DISCLAIMER: I do not own FFX or FFX-2 or any of the characters or places associated with it. I do, however, own the twisted idea for this story.

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.

I have had problems with my fics being stolen. Reviewers of the Silver Wings trilogy know all about the situation. Please keep an eye out for this story or any of my others posted on any other sites. I only post here and I only use the name "akksgurl". If you think my story has been stolen, please contact me so that I can look into the situation. Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

Author's Notes: Wow! Such fantastic reviews already. I'm so glad everybody seems into this story so far. I think it'll definitely live up the high expectations you guys have, if I do say so myself. So far I had one reviewer notice that I used "Irvine's Tavern" in both the first chapter of this story as well as in Silver Wings. You'll probably notice little things like that over the course of the story. It in no way indicates that Twisted Destiny and Silver Wings are connected. I just thought it'd be fun to throw little things like that in here and there.

Also, Vic is in a way Wakka, but he's not the reincarnation or anything. I just figured that there should be people similar to Yuna's guardians so don't be surprised if some others show up along the way…;)

And I'm also kind of surprised that a few people are asking what the pairings are. I figured it'd be obvious that it'd be a Tidus/Yuna, but in case anybody is still out there wondering…it's a Tidus/Yuna. The title for this chapter comes from the song of the same name and there is also a name for one of the characters that I got from the musical "Fiddler On The Roof".

TWISTED DESTINY
by akksgurl
Chapter Two: Holding Out For A Hero


The ache in her head had become a full-blown migraine by the time Yuna made her way back to the Besaid Airship station. Her head felt like it was going to explode. She felt sick to her stomach. Her knees felt like they were going to cave in from under her. When the small bench to the right, nestled softly in the shade of an overgrown tree caught her sight, Yuna silently praised Yevon before remembering that she was supposed to be angry with the god at the moment.

Yuna let herself sink onto the wooden seat with relish. She hadn't realized just how exhausted she was until her rump landed on the seat and she let out a relieved sigh. She closed her eyes and let herself picture Besaid as she knew it. Huts lining the main road with the temple at the far end. A dirt path leading toward the wooden bridges overlooking two large waterfalls. The only thing that hadn't changed from her present location was the crystal blue of the ocean. Yet even that didn't feel like home to her. She wanted to go home…

Stretching her legs out languidly, Yuna opened her eyes slowly and examined her surroundings. The airship station was at the top of the hill overlooking the town, in the same location as the shrine had been when she had set out on her pilgrimage. The bench on which she sat was situated to the right of the main terminal where tickets were sold. From her current standpoint, Yuna could see to the horizon leading toward Kilika. That is…if Kilika existed wherever she was.

"Joining a convent, sweetheart?"

Yuna looked up at the sound of the voice and was met with an arrogant smirk on the face of an attractive brunette. The girl looked to be about 3 inches taller than Yuna and was standing with arms akimbo, wearing a skimpy black bikini and the aforementioned arrogant smirk. Yuna wrinkled her nose in confusion, "What?"

The girl laughed heartily and motioned toward Yuna while catching the gaze of the man standing a few feet behind her. When her laughter had died, the girl looked back at Yuna, "Your clothes…do you intend to swim in those layers?"

It was the first time since arriving in this version of Besaid that Yuna realized how silly she must look. Everyone else was walking around in various states of undress while Yuna was covered from head to toe in her summoning dress. She tugged at her skirt nervously, "I'm just…passing through." She replied. It wasn't exactly a lie. She had every intention of getting out of this place as soon as she could. She just wasn't exactly sure where to go yet.

The girl rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, dear."

"My name is Yuna." She snapped, more harshly than she intended. She was tired of the condescending name already. She didn't know this girl and she most certainly wasn't her 'dear'.

A well-manicured eyebrow rose at her. The female pointed to herself, "Diana…" she said in what Yuna assumed was an introduction before pointing to the man still standing quietly behind her, "This is Marcello."

"Nice to meet you." Yuna replied in her most polite voice. The last thing she wanted to do was make enemies. What she really needed were friends. Although Diana and Marcello didn't look like the type of people she'd usually be friends with, they'd just have to do. Even if they didn't want to be her friend, at least they could give her directions.

