the book, blocking her view of the words, "Stop."

"What?!"

Wakka groaned angrily, "Gimme the stupid book. I'll do it!"

Seeing his goal getting closer, Seymour stretched his arms wide and completed the chant with relish, "Fithos lusec wecos vinosec. Fithos lusec wecos vinosec. Fithos lusec wecos vinosec."

Something flashed in Tidus' eyes as Wakka reached for the book. He quickly grabbed the blade of his sword and swung up, slamming the handle down upon Wakka's outstretched fingers. The book slipped from Yuna's hands and the group gaped at him.

"What are you doing?" Yuna demanded.

"Come here, boy." Came Seymour's voice from where he stood, his arm outstretched toward the blitzer, "Join us and we'll make sure your suffering wasn't in vain."

Yuna's panic rose to new heights as Tidus nodded and walked to Seymour. She took a step toward him, "Tidus!"

He stared at her without a readable expression. Seymour grinned at her from over his shoulder, "My, my, my how the tables have turned." He said with a smirk, "Even with your gaggle of do-gooders, there's nothing that can stop us. You won't risk killing either him, LeBlanc, or the body Ultimecia is possessing." He placed a hand on Tidus' shoulder and pulled him backward, using him effectively as a human shield. Tidus had no emotion. He was almost robotic in his movements.

Yuna wanted to cry. What had Seymour done to him? It certainly wasn't Shuyin that he had conjured. The shadow even had more personality. Then she saw it…

A wink…

Tidus had winked at her!

She had to stifle a cry of glee and maintain her fearful face as she waited to see what Tidus would do. Seymour stopped when he was within reaching distance of Squall. He relieved the young man of the sword he was holding and pointed it at Nooj's face, "Let her go."

Nooj glanced around uncomfortably, unable to make a decision about whether to listen or not, but when Seymour placed the point of the blade mere centimeters from his right eye, the decision was made. He released Ultimecia slowly and she drew away from him, fire in her eyes as she kneed him in the groin. Nooj doubled over in pain but she just glared down at him, "After this, I don't know if I even want you back. Maybe I should just let you die. Of course, I'd have to let you watch your precious blonde bimbo die first…painfully…bloodily…agonizingly…"

"There's time for that." Seymour said, motioning toward Tidus, "I'd like my revenge first if you don't mind."

Ultimecia smiled, "Not at all. After that impressive display with the chant, I'm willing to let you have your way."

To Yuna's surprise, he handed the blade to Tidus. She had feared he'd lunge it through his chest. Tidus held onto it, still maintaining his robotic stance. Seymour bent to hiss in his ear, but instead spoke in normal tones. He pointed directly at Yuna, "Kill her."

"NO!" Rikku shrieked, running up to cover her cousin, "Tidus don't!"

"Rikku!" Gippal cried, trying to reach her, but Cid's hand was there.

"You stay away from them." He hissed, "I don't want you dying now. I want to watch you rot in jail."

Gippal glared at him, "Is that all you can think about right now?"

"Yes. It's all I've thought about for two years."

"Well keep thinking about it." Gippal retorted, pulling away from Cid and joining Rikku in their blockade of Yuna.

Ultimecia laughed and took a stand next to Seymour. Without breaking a sweat, she used her powers to push Rikku and Gippal aside and pull Yuna forward, mere feet from Tidus, "There you go." She said sweetly.

"Do it…" Seymour commanded.

Tidus' eyes flashed – with excitement or sadness Yuna couldn't be sure – and he lifted the blade. For a brief moment she thought she'd imagined the wink. She was certain she'd lost him forever. Certain that he'd plunge that dark blade into her chest and end her life. But just as quickly as he'd lifted the blade, he twisted it in the air and plunged it backward under his arm and into Seymour's chest with a furious crack. Ultimecia let out a shocked cry and was quickly gathered in Squall's arms and held firm. Tidus smiled down at Seymour as the blue-haired devil gasped his last breaths, "The bleeding nose told me you were very much alive. So…tell me…does it hurt?" he sneered down at him and as Seymour took his last breath, Tidus blew him a condescending kiss, "See ya later, asshole!"

Yuna wasted no time retrieving the book from the ground. She paged quickly until she found the chant she needed. She was unsure whether she could continue where she'd left off or not, so she started from the beginning.

"Discedo antique tempastas. Vocatum spes, beneficium, et probitas servatum."

Ultimecia's body began to jerk violently in Squall's arms. He struggled to hold on, but in a flash of bright, white light he was forced to let go. She was wheezing on the ground when the lighting returned to normal and Squall eyed her suspiciously, "Rinoa…?"

Brown eyes gazed up at him adoringly, "Thanks, Squall. How many times are you going to have to save me anyway?"

"No more if you stop being stupid." Came Seifer's nasty reply as he stalked over to them, "I mean, how many times are you going to do something dumb and almost get yourself killed? Hmmm…?"

Squall glared at him, "This is really none of your concern."

