Yeah… late again. I'm sorry guys, I had to put this on backburner for a week or two, I was really busy with a bunch of school and stuff called real life… ugh. But here's the chapter, finally, and the next one should be… as soon as I can get it out. Which might be sooner than you or I think. Anyway, again, I'm really sorry, and happy holidays to everyone out there. Thanks for sticking around to read this.
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In reply to comments –
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a random person obsessed with this story
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Yeah, I notice that now, that you mention it, that I'm sort of repeating scenes over again with Tidus/Yuna… (I'm so embarrassed to only see that now too…) To be perfectly honest, I've NEVER written fluff before this fanfic, so I guess that's my excuse. Not a very good one… but yeah. I'll try to make it different. I half like writing fluff, and half don't. It's easy to overdue, and I don't want to overdue it with this fic. And of course, I can never win… I end up repeating myself. Gah! Thanks for pointing that out though… I'll go through the chapters again and maybe make a few tiny edits here and there when I finish this fic. And I'll make sure it doesn't happen in future chapters. Really sorry about that. head-desk
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Anyway, speaking of going back to chapters and editing them… I'm pretty sure now, that I'm going to make a… 'special edition' of this fic, or whatever you want to call it. Probably around the time I finish the fic, I'll try to upload all the changes I made to the chapters, minor changes, a few additions, to make it overall, a bit better. Course this means you poor people will have to read through it all again… which doesn't sound very fair or fun. So… I might make a list of changes and put that somewhere so you can see. SO, any problems you've seen so far, or things that are glaringly wrong, tell me now, and I'll try to tweak em. I'm NOT re-writing the story, just tweaking. I MIGHT add a few extra scenes to the beginning, though I'm really not sure yet.
I realize I've come a ways since I started it… I never intended it to be more than a few chapters, really, just for fun. So there's a lot of things I didn't sort out properly. I'm just really sorry you guys had to read it with problems in it (even if they're minor).
Uh, Yeah, can you tell, I'm a perfectionist? Sigh.
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- SMALL ANNOUNCEMENT -
Yes, I know, this before-chapter stuff is too long already, but this is kind of important. Alright, so it's not really, but anyway, if you're interested at all on how the progress is going on the next chapter, or you want to suggest something I should modify for the 'special edition' thing, this is my 'Writing' journal, as it were, for my fanfics. In short, I'm going to make posts updating how my work is going on the new chapters, so you don't think I've fallen off the face of the planet. This will probably push me to update faster (yay!) and actually DO the SE thing. Alright. So here is the link. Not going to twist your arms and tell you to go and comment, or even read, but there it is, and I WILL be posting updates and things. Yes. Okay, I've talked too long now. Don't have to comment, bottom line, but if you want to, just go under anonymous if you don't have a journal there. That's fine. I don't mind.
The link to this journal –
Okay. Seriously, finished now. Sorry.
As usual, I don't own FFX or FFX2.
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Chapter 21
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"Yunie? Yunie, are you okay?" Rikku held Yuna's limp hand, patting it and staring at her with a look of panic. "Yunie?"
"She's worn herself out." Paine was on Tidus's other side, shaking her head as she looked at Yuna resting in his arms.
Tidus looked down at her face and frowned a little. This had happened before, well, sort of. The very first time he'd met her, she'd collapsed, but she hadn't fainted completely. Maybe it was something of the same thing, she had been in a sort of trance.
"We should get her back to the ship." Paine added, nodding her head to the way they came.
"What about the Fayth?" Rikku cried, pointing to the door behind them. "We've come all this way! Shouldn't we go in and take care of it?"
Paine's gaze turned from Yuna to the door. "I don't think we can 'get rid of it' without Yuna. We'll have to wait for her to wake up. And besides…" She shook her head slowly, touching the door gently and grimacing as if burned. "I don't think any of us could open it."
"But me and Kimarhi forced Bevelle's chamber open." Tidus turned his head, trying to move as little as possible so he wouldn't jolt Yuna.
"Yeah, but that was Bevelle. We've seen already this temple is a lot weirder than the others."
"But why should it be any different?" Rikku cried, shaking her head and sending her braids flying. "Tidus, we have to try!"
"Go ahead and try, Rikku. You already saw the seals in the other rooms, I doubt this is any different." Paine added in, before Tidus could reply.
"Then what are we going to do? We can't just leave!" Rikku's voice hit a high pitch that was a sure sign of an upcoming panic.
"We could try bombing it open with some of those Al Bhed grenades you've got." Paine suggested, nodding to Rikku. She blinked a few times, then shook her head wildly.