Diana waved her hand in front of her body in a blasé motion, "Yes, I'm sure it is…"

"Did I do something to upset you?" Yuna asked, taken aback by the woman's obvious malice toward her. She wasn't used to being treated so.

Diana sneered at her and scoffed. Turning to Marcello, she didn't even bother to respond to Yuna. She just waved her hand to the buff man behind her, "Marcello…we're leaving."

Yuna watched as they turned and walked away from her, leaving her just as alone as she had been before they had shown up and making her feel as if she'd just had a severe case of déjà vu.

Yuna had only been in this strange world for a few hours and was already beginning to despise it. First there was her encounter with the psycho blonde stalker. Then there was the nasty people lining the Zanarkand streets and shoving her this way and that. Finally there was that Diana person. The only nice person she'd met was Vic, and she'd turned down his offer for help – a move she was seriously beginning to regret. Maybe she should just swallow her pride and go back down to the town…but what if she couldn't find him. She certainly wasn't going to wander around like the lost little puppy that she was. No…she needed to make it on her own. She needed to figure out just where she was and what was going on. But how?

Yuna rose from her seat and wandered over to the station and into the tiny building. A shot of cold air struck her as she walked in and she looked up, realizing it was coming from a strange grate above her head. There were several such grates in various places along the ceiling and each seemed to be blowing the cold air out. Yuna sighed. Yet another strange thing about this place she was in. Yet something else she didn't understand.

Taking her attention from the grates, Yuna took a moment to examine her surroundings. The building was tiny – no larger than the Crusaders' hut in her Besaid. The restrooms were in the far left. To the far right was a cash register and a tall, tanned man straightening the countertop in front of him. The rest of the building seemed to be a tiny convenience store. Various medicines lined the displays that were arranged haphazardly in the center of the room. On the wall immediately the right of the main entrance was various magazines outlining the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Yuna wandered over and picked up the brightest magazine. It was some sort of concert schedule for various performances throughout Spira. On the cover was an attractive brunette with long hair and a blue dress. She appeared to be in the middle of singing. Yuna gazed at the heading for the article that was written in bold white script across the bodice of the girl's dress.

Lenne Fetmar wows D-West Audience

Yuna sighed and put the magazine back. She didn't care about who wowed who. All she wanted was to go home.

Turning slowly, Yuna's eyes were caught upon exactly what she needed. In the far corner of the room, just out of sight was row after row of maps. She had to stop herself from jumping happily like a schoolgirl. Her greedy hands grabbed the first map she saw in the "Spira" category and opened it slowly. She knew she was currently in Besaid and she was grateful to find that Kilika and Luca were also on the map – although she wasn't certain what condition they would be in. Bevelle was there also, Zanarkand as well and Macalania Forest. Guadosalam still stood proud by the Moonflow. To Yuna's surprise, even Bikinel Desert was on the map. If she understood Al Bhed, she would have headed over there, but since she didn't it would have been a fruitless endeavor.

Her duel colored eyes scanned the map, realizing that she knew exactly where she needed to go. She needed to get back to where this whole thing started. Perhaps if she stood on the Calm Lands again, she'd be transported back home. Large bold letters signifying Mt. Gagazet caught her attention and Yuna drug her eyes slowly across the map until she reached the location of the Calm Lands and frowned.

"Nagi?"

Then she paused, remembering what Maechen – the elderly scholar – had told her about Spira's history on her pilgrimage. The village of Nagi had been situated where the Calm Lands now stood. They had been destroyed in the initial battles between Bevelle and Zanarkand over 1000 years before her time and a few months before Sin's appearance.

If Nagi was still on this map…

Yuna closed the map quietly, forcing herself not to follow that train of thought. There was absolutely no way it was true. It would be impossible. How would it have happened? No. She wasn't going to even deign it with a thought. She was simply going to go to this Nagi and everything would be all right. This was probably some psycho dream.

Probably?

