FINAL FANTASY X: OBLIVION

CHAPTER 1

The Calm before the Storm

'NO!'

Yuna woke in a sweat, breathing heavily. She looked around her and calmed down slightly at the sight of the familiar surroundings of her small bedroom. It had happened again. She had been reliving that day in her dreams for a long time now. When would it stop? She put her hand over her face and started to cry silent tears. When would she allow herself to forget? At that moment, she heard footsteps and someone appeared in the doorway.

'Yuna. What's wrong?'

Yuna clumsily wiped her face with her hand, and turned to face her friend.

'Oh, Lulu. I'm sorry if I woke you. It was... just a dream.'

'It's alright, Yuna.,' she replied, and headed back to her own room. 'Goodnight.'

Yuna laid her head down on the pillow.

'Just a dream...,' she repeated.

Yuna rose early the next morning. She hurriedly got dressed, brushed her hair (she had made a mental note never to have bed hair after the Djose incident), and had a small breakfast composed of shoopuff milk and condor eggs. She was ready to go. She picked up her staff from the corner of her room and walked out of the hut. Besaid village. It was a very different place from what it had been a year ago, but at the same time, it hadn't changed at all. It was still early, and the sun hadn't yet made its appearance. The rest of the village were still asleep. She walked past the temple and over the village circle where she had summoned Valefor, her very first Aeon to the delight and awe of the rest of the village. It had only been a year, but so much had happened since then. Yuna approached the village entrance, and greeted her red haired companion.

'Good morning, Luzzu.'

'Hi Yuna, ready?'

She nodded, and the pair set out up the village slope.

After the defeat of Sin, the Crusaders had found themselves out of a job. Fortunately, Luzzu and the others that had survived Operation Mi'ihen devised a system that meant all their rigorous training would not go to waste. A number of Crusaders were stationed at each village, town and city in Spira, to regularly hunt down all the fiends in the area, to keep the people from harm, and allow those traveling between places safe passage. When Yuna had heard of the system, she immediately signed herself up without question. Her desire to help people was one thing that definitely hadn't changed in all this time.

As they turned round the corner, a garuda suddenly swooped down from above, and hovered over their heads menacingly.

'Ready, Yuna?' asked Luzzu.

A year ago, she had stood on this same spot as she entered her first battle. Back then, she had summoned the strength of Valefor to defea the mighty bird, but she could rely on the Aeons no longer.

Yuna gripped her staff tightly, and focused her mind on a spell. The great bird of prey swooped down and tried to swipe Luzzu with its mighty talons, but he was too fast. In one swift movement he swiped the bird's wing with his sword, and it collapsed on the ground in agony.

'Yuna, now!'

As she lessened the grip of her staff and raised it above her shoulders, a blinding light began to emanate from it. Then she brought down the spell on the cowering fiend. The garuda screamed in agony as the power of holy engulfed its flesh, and then vanished in a stream of moaning pyreflies. Yuna slowly lowered the staff, and then glanced to her right. No less than five garudas were making their way across the path.

Luzzu raised an eyebrow. 'Think you could manage a few more of those?'

Yuna sighed, but grinned at the same time. She raised her staff again.

'I'm worried about Yuna.'

Wakka rubbed his eyes, yawned, and sat up on the bed. He had been quite comfortably asleep until Lulu had woken him. It was still early.

'Wha-- Why? What's she said, Lu?'

'She hasn't said anything, but you don't have to be a genius to see it.'

'See what?'

The black mage sighed exasperatedly.

'That she misses him. She still hasn't gotten over him leaving.'

There was a silence.

'She was dreaming about him again last night. I heard her wake up, crying.'

Wakka frowned. 'Did she tell you that's what she was dreaming about?'

'Wakka, don't be a fool. This is typical Yuna. She keeps all her thoughts to herself, in an attempt to not worry us. But by not talking, that's exactly what she's doing.'

'It's been a year, I thought she would have--

'So did I.'

'How about talking to her?'

'I've tried, but she always brushes it away and changes the subject. I think she wants to avoid us seeing her get upset.'

'Yuna...' he groaned. 'Lulu, what do you think we should do?'

'I don't know...'

The pair thought silently for a second. Then Wakka sat up and headed for the doorway.

'We're leavin' for Luca tomorrow. The trip could do her good ya?'

'I hope so...' said Lulu. 'I hope so...'