"No no no! That won't work!" She kicked at the floor and scowled. "We've tried to do that with Yevon's stuff for years and years. It just backfires. The magic seems to react to the explosion and… reflect it. We just end up killing ourselves." She gave a long sigh. "It might start a cave in or something if we try. This place doesn't look finished, it's probably not very stable."
"Great." Tidus muttered, looking down at Yuna.
Paine looked back to the door, and said nothing, apparently out of suggestions.
Rikku finally spoke after a half moment, going over to Tidus's side. "You're right. I guess we should wait for Yunie to wake up. But… why do we have to go all the way back to the ship? Why can't we just wait here?"
Tidus barely stopped a frown from appearing on his face. "Because it's cold in here and Yuna needs a warm bed, not a pile of rocks. You guys can stay here and argue for all I care, but I'm taking Yuna back to the ship." He didn't care if he sounded like he was snapping, he was a bit fed up with this entire thing, and how badly it kept affecting Yuna. He didn't care if it was the wrong thing to do, he just wanted to take care of her.
Without waiting for a reply from either of them, he started down the stairs and towards the main hall, trying to be as gentle about it as he could.
"Hey, wait up!" Cried Rikku, a few minutes later when the two of them had seemingly recovered from his abrupt statement.
He didn't stop, or look back. After a few minutes Rikku came jogging up beside him, Paine walking calmly behind them.
"Do you need help?" Rikku said after a few moments of silence, looking at him timidly.
"I'm fine." He readjusted Yuna slightly in his arms, making sure not to let her arms fall. She was really quite light, or maybe he was just a lot stronger than he'd thought. Or maybe it was just both. He sighed quietly, too quiet for Rikku to hear. This whole thing was really starting to get to him, even though he didn't want to admit it. Every time they seemed to be getting somewhere, something happened. Not that he hadn't expected it… Things like this always had a way of getting complicated. But he just wished that it'd all just stop, and that everything could be peaceful. Yuna had seemed to have had a peaceful two years, up until Shuyin. Now it was falling apart again.
'No, that's not right. It's not falling apart.' He thought, staring blankly at the passage in front of them as he walked. 'This is just a problem that nobody saw coming. Maybe this will be the end of Yevon for good. Maybe after this there won't be anymore Fayth or Aeons or Yevon's magic or anything. Maybe this is just the last stage, even if nobody expected it.'
Tidus felt happy at the thought, then suddenly a dim fear gripped him. 'What did Yuna mean, when she said that? I think she talked to the Fayth, somehow… But what did it say? Was it something… about the dreaming?'
Shuddering, he tried not to let his sudden panic show. No sense in getting Rikku worked up about it, more than she already was.
'No, no more guessing. I'll just ask Yuna, when she wakes up.' He commanded himself, but it was difficult. Worry nipped at the back of his mind as he walked, thinking about all that had happened and all that could happen.
'How am I here?' He asked himself. 'Why am I here? Is it really because the Fayth wanted to repay Yuna somehow? Or… is it some kind of accident? Am I just a dream again? Is it because of this forgotten Fayth? Am I… am I going to disappear if she sends that thing? I don't know… I want to know. I don't want to disappear again, I don't want to do that to Yuna.'
"Tidus, are you okay?" Rikku tilted her head, looking worried.
'No.'
"Yeah, I'm fine."
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Yuna's awoke with a jerk. Throwing herself up she nearly collided with Tidus, who had not expected her sudden movement. He caught her just before she fell clear of the bed, blinking in surprise. He'd been sitting on the bed beside her, apparently watching over her. What had happened?
She frowned, watching Paine and Rikku approach as Tidus said something aloud. She couldn't hear it properly, her mind was still someplace else.
'Where… am I?'
"We're in the airship." Tidus said, holding her hand. She blinked. Had she said that aloud, or had she thought it? Pressing her free hand to her forehead she closed her eyes and groaned. Her head was throbbing, but strangely quiet.
'Quiet?'
Yuna opened her eyes again and looked straight at Tidus. "They're gone…"
"What?" Paine asked from her other side.
"The screams… they're gone."
"Gone?" Rikku repeated, a look of glee on her face. "You mean, you sent it?!"
Yuna went silent, listening intently while trying to ignore the pounding in her skull.
Everyone else stayed silent, watching her as if she was going to faint again.
Concentrating, she strained inside her mind to hear what she'd been hearing for the last few days. No, it wasn't there. She couldn't-
Crying out aloud, she clutched at her head with both hands. The scream was dim, barely audible, but it was there. When she tried to ignore it again, it drifted away into silence.