Of course it was a dream! That was the only explanation. All other possibilities just didn't make any sense. The Final Aeon just hadn't killed her. Kimahri couldn't have killed her. He'd probably just knocked her out and right now Rikku was running around in a panic while Lulu and Wakka were trying to rouse her gently from her restless slumber.

Yes…

That's what was going on.

Filled with her new confidence, Yuna turned and walked up to the counter. The tall man smiled at her, white teeth shining brightly against his tanned skin, "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to buy a ticket to Nagi, please."

He nodded and pulled one out of the machine behind him. There were several such ticket machines. One to every place in Spira it seemed to Yuna. He handed her the ticket and extended his hand for the money, "15 gil."

Yuna bent down and retrieved a 20 gil bill from her boot and handed it to the man who quickly changed it for her. She nodded her thanks and exited the building, slapped quickly by the humid air that awaited her just outside. She gazed up at the grate again and gave a rueful smile. Whatever that strange grate was doing, it was certainly more comfortable inside the building than in the stifling heat of the atmosphere outside of it.

As it was the first time, the airship flight was short and bumpy but at least this time Yuna didn't squeal. She sat in stoic silence trying to keep herself from thinking about any pressing issues, instead opting to focus on the fact that her blouse was a little dirty and her skirt a little wrinkled. When the ship landed, Yuna was the last to get off as if that might slow her churning stomach. It didn't, but thankfully she didn't vomit. As her feet hit the ground she gazed around her. The airship station was a few yards from the main entrance to Nagi, but Yuna recognized the place immediately. It was the Calm Lands, except instead of the small rest station in the center, Nagi stood there.

Nagi was a bustling country town with dirt roads and citizens pushing and pulling carts with their own power. It reminded her of her Besaid. Her boots scuffed along the path as she made her way into town. Although it was calm in exterior, the inside was bustling. This town appeared to be the main trading town between Zanarkand and Besaid. She wandered slowly along the main road with no real direction. She wasn't sure where she was heading. She wasn't even sure why she was there. It was becoming increasingly obvious to her that she certainly wasn't home anymore and that there may not be a way to fix that.

A large building boasting Spira's best selection of blitzball supplies caught Yuna's attention. She wondered if she bought Wakka something if she could figure out a way to get it to him. She almost laughed at her stupid thought but stopped short when the door to the building opened. She felt her mouth drop open and sheer panic took over as Yuna made to dive around the corner of the building. She leaned firm against the cement but cast a glance around the corner to see.

It was that man from Zanarkand. He clung to two bags loosely at his sides and Yuna watched as he moved one back to the other hand and reached into his pocket with the now free hand. He looked even more handsome than he had been during that odd encounter and for a moment Yuna forgot what a jerk he had been to her. Yet, even when she remembered she had to fight with herself to not run out from her hiding place and beg for his help. Yuna took a quiet breath and removed her eyes from his handsome face, leaning her head back against the wall, letting her eyes drift shut. It was obviously a mistake to come to Nagi. Nothing was changing and she'd only found herself back within spitting distance of her stalker. She never should have left Besaid. Maybe if she went back, Vic could give her a job and she could get some food and a place to sleep until she figured out just what was going on.

Yes…that sounded like a good idea.

With that new resolve, Yuna allowed herself a small smile as she opened her eyes and proceeded to let out a yelp. The blonde man before her just smirked and pushed a strand of hair from his blue eyes, "Why are you hiding from me?"

"Why are you stalking me?" Yuna retorted.

He lifted his purchases in the air, "I came here to buy some blitz supplies. I didn't come here to stalk you."

"And I suppose you can't buy these supplies in Zanarkand." Hissed Yuna venomously. No matter what he said, she knew he was following her. That was the only explanation for him showing up everywhere she was going.

He smiled at her, "No, I can. Except Zanarkand shops don't have the manufacturer I like to use. I can only get them in Nagi."

Yuna found herself intrigued. He didn't seem nearly as threatening as he had seemed in that alley. In fact, in the bright sunlight he looked to be about her age and he had a surprisingly kind smile. She leaned over a little, peering cautiously into his bags, "Can I see…?" she asked sheepishly.