Yuna and Luzzu were heading back to the village. It had been a good hunt. Yuna easily took down the five garudas, and the pair had then gone on to slay a few stray coyotes that had been wandering around, a flock of condor, and a group of three water flan.

'That should keep the fiend population down for a while.' remarked Luzzu. 'For a few days anyway. There's always a few flan that get away and split themselves into bigger groups.'

'Mmm...'

Although Yuna was listening to him, she really wasn't taking the words in. Her mind was elsewhere.

'If only there more people in the village willing to help out. Lulu helps out sometimes, but Wakka is always too busy with the Aurochs. If only Gatta were here...'

The subject caught Yuna off guard. Gatta... The eager but foolish young Crusader who had been killed by Sin during operation Mi'ihen. What could she say?

'If only he had lived to see the Eternal Calm... If only he had obeyed his orders.'

Yuna didn't know what to say, so she said nothing. Gatta had abandoned his post at the command centre without leave so that he could join the others on the front lines. Although she would never dare speak ill of the dead, she couldn't help but think it. He was a fool.

'Gatta... If he had stayed put, he may still be alive today. But we must not have regrets about things that happened in the past, or else we would go insane.' As the pair reached the village entrance, Yuna turned to face Luzzu and spoke with a slight quiver in her voice.

'He is gone. And nothing will ever change it.'

Yuna turned away and starting briskly away. She then stopped, and turned around again to face him.

'Luzzu I'm sorry, that sounded--'

He raised a hand.

'Forget it. See you later.'

And with that he raised his sword against his shoulder and walked past her into the village. Yuna covered her face in her hands. No. That had sounded completely wrong. The way it came out, it sounded like she was angry at Luzzu, as if she was snapping. This wasn't like her at all. She laid her staff down on the pathway and sat down, laying her head on her knees and closing her eyes. Just then, the ground begain to shake. What on earth was that? Yuna looked up, and saw a familiar sight. It was the ancient Al Bhed machina that was salvaged from beneath Baaj two years ago – the airship. But who was piloting it? There was only two people she knew who had the skill. The first person was Brother. But as far as she knew, he was now living in Luca after being given a blitzball contract with the Al Bhed Psyches. So then it must be...

'Rikku!'

Yuna laughed as she watched her energetic cousin wave excitedly from the pilot seat. She then set the airship to land, climbed onto the deck and jumped off the ship when it was still in mid-air, landing on the blooming Besaid grass as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

'Yunie!'

Rikku spread out her arms and ran towards Yuna, gripping her tightly in a hug.

'Rikku, what are you doing in Besaid? We were meant to be meeting you in Luca tomorrow!'

She smirked mischievously.

'Thought I'd surprise you.'

'So how is everything?' asked Yuna.

It was late evening. After spending the better part of the day at the beach, the girls had sat down on the floor of the hut for a good old chit chat.

'Well everyone's doing a great job at rebuilding Home.' replied Rikku. 'That's where I've been for the past six months, over on Bikanel.' She rolled her eyes. 'Of course, Brother has been no help whatsoever, he thinks he's a superstar! Oh, thanks Lulu.'

Lulu handed the Al Bhed girl a drink and sat down with them.

'How is Kimhari, Rikku? Have you seen him since then?' asked the black mage.

'Nah. I hear he's traveling around Spira trying to gather together all the Ronso and persuade them to come back to the mountain. The only ones left are the ones not on the mountain that day...'

There was a silence. That day when Seymour Guado had come to the mountain and exterminated every last Ronso on Gagazet, except for Kimhari. They had all died so that Yuna and her guardians would be protected. After a while, Lulu sat up from the chair.

'It's getting late, and we have to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. I'm going to bed.'

'Goodnight Lulu.'

As she left the room, Rikku leaned forward nervously and put her hand over Yuna's.

'Yunie, there's something I've been meaning to ask you.'

'What is it, Rikku?'

She bit her lip, trying to decide if she should go on.

'Do you... miss him? Tidus? It's just... I can't remember a time when you've mentioned him since he left.'

Yuna turned away from her.

'Yes...'

'Do you want to talk about it?'

'N-No, I'm fine.'

'Yuna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ups-'

'Forget about it Rikku. I think I'll go to bed. Tired.'

Rikku slapped herself as Yuna got up and went to her room.

'Cred. Knew I shouldn't have mentioned anything.'