Slowly, she let out a sigh, and shook her head. "No… It's still there. But, I can't hear it very well. It's gotten quiet."
Paine frowned, crossing her arms. "Yuna, what happened back there?"
"I'm… I'm not sure. I need to think…" Her voice was weak, quiet, she barely recognized herself. What had happened? She could barely remember. It was slowly coming back to her, but…
"Take your time." Tidus said beside her, smiling a bit. She felt a little comfort in that, then closed her eyes and thought.
Yuna sat in silence, hearing the others around her whispering to themselves, things she couldn't quite make out, or really want to make out. Instead she tried to focus on what had happened, the fragments that were in her mind of what had occurred… The harder she focused, the clearer they became, until suddenly, it all snapped back as clearly as if she was there all over again.
She spoke aloud, though she barely noticed her own voice.
"Fayth, can you hear me? I'm here, I'm here to help. But I can't get to you, I need more time. Can you hear me? Please, don't keep crying, it'll be over soon."
The Fayth replied, and Yuna found herself speaking the words aloud, though in a different tone. "Summoner, summoner… send me, end the pain, summoner, end the pain, please, summoner. I've suffered so long, it hurts so. Please, please…"
"I can't get to you. Please, tell me what I have to do, how to reach you, so I can send you. I don't know how. Why were you trapped here like this?"
Yuna continued, her eyes closed, hearing the others grow silent around her as they listened.
"Summoner, Yunalesca, Summoner, she came. She trapped me. She hates me. She killed me. She betrayed me. She trapped me. Her wrath trapped me. I was a fool. Fool. Fool. Summoner, help, send us. Open the seals. Open the seals with tokens. Tokens of the temples. Tokens that prove your worth. Prove your strength. She didn't… want… anyone… but her… to come. Sealed her secrets away with the screaming Fayth. Hid the tokens. Bring the tokens. Summoner, please, bring them. Hurry. Summoner. Please. I can… control, the pain, Summoner. You have… time. Hurry Summoner. Bring the tokens. Please."
"These tokens… you mean, spheres? From all the temples? Which temples? Please, tell me, so I can find them!"
"Fayth… Family… Family I never touched, family I should have been. The Fayth. The Aeons. The beloved. Five Aeons, five tokens, five seals, five Fayth. Five. Valefor the twisting wind, Ifrit the raging fire, Ixion the flashing thunder, Shiva the freezing ice, Bahamut… the flare-bearer. Five. Five tokens. Five temples. Five Fayth. Five. Summoner, the five. Spheres. Tokens. Five. Please."
The voice died on her lips, and suddenly her eyes opened, to face her worried friends.
"Yuna… are you okay?" Paine frowned, tilting her head.
"You were talking really weird." Rikku blinked, scratching the side of her head.
"So, it is a sphere hunt after all." Tidus sighed, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder.
"Yes." Yuna said quietly, barely a whisper.
"But we have time? You actually talked the Fayth into calming down?" Paine asked, still frowning.
"Yes, I think so." Yuna nodded, standing up. "We better get started." No sooner had she taken a step, then everything began to wobble around her and her eyesight went black. Tidus caught her arm and held her steady, helping her sit back down on the bed. "Um…" She blinked a few times, clearing her eyes of the darkness.
"You need to rest, Yuna." Sighed Paine, crossing her arms. "What you told us sounds simple enough. We'll go talk to Brother. Maybe contact Shinra and get his opinion on where to find these… spheres. You just get some rest, we'll get started on our hunt in the morning."
Yuna opened her mouth to protest, but knew it was useless. It was late, and she knew she was in no condition to go running around anymore that night. Even if she wanted to.
"Yeah Yunie, don't worry about it. We'll get it all sorted out!" Rikku smiled brightly, looking somewhat relieved. Tidus too, looked a bit relieved. Yuna wondered if perhaps they had been expecting worse news.
"I just wish, it was over." Yuna commented quietly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, everyone."
"Sorry?" Paine
frowned even more. "Why are you sorry?"
"I thought I could
send the Fayth from outside the chamber. I hope, anyway. I couldn't…
and now we have to go out on another hunt."
"It won't take us long, Yunie! Really!" Rikku kneeled down in front of her cousin, taking her hand and patting it. "We can snatch em all in one day, I bet!"
"I wouldn't be so optimistic." Paine sighed, but uncrossed her arms and seemed to lose her frown. "But, she's right. It won't take us long, Yuna. And if you've bought us time, it should be easier than before. We know what we're looking for, right?"