His eyes twinkled with amusement as he put the bags on the ground and lifted his purchases out one at a time. Yuna studied the supplies. She'd never seen them before. The only thing she recognized was the blitzball that he lifted last. Her confusion must have been obvious because he started to explain what each object did without her asking, "These shoes have a harder sole than your average blitz shoe. I have to wear them – doctor's orders."

"Why?"

"I broke my foot a few years ago when I was going in for a goal. Shattered the entire thing. I couldn't play for a few months and since then my doctor has wanted me to wear these. They'll protect my feet better than the sneakers I used to wear."

Yuna gaped at him, "You must kick very hard if you broke your foot."

"Not really." He said with a smile, "It was during this phase where I didn't want to wear sneakers while playing. I went to kick a ball back so it was already going pretty fast and I slammed my toe into it. It was just a chain reaction." He bit his lip as if the memory were as painful as the actual event, "Hurt like a bitch…I can tell you that."

"I bet." Replied Yuna. Having never broken a bone herself, she couldn't be certain she knew what he was talking about, but it was better to respond with something than nothing.

He lifted another object and said, "These are your average blitz clothes. They don't absorb water as much as other clothes so you don't get weighed down. I like the ones they sell here because they don't absorb water at all. It gives me more ability in the water."

Yuna lifted a brow, "Isn't that cheating?"

He seemed surprised, "No. Everybody uses them. Just not everybody knows Nagi has this kind of clothes." He winked at her, "I just don't mention it to them."

She smiled at him. The first real smile she'd given him since making his acquaintance. She pointed to the blitzball, "And I suppose this ball is filled with a special liquid that makes it float in the water better."

He laughed, "Why would I do that? I'm not the only one that uses the ball." He lowered his purchases back into his bag and then gazed into her eyes, "No. I have this weird hobby. I buy a ball every time I'm in Nagi. It's an odd collection, I guess. I use them all in a rotation so one doesn't wear out before the others when I practice."

Yuna shrugged, "It makes sense, I guess." She admitted, "I really don't know much about blitzball."

His eyes lit up at that revelation. He hoisted the bags off the ground and grinned at Yuna, "I could teach you, if you wanted. I'm pretty good at it." He paused and thought a second and then asked, "You hungry? They got a good diner here. My treat. I can give you the basics of blitz while we eat."

She knew in her head that he was probably quite harmless and that he certainly wouldn't attempt to attack her in the middle of the town diner, but Yuna still found herself in the grips of a panic. She tried to still herself; tried to tell herself that she needed the food and he was offering to pay; that he wanted to hang out with her; that she was in desperate need of a friend at the moment. She wanted to trust him, but her mouth was running before her mind had okayed the motion, "I…uh…I can't…I've got to…uh…be somewhere…um…like…now."

Yuna made to move around him, but didn't get far as his hand grabbed at her own. His hand was surprisingly soft against her skin and she wondered why she hadn't noticed it when he'd grabbed her arm before. His eyes caught hers, "I'm not going to hurt you, you know."

"I…I know." She stammered.

He seemed more annoyed by that admittance than by her turning down his offer. He released her hand and groaned, "What is the matter with you anyway? You're so flighty."

Her eyes flashed with ire at his insult. She let out an angry huff and stormed away from him without bothering to reply. She half expected him to shout after her, but then she realized that she still hadn't introduced herself and she still didn't know his name either.

Oh well.

Yuna didn't know where she was going as she stormed down the dirt road. She didn't even know where the path led. All she knew was that she needed to get away from that man. He brought out the worst in her and she seemed to bring out the worst in him…unless those nasty comments were his best qualities. Yuna shivered at that thought. She certainly hoped that wasn't true. It'd truly be a waste of such a handsome man.

The road, as it turned out, led out of Nagi from both sides and Yuna currently found herself on the south side of Nagi facing Mt. Gagazet. The airship station was back through the town on the other side and she didn't want to run the risk of seeing that man again. She decided she'd just take her chances climbing Mt. Gagazet and getting back into Zanarkand. She could take the airship from there or perhaps even find a place to stay and make herself at home there. If her stalker had bothered to chase her to Nagi, then she might as well make herself comfortable in his hometown. At least he wouldn't have to travel far to follow her.