"The hell it is!" cried the blonde, "Not only does she almost destroy our home, but she almost gets all these other people killed too!"

"It wasn't her fault!"

Seifer grunted, "Oh, and my being under the sorceresses' control was?!"

Squall frowned and shrugged, "No…maybe not."

Tidus slipped into the middle of the argument and smiled, "Guys, there's no need to fight. We just saved the world. It's time to celebrate!"

A derisive snort came in reply to Tidus' proclamation. He turned to see Cid slipping handcuffs onto Gippal's outstretched hands, "Speak for yourself." The Al Bhed leader was saying as he snapped the cuffs in place, "I'm gonna have a ton of paperwork to do after this."

"What are you doing?!" Yuna cried as she rushed over to Cid. She violently pushed his hands away from Gippal and pulled the taller man toward her and Rikku, "What's the matter with you?! Can't you just get over this?"

Cid glared at her and yanked Gippal back toward him, "He's under arrest for the destruction of Home."

Yuna rolled her eyes and pulled Gippal toward her again, "No he's not! He didn't do anything!"

"Yes he did!" shouted Cid, yanking Gippal backward.

Yuna yanked him forward, "No he didn't!"

"He confessed!" Cid shrieked, pulling Gippal with all his strength and forcing the blonde off of his feet to land on his bottom at Cid's.

Yuna gaped down at Gippal, "Did you?"

He nodded softly, "Yes, but I didn't mean for it to happen. They followed me."

Cid scoffed, "Sure they did…" he replied in a condescending manner. He motioned toward his guards and each took their places at Gippal's elbows, lifting him easily off of the ground and to his feet. He nodded at the dream crew, Tidus, Wakka, and Lulu who were watching the exchange in silence. Then he turned and nodded at Yuna, "I've got a job to do. High Summoner or no High Summoner, you're not stopping me from seeing a criminal get what's coming to him."

As he turned to leave, he saw a small trail of tears leaving his daughter's eyes and he stopped, "Rikku…" he whispered hoarsely, reaching to touch her only to have her back away before he could make contact. He stiffened his spine, "One of these days you'll understand. I can't make special exceptions…no matter how you or I may feel about it." And with that, Cid turned and led this men and Gippal out of the room.

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The cell Gippal found himself in was the same one he'd been in after being accused of killing Baralai. He found it ironic that both times he'd been accused of crimes he didn't commit, he'd find himself in the same cell. What were the odds of that?

Then again, what were the odds of being arrested twice for two different crimes of which you were innocent?

Pretty good, obviously…

Gippal's mind traveled to that horrible day two years ago. Arriving at Home had mixed feelings for him then. He was relieved to be back where he belonged, and yet was filled with this mixed sense of duty. If he fulfilled the order he was given, he'd kill the only girl he'd ever love. If he went against it, than what had he suffered for all those months in Crimson Squad basic training?

He'd ended up defying the order. He had to. It just wasn't in him to heinously kill for no reason other than to satisfy an order. He'd left the morning of the attack after hearing that Sir Auron and the other guardians had been spotted on Bikinel. And after he'd told Sir Auron of Seymour's order…

He sighed and stretched out on the hard cot. He didn't want to think about it anymore. If he was meant to live out the rest of his life in here, so be it. At least Rikku knew how he felt…and at least she felt the same way about him. That was something to live for.

A distant squeaking was Gippal's only warning that he had a visitor on their way. He sat up quickly and ran a hand through his tangled hair. He figured it wouldn't take long for Rikku to come and visit him. Even though he couldn't look his best, he could at least look presentable when he saw her.

Yet it wasn't Rikku that appeared in front of his cell…

"Cid..." it was a statement, not a question. Cid stepped closer to the cell and frowned at Gippal. Gippal didn't know what to say. It made no sense to him that Cid would be there, unless he was there to gloat. That was probably it. Gippal sneered at him, "Gloating isn't very becoming, you know."

"I'm not here to gloat." Cid's voice was raspy and hoarse as though he'd come down with a bad case of laryngitis.

"Then what are you here for?"

"Rikku came to see me." Cid admitted, pulling a nearby chair toward the cell door and sitting down to face Gippal. He rested his head on his hand, "She made me listen to her and what you say happened that day."

"Yeah…and…?"

"I'm willing to admit that I may have acted a bit…hasty."

"Really?" was Gippal's disbelieving reply. Cid never admitted when he'd done something wrong. What was he planning?

Cid nodded, "Yes, really." He sighed and leaned back on the chair, "Look, when I found out you'd been lying about being a full Al Bhed, I started wondering what other things you may have been lying about and, I'll admit, I got a little blind. Blind to the fact that you've been nothing but a loyal Al Bhed for as long as I've known you. Blind to the fact that you love my daughter and she loves you. Blind…to a lot of things."

"Yes, you have been blind."

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." Cid said with a heavy sigh as he rose from his chair, "I'm sorry, and I've decided after a lot of soul searching – and some threats from my determined daughter – not to press charges."

