Okay, I honestly don't care much for the way I wrote this chapter at all. But it had to be done, and I decided to do it here. I think you'll see what I mean! Please enjoy!

Chapter 16: An Eternal Transience

Freezing; very cold...Shivering...

Yuna's eyes slowly opened, and she realized she was in the back of a car, which was speeding through the snow. A blanket was absent-mindedly thrown over her nearly frozen body, but she didn't seem to feel its warmth. There was a terrible feeling of coldness throughout her body, and she knew it wasn't because it was wet, but because of something else.

She realized she was in the back of a Yevonite car then, and the driver hadn't noticed she had awaken.

"Excuse me, Sir," she said, pulling the blanket over her shoulders in a very sad attempt to warm herself, "Where am I?"

"L-Lady Yuna!" the man said, jumping at the sound of her voice, "You've awaken..."

"Yes...Where are we going?"

"To your house. You've had a terrible evening..."

"Uh..." Yuna paused, but suddenly felt wide awake. With clattering teeth, she said, "I...I can't go home."

"Why not?" the Yevonite said, "Your father requested to see you."

"I know...But...I need to be with...my cousin," Yuna said, and started to cry, "Please? My father can come get me there! Please...For the love of Yevon, please let me take comfort in my cousin!"

The Yevonite sighed and said, "Alright, but only because you've had such a busy night. Where does your cousin live?"

"Right here!" Yuna said, as they passed the first house they came to, "Please, just let me go on my own! I...I really need to talk with her!"

"Alright Lady Yuna," the man just said, "But I'm going to call your father right after you leave, and he'll come and get you. Your cousin's name is...?"

"Rikku," Yuna said, "Thank you so much!" Yuna jumped out of the car then, into the falling snow, and waved as the Yevonite left.

"Stupid moron," she thought to herself, and pulled out her cell phone, dialing the number of a taxi, "He didn't even wait to see if I went inside..."

Yuna called for a taxi, and in about five minutes, it appeared to pick her up.

"Good day there, Miss," the man said, and turned up the radio, "Have you heard the news?"

"Uh...What news?" Yuna said, her eyes opening.

"Well, just listen!" the man said.

"Today at about nine o'clock P.M., Maester Jyscal's son Seymour was shot. It is unknown who shot him, but it is supposed to have been an Al Bhed. Not much is being released to us, but it has been released that he was taking a stroll with Lord Braska's daughter, Lady Yuna. Lady Yuna is alright and is at her house safe. Riots have broken out twice as badly, since the Guado want revenge of the Al Bhed even more now for killing Lord Seymour. Town square has been infiltrated...War has officially broke out..."

Yuna couldn't listen to anymore. She swallowed and leaned back in her seat, trying not to cry. All she could think of was Seymour's violence toward her, and then seeing his mangled body dead, with blood leaking onto the cold pavement below him. Yuna suddenly remembered the scratches on her body, and put her hand on them.

"Where was it you said you wanted to go?" the taxi driver said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh...Turn left here," Yuna said, "It's that house right there!"

"That big one? Doesn't that belong to some Blitz player..."

"Yeah, he's my...cousin," Yuna said, and payed the driver at the driveway, "Thank you so much."

"Anytime, Miss. You'd better get yourself cleaned up though, it's a cold night to be wandering around in the dark, especially being as soaked as you are."

"Yes, thank you," Yuna said, and stepped out of the car, and then practically ran to the driveway.

She rang the doorbell, praying that there would be an answer.

The door knob turned, and a very white Tidus came to the door.

"Yuna?" he said, looking immensely surprised to see her, "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Tidus," Yuna said, inviting herself in, and shutting the door behind her. She couldn't say anything, though, for tears were threatening to spill. All she could do was then allow herself to collapse in Tidus' arms.

"Yuna, you're freezing," Tidus just said.

"I know," Yuna said, swallowing, wrapping her arms around Tidus' waist.

"Do they know it was me?" Tidus then asked.

Yuna unwrapped her arms from Tidus and pulled away from him, and shook her head.

"I told them he killed himself," Yuna said, and gently took the pistol from her purse, "And removed the evidence..."

Upon seeing the pistol, Tidus turned white again.

"Yuna, I-I-..." Tidus suddenly began to breathe heavy, and turned even whiter, "I swear...I didn't want to kill him...I..."

"Tidus, it's okay," Yuna said, shaking her head, "I'm glad you did."

"What?" Tidus said, "You're glad I killed him?"

"Look at me!" Yuna said, pointing to the scratch on her cheek, "Look what he did to me! I...I was going to have to marry him! And...And...He was going to hurt me. You only saved me."

"I..." Tidus started, and then wrapped his arms around Yuna, pulling her into an embrace, "When I saw Seymour doing that to you, it reminded me of what had happened to Lenne. I didn't want to lose you Yuna! Not like I lost her..."

"I know, I understand," Yuna just said.

"But...I...I..." Yuna felt moisture on her shoulder, as she guessed Tidus was crying, "What are we going to do if they find out it was me? They'll kill me..."

"They won't find out," Yuna said, "And I wouldn't let them kill you. I promise. We'll stay together forever, and I'm never going to leave you again! Ever."

"What?" Tidus looked down at Yuna, "What do you mean?"

"Earlier, I practically broke up with you, even though I loved you, just so I could make Spira and my father happy. But now I realize...That I don't care about them! I...I love you Tidus. No one else."

"Uh..." Tidus just seemed speechless, so the two just stood there for a long time, in each others' embraces.

Yuna slowly left Tidus' embrace then, and, biting her lip, said, "There still has to be something I can do to help out Spira..."

"You mean, since you're not going to marry Seymour?" Tidus said, "You still want to do something?"

"I have to," Yuna said, "It's all my fault that Seymour's gone."