"Yes, I suppose." Yuna sighed, blinking blearily and wishing very much that everything was just magically sorted out. But of course, it wasn't. And it wouldn't be, not yet. Somehow though, she'd manage. She always did…
"Alright, enough chatter. Let Yuna get some rest already." Tidus stood up, and herded the two out of the cabin. "You guys go talk to Brother."
"What about you?" Rikku snapped, turning around in the doorway.
"Just get going!" He snapped right back at her, though in a somewhat light manner as he shut the door in her face.
By the time he was up the stairs again, Yuna's world was swimming. She was so tired, she could barely keep her eyes open, let alone focus on him.
"You going to be okay?" He asked, sitting down beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"I think so. I just… need to rest." She blinked a few times, barely fighting the urge to let her eyelids close. "And… I just, wanted to thank you."
He sounded surprised when he answered. "Thank me? What for?"
"For helping me, for… being here." She smiled at him, and let her eyes close.
"Oh." He said quietly, then removed his arm and let her lay down. "Good-night, Yuna." He bent down and kissed her forehead gently, and before she could even think of replying, she felt herself doze off.
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"How's Yuna?" Rikku and Brother asked in unison, the moment Tidus stepped foot in the bridge.
Tidus blinked as the two Al Bhed rushed towards him, then shrugged lightly. "Okay, I think. She's sleeping now." He didn't smile, he couldn't help but feel worried. Though he didn't dream of suspecting she was lying a little about what happened, he had a feeling she was hiding something. He didn't want to know what it was, as much as he wanted to know.
Brother hung his head, and muttered something in Al Bhed that sounded as if he was relieved.
"So, now what?" Tidus said quickly, brushing past the two and into the middle of the bridge. He looked to Cid and Buddy, who were standing together talking quietly. Paine stood a little ways away in the shadows, her eyes lost in thought.
"Now, we talk to Shinra." Buddy turned to look at Tidus, as Cid called up something on one of the computer panels.
"What's he going to do?" Tidus blinked, tilting his head.
"Who knows. We're hoping he can scan the temples for us. He's given us directions before." Paine commented lightly, crossing her arms.
Rikku came up beside Cid and tapped her foot. "Oh sure, sometimes. If he says 'Oooh I'm justa kid' this time, he's going to get it." She sounded a little irritated, as she watched the view screen flicker.
"Connecting to the commspheres." Cid announced, though seemingly to no one in particular.
"Great." Tidus sighed, turning away from all of them. He was getting really tired of all of this, of Yuna suffering, of this Fayth just beyond their reach… and now the looming idea of having to go tracking around Spira again to find spheres. It wasn't so much he wasn't up to it, he enjoyed adventure. But with the threat to Yuna… and that growing fear that something was going to happen to him…
"Hey Shinra, you there?" Cid bellowed, as Tidus stopped in front of the bridge's windows and stared out at the night storm.
"Shinra here." Came a crackling reply a few minutes later, accompanied by a blast of static. "What do you need?" He asked, after another blast.
"Heya Shinra. We've got a problem… think you can use that brain of yours to help us out?" Rikku announced, coming up beside Cid and waving at the commsphere screen.
"What's the problem?" Shinra asked in his usual calm and seemingly unconcerned voice.
Tidus listened with half a ear as Rikku and Paine gave Shinra the short version of what had happened. Of the spheres, the glyphs, the seals, and finally, of Yuna's 'vision'. As they talked, Brother and the others stood around nearby, listening silently. Tidus began to pace, though he didn't realize it until Rikku shot him a concerned look.
"Well…" Shinra said finally, sounding as if he were in some deep thought. "I don't know what I can do to help. I'm just-"
"Shinra!" Rikku screeched, leaping into the air and waving her hands in a flurry. "Cut that out!"
Shinra went silent, and the commsphere gave another static burst.
"Look, is there some way you can scan for sphere waves in the temples?" Paine asked pointedly, leaning on the wall and looking rather irritated.
"Paine, do you have any idea how many spheres are IN the temples?" Came the Al Bhed's reply, sounding as if he doubted Paine's sanity.
"Can't you scan for specific ones? Like, ones that are a little different? Maybe hidden?" Rikku asked before Paine could give a reply.
There was another short silence.
"Well... I can't promise anything, but I'll try, for Yuna."
Tidus felt himself jerk at the words. They reminded him far too much of the words Yuna had told him the Fayth Bahamut had used. It was nothing more than a coincidence, he wasn't stupid enough to think it wasn't, but it still sent an eerie chill down his spine.
"Great. Thanks a bunch, Shinra!" Rikku grinned, and the commsphere clicked off.
"So how long till we find out?" Tidus turned back to the others, walking to the middle of the group.