Gippal's eyes widened in disbelief as Cid raised the keys to the latch and opened the door to the cell. He motioned with his hand, "Go on. Get out of here."

"You mean it…?"

Cid nodded and smiled as Gippal walked out of the cell. He shut the door quietly behind him and spoke again, "This is the second time that I've arrested you when you haven't done anything wrong. This is the third time I've arrested an innocent person. Quite frankly, I'm tired of looking like a moron." He grinned and slapped Gippal good-heartedly on the shoulder, "I don't approve of you lying. I don't approve of you breaking out of jail the first time. I certainly don't approve of your even considering doing what Seymour had asked of you. But if Rikku trusts you…" he shrugged, "…then I guess I'll trust you too. What do I have to lose?"

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One Year Later

It had been a long time since Yuna had felt safe and contented enough to relax and let her guard down. Yet that was exactly what she was doing at that moment. Tidus' arms were wrapped tightly around her and her head lay gently on his shoulder. This was how it was meant to be.

The year had been an uneventful one and for Yuna that meant everything. After Cid let Gippal out of jail, he and Rikku had set about finishing the rebuilding of Zanarkand while working on their relationship. It was odd at times. The two fought constantly, but in the end they always made up. Gippal didn't want the last words he spoke to her at night to be in anger. Deep inside he still felt guilty for having the last words he'd spoken to Baralai in the mortal world be that.

LeBlanc and Nooj had gone back to Guadosalam, but had soon discovered that they couldn't live there anymore knowing what had happened. They were currently living in their townhome in Luca. Nooj was still working with the former members of the Youth League and New Yevon and formed a joint coalition that was currently running Spira through free elections.

The fayth had kept his word to Seifer and had given the dream crew the option of staying in Spira. It took some soul searching. Their first instinct was to go home to a familiar world, but in the end they had decided to stay. Squall told Tidus one night a few weeks ago that his decision was made when he saw how happy Tidus was in Spira. Maybe, Squall had thought, just maybe he could be happy there too.

Wakka and the Aurochs were currently working on teaching them the basics of blitzball…

Tidus kissed her cheek and shook her from her thoughts. She turned her head and smiled up at him. His hand trailed a path slowly from her shoulder to her forearm and wrist until finally it slid over the small diamond and matching band that adorned her left hand. She ran her thumb over his matching jewelry and smiled, "I still can't believe we actually did it…" she muttered.

"It's about damn time." He admitted with a grin, "I'm just glad they weren't too mad at us for running to Luca."

"Rikku was beside herself. Gippal had to console her. Wakka and Lulu were upset they missed it. But I promised I'd let them throw us a huge party once we're all moved into the house."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Yuna sighed and leaned back upon him again. She still couldn't believe how lucky she was. Her 1000 year wait was over. Everything had come full circle and for the first time in her life she felt complete. She didn't feel as though she was missing something. She wasn't waiting for the other shoe to drop. She wasn't scared anymore of what may be around the next corner.

All that mattered was her…and Tidus…and the life they were building together. The shattered life they had in Zanarkand 1000 years ago was just a memory, but it was a memory worth keeping. Neither wanted to part with it completely. So, when Gippal and Rikku had presented a newly restored home to them as a wedding present they had accepted wholeheartedly. Shuyin's house sat quietly beside the docks of Zanarkand. It held the ghosts of a past long gone and yet they weren't bad ghosts. They were memories of a life that had promise, but was snuffed before its time and yet was given another chance. Tidus had said it perfectly when he had told Yuna that this was their chance to make right the mistakes of the past.

That's exactly what they were going to do…

Later…

Right now, Yuna just wanted to enjoy being in Tidus' arms and watching the beautiful sunrise that graced her with its presence on the first morning in their new home.

"The city lights go out one by one…" whispered Tidus, "The stars fade…then the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire." He kissed her ear gently, "It's kinda rose-colored, right? First in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter, till everything glows. It's really pretty…" he winked at her, "I knew you'd like it…"

Yuna smiled and turned her head to whisper in Tidus' ear, "I told you that I wanted to see it one day."

"Yes you did…" he replied with a smile. Tidus ran his arms under hers and pulled her closer to him, cuddling her around the waist. He nuzzled her neck gently, "I want to stay like this until the stars fade and the world collapses around us. I want to stay like this until my last breath." He kissed her softly, "I want to stay like this until time stops…until the end."

Yuna shook her head, "Not till the end…" she whispered, twisting her head to gaze into his blue eyes, "Not till the end…always."

Tidus grinned at her and kissed her softly. He pulled away and ran a hand slowly through her silky brown locks as he gazed lovingly into her eyes, "Always then…" he replied with a wink as he kissed her again.

THE END

LATIN TRANSLATION

Discedo antiqua tempastas. Vocatum spes, beneficium, et probitas servatum: Go away ancient tempest. We call hope, kindness, and honesty to save us.