Nagi was a lot larger than Yuna had originally thought and it only took Yuna about 30 minutes to reach the base of Mt. Gagazet. The temperature dropped almost instantly as was usual. She was glad she was still wearing her summoning garbs – whether that arrogant Diana agreed or not. If she was wearing less, she'd certainly be freezing now.

The snow crunched beneath her feet as Yuna made her way up the slight incline as she had done on her pilgrimage. The first main plateau on the mountain was where Kimahri's clansman had spoken to them. She smiled at the memory. Even though they had treated Kimahri as less than a Ronso because of his broken horn, when he had beaten them in battle they had sung his praises. It was a memory she was certain that Kimahri had been proud of.

The plateau was empty now. Not a single Ronso was visible from where Yuna stood. Were there even Ronso in this world she was in? Did the species even exist? Her questions were answered with heavy footfall behind her; to the side of her; in front of her. Yuna let out a startled yelp as the mountain suddenly became littered with Ronso coming out from every nook and cranny. The tallest one approached her, glowering down into her eyes, "What name?"

"Yuna." She replied with a smile, "What's yours?"

The Ronso seemed slightly surprised by her kindness but just as quickly was back to a stoic and almost nasty demeanor, "Perchik. Perchik is Ronso Elder. Perchik demand to know what Yuna want."

"I'm just passing through. I need to get to Zanarkand."

Perchik's long arms came to cross over his chest in stern defiance. Several Ronso dropped from their perches and formed a strong line barring Yuna from the path over the mountain. Perchik growled at her, "Perchik not see Yuna before. Perchik think Yuna Bevelle spy. Perchik not let spy into Zanarkand."

"A spy?" Yuna whispered, confusion marring her features. Did she look like a spy? And who was this Ronso? Why was he acting like Zanarkand's sole protector? Who was he to say she couldn't go back? Yuna was tired of these nasty people. She glared back at the Ronso, "I am certainly not a spy!" she hissed angrily, fists at her sides, "I am simply trying to get back into Zanarkand."

"Perchik not see Yuna before. Perchik needs Yuna ID."

Her eyes flashed in anger, "ID? Who are you? Some sort of gatekeeper?"

"Zanarkand kind to Ronso. Bevelle not so kind. Ronso hate Bevelle. Ronso like Zanarkand. Not let Bevelle spy into Zanarkand. Prove Yuna from Zanarkand, then Yuna pass."

Yuna groaned and threw her hands to her sides, "I don't have an ID…"

"Then Yuna spy." Came Perchik's conclusion. Yuna didn't even have time to question his logic as he motioned with both paws to the Ronso who were remaining on the cliffs and overlooking the entire exchange. Six tall Ronso landed just behind Yuna and two others on either side of her. Perchik growled, "Bevelle spy not return to Bevelle to spin more lies. Bevelle spy die!"

Yuna let out a horrified scream as the Ronso surrounding her growled low and menacingly, bending low into attack stance. Perchik stood strong and proud, watching her as she tried to come up with a logical way out of this mess. Unfortunately, these Ronso didn't allow for logic. They all lunged at her together and Yuna made a break for it through the one slight hole in their attempt to box her in. The Ronso covering the path up the mountain made their way toward her, claws and teeth bared while the ones she had just escaped came at her from behind. Yuna dove into the snow, just barely missing the two sets of Ronso. Scrambling to her feet, Yuna turned back toward the bath leading to Nagi when she found Perchik standing in front of her. He growled as he lifted her by her blouse. She hovered two feet off the ground as she was brought to eye contact with his 7'7" frame. He lifted his free hand and bared his claws as Yuna closed her eyes. Kimahri was meant to kill her, but had failed. Yet it seemed fitting that another Ronso should have the honor. Perchik let out a wild howl and Yuna braced herself for the final assault when she heard a familiar voice.

"Don't even think about it, Perchik."

She opened her eyes and found the Ronso holding her had turned to follow the sound of the voice. Yuna did the same and was shocked to see the blonde man standing there, bags in hand and a smirk on his face, "Let her down." He said.

"Perchik kill Bevelle spy."