"Who knows with Shinra." Paine shrugged. "Could be a couple hours. If not that, morning. He won't make us wait long."
"Hey Tidus, calm down. You look all… tense." Rikku put a hand on his shoulder, looking a little worried as she peered closely at him.
"I'm fine." He snapped, a little harsher than intended, and Rikku looked somewhat hurt by it. "Uh… Sorry, Rikku." Tidus sighed, shaking his head and looking back to the storm outside. "I'm just worried."
"We all are." Paine stared at him with her cold, hard eyes. It was if she were trying to see through him, trying to see what was inside of him. What he was thinking, what he was so worried about. Or maybe she was just trying to judge his character, or what she thought of him. Whatever the look meant, it made him uncomfortable. He shrugged and turned away.
"I'm going to bed." The warrior announced after a moment, and Tidus heard her stride away to the lift.
"Probably not a bad idea." Buddy yawned. "We should all get some rest. Who knows what will happen tomorrow."
"I don't want to even think about that." Rikku sighed heavily, and Tidus was somewhat surprised by the tension he suddenly heard in her voice. So she was just as worried as he was.
"Hey Tidus, don't forget to sleep." The Al Bhed came over beside him and punched him lightly in the shoulder playfully. "You'll upset Yuna if you get sick."
"Don't worry about me." He faked a smile, and Rikku seemed to except it.
"Okay, see you later." She grinned, relief showing on her face as she sauntered off.
"Yeah." Sighing, Tidus went over to one of the cockpits, and climbed in. Leaning on the back of the chair he stared up at the window above and at the falling snow. It was very peaceful, and at the same time, eerie. He heard the others slowly mill out of the bridge, and he didn't bother to watch them go. He didn't want to talk to anyone, he didn't want to go down to the cabins with them. They'd only try to talk more, and right now… He couldn't.
"Don't take me away from her." He said aloud, to no one in particular. "Not again."
Closing his eyes, he tried to let go of all the building up worry and pain. But it stayed lodged in his throat like a ball of ice, and before he knew it, he felt a familiar urge to cry.
Here he was again, in Spira. With Yuna. It was the most amazing thing, it's what he had wanted. Those brief moments he hadn't been here, when he'd been in… Zanarkand, or the Far Plane, whatever it was, hadn't been good. He'd been alone, even if he'd been with his father and Auron. He couldn't remember what it'd been like anymore, those brief moments, other than they'd been… painful. He hadn't been ready to be there.
Then he was suddenly back. And he was happy, more happy than he'd ever been, even. But there was still the pain. As childish as it was, there was still the longing in his heart to see Zanarkand again, to go back there. Even if this was his home now, it was hard to forget what he'd been, where he'd been.
'I wanted to show you Zanarkand, Yuna. I really did. And I know I can't, and I know I'll never see it again. That shouldn't matter. But it does.' He let out a long sigh.
He only felt this because of his worry for Yuna. It'd brought him down, just far enough, to remember all the bad things. He had to forget about them, they didn't matter. They didn't matter.
'I wouldn't trade Yuna for anything. If I'm with her, nothing else matters. I can manage. Just… don't take me away from her.' His thoughts bounced in his head, as if somehow he could talk to something with them.
But how was he even here to begin with? What was keeping him here? The Fayth were gone. Was this last Fayth all that was left? Was it what was binding him? If she sent it, would he… disappear? He knew perfectly well she thought the same thing. But her duty was to Spira. It'd always been to Spira, and it still was now. He didn't blame her for that, but he didn't like it.
'Yeah, and what would you do?' He thought to himself with a growl. 'Leave Spira to rot just so you can be happy?'
He didn't know what to do, what to think. He just wanted it to all work out somehow, so they could both get their happy ending, together. Like it should have been, two years ago. Spira saved, and the two of them together. Was that just a … dream?
Opening his eyes he stared out at the storm again, feeling a tear trickle down his face.
He could hear his father's mocking words echoing somewhere in his head, and he felt ashamed. He shouldn't be crying like this, he shouldn't be despairing. Yuna had been Spira's hope, now he his hope for Yuna's sake. There was no way he was going to let her see him like this, let her know how worried he was. She had enough worry for herself.
"I'm not a dream." He said finally, staring out defiantly at the snow. "I'm here. I'm not a dream. I'm not going to disappear. I'm not going to leave her."
The mountain made no comment, but he felt as if something at the edge of his mind stirred. Then it was gone like a brush of wind, and he was too tired to fight sleep anymore. Closing his eyes, he dozed off, into a dreamless sleep.