His shaggy blonde hair flung in his eyes as he shook his head, "She's not a spy." He said with a sigh as he put the bags down, "She's my…" he paused for a second and then grinned, "My girlfriend. She's just a little excited to be getting home and got ahead of me."

Perchik's hold on Yuna faltered and he lowered her to the ground but kept a firm grip on her shirt, "No ID."

"She left it in Zanarkand," was the blonde's easy reply, "We didn't even realize it until we got to Nagi." He shrugged and laughed softly, "No real harm done, I guess. Except that it got your boys all excited for nothing."

Perchik was obviously still suspicious as he gripped Yuna's shirt harder, "Not see girl before."

The man shrugged, "I guess you just didn't see her when we came over earlier." He paused and scratched his chin, "Now that you mention it, I don't remember seeing you when I walked over before. That's probably how you missed her."

Perchik looked down at Yuna suspiciously, "Not spy? Girlfriend of Perchik's friend?"

Yuna saw out of the corner of her eye the pleading look the blonde was giving her. She nodded stiffly, "Yes. I'm his girlfriend." She lied, wondering why he hadn't just told the Ronso that she was his sister or his friend.

Perchik released her slowly and Yuna ran to the blonde without thinking, wrapping her arms thankfully around his neck. She whispered into his ear, "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." He replied into her ear, "But we're not out of the woods yet. Just play along."

He bent to lift his bags from the snowy surface and grinned at Perchik, "Thanks a bunch, pal." He said as he wrapped his free arm around Yuna's neck and gave her a pert kiss on the cheek, "Now don't go running off on me again, babe. I might not be so quick next time."

Yuna smiled demurely at him, "Sure thing…sweetie."

The man escorted her past the seething bunch of Ronso, stopping briefly to smile up at Perchik. He leaned in and Yuna strained her ears to listen to what he said. With a grin, the blonde motioned to Yuna with his head, "Not much between her ears, but gotta love the body." He said with a wink.

If Yuna hadn't been so incensed by the audacity of the strange man who currently had his arm around her, she'd have been amused to see the smirk that appeared on the Ronso's face as she was escorted away from the group and up the mountain hill.

Once they were out of earshot, Yuna pulled away angrily and slapped him, "Not much between the ears?!" she hissed, pushing him violently, "Love the body?!"

She expected him to be furious, but instead he started laughing. That effectively deflated her fury and she leaned back on the mountain wall. He stopped laughing a few moments later and asked, "What did you want me to do? I had to make him think you weren't a threat. Perchik's a great dude, but a little overprotective of Zanarkand. What did you want me to tell him? You were some girl I'd found in an alley and you weren't even sure you were in Zanarkand at first?"

"You didn't have to insinuate that I was stupid." She retorted, her anger still sizzling in her chest.

He shrugged, "Anybody that'll climb Mt. Gagazet alone IS stupid."

"And what about you?" she demanded, pointing in the direction from which they had just come, "You were climbing it alone? Or were you just following me again?"

He lifted his hand and started counting down on his fingers, "First of all, I'm not following you. I have better things to do with my time, thank you. Secondly, I always cross Gagazet. Perchik and I have known each other for years, but the first time I crossed I certainly didn't do it alone. Thirdly, how about a little gratitude? I just saved your life!"

Yuna opened her mouth to retort but promptly shut it again. He had just saved her life. That wasn't something she could deny. She lowered her eyes and kicked at the snow on the ground, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She lifted her eyes and found him grabbing his bags from the ground and turning to continue his climb up the mountain. She felt a little freaked, "Are you going to just leave me here?"

He looked over his shoulder at her, "A few minutes ago you didn't want to be around me. Now you do?"

"You can't just leave me here!" she shrieked, ignoring his question and the fact that it was based very much in truth for the moment as she ran the distance between them and wrapped her arms tightly around his free one, "Please don't leave me here."

He lifted a brow at her and shrugged, "What's your name?"

"Yuna Brewar." She replied, "What's yours?"

He smiled at her, "Tidus Bacohl." He replied, sliding his free hand down her arm to link fingers with her, "You look starved. Let's get you something to eat."