"But I–."

"I killed him," Yuna said, "It really wasn't your fault."

"I don't understand," Tidus just said, "What makes it think it was yours?"

Yuna sighed. "It is my fault, because I let everybody tell me what to do. I...I let everyone boss me around. Tidus...I have to do something..."

"Right now?" Tidus just said, looking at Yuna as if she was crazy.

"Take me to town square," Yuna said, turning and smiling at Tidus, "Please?"

"Why?" Tidus just said.

"Because, everyone will be there," Yuna said, "My father is there now, I'm sure of it. I heard on the news, right after...Well...We have to get there now!"

"Yuna...I don't..." Tidus was interrupted by Yuna holding up his car keys.

"I'll drive myself there if I have to!" she said, and at that, ran out the door, with Tidus reluctantly following her.

"I'll drive," Tidus said, taking the keys from the satisfied Yuna, and the two climbed in, "What are you going to do?"

"Something I should have done so long ago," Yuna said, "I'm going to make a speech...And then tell my father what I think."

"What if he's not there?"

"He'll be there."

Yevonites of every kind blocked every entrance to the town square, so Yuna had to climb out, with Tidus right on her heels.

"Lady Yuna?" the Yevonites said upon seeing her, "It's too dangerous in there...Your father has things under control and is just fine. He's making a speech right now."

"I know," Yuna said, looking at Tidus quickly, "I...I need to make a speech too."

The Yevonites shook their heads then, but guarded Yuna and Tidus through the mobs of every kind of person, some of who were still fighting.

Yuna caught sight of her father trying without too much luck to get the peoples' attention. Biting her lip, Yuna bounded the stairs the platform in which her father stood on, and had to grab Tidus' hand and drag him up along with her.

"Father," Yuna said, causing her father, to turn around and stare at her.

"Yuna? What are you doing here?" her father said, accidentally into the megaphone that he was holding, "Can't you see this is no place for you to–who is that with you?"

Tidus immediately looked away, but Yuna held her chin still and said, "Surely you remember Tidus? He's my boyfriend, and has been for quite some time now."

Braska looked at Yuna and then at Tidus, and then to the mobs and mobs of angry people down below him.

"Father," Yuna said, marching up alongside him, "Please...Let me try to calm them down?"

"Without Seymour, all hope is lost," Braska said, "They are all convinced that an Al Bhed killed Seymour, and that makes the guado angry, and then the Al Bhed angrier in return."

"Tell them what really happened then," Yuna said, stealing a very quick glance at Tidus.

"What really happened?" Braska demanded, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Seymour killed himself," Yuna said, and then grabbed the megaphone from her father.

"Attention everybody!" Yuna yelled, "Please! Just listen!"

Some people stopped their bickering upon hearing her voice, and others stopped and pointed to Tidus. Still, many remained fighting.

Tidus looked at Yuna and then put his index finger and thumb in his mouth, and blew, resulting in a very high, shrill whistle, that got even more people's attention.

"May I please have your attention?" Yuna said, and noticed that she had at least gotten half of the people to watch her. Taking a deep breath, Yuna began.

"Everybody," she said, "I am an Al Bhed. I know many of you don't realize this, but it's the truth. I...The daughter of Maester Braska himself, had an Al Bhed mother. Lord Braska, himself, was married to an Al Bhed woman."

Braska buried his face in his arm, muttering, "She's ruining me..."

"I want equality for all Al Bhed," Yuna said, "You all just have to give us a chance! The guado aren't the cause of the diversity in Spira. There's no reason to pick on them! Why not pick on the Ronso, or the Hypello...Or even people who don't have a religion, like Tidus." Yuna bit her lip and looked over at Tidus, who was watching her, before continuing.

"There are so many people in Spira, and it's time we all understood that there needs to be equality, if even a little bit, amongst all of us. As for Seymour Guado...He was not killed by an Al Bhed. Seymour..." Yuna looked again at Tidus somewhat nervously, before saying quickly, "Seymour killed himself."

There was a gasp throughout the crowd, who now, for the most part, were all watching Yuna intensely.

"I was supposed to be wed to Seymour Guado," Yuna said, "To prove that an Al Bhed, like myself, and a guado, like Seymour, could indeed get along. But...Things didn't go to plan."

"I didn't love him, and he didn't love me. We were two different people, and even we couldn't get along. Now, Seymour is dead, and I feel completely responsible. What I'm trying to say, though, is that nobody should be pushed around. Al Bheds shouldn't take being called 'flits' or any other terrible names. Guado shouldn't put up with the names or stereotypes that they're being acquainted with." Then, Yuna looked at her father, and said, "But this isn't about you. This is about me."

By now, nobody was fighting, and they were just listening to Yuna as she spoke, each and every one of them hanging on her every word. It was odd...It was as if her voice had a calming tone about it, or something. Everybody was silent as could be.

Yuna looked at Tidus, and then at her father, and then at the crowd, before closing her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she began to sing...

"With you, these streets are heaven.

Now home, feels so foreign...

They told me I was mistaken, infatuated, and I was afraid to trust my hunches.

Now I am ready...

Daddy don't be mad that I'm leaving,

please let me worry about me

Mama don't you worry about me

This is my story!

I'm listening to a music never ending

My baby don't you know I'll never let you down

You've opened me to so many different endings

But baby I know that you'll always be around"

Yuna broke off then...and, without even facing her father, for she feared what he would do, grabbed Tidus' arm, and made her way through the crowd.

"I don't even know what to say," Tidus said, after a moment of driving in silence, "I mean, what came over you? Breaking out in song..."

"I've wanted to say those words for so long Tidus," Yuna just said.

"Well...Uh...Back to your place?" Tidus just said, dropping the whole subject.

"Nope...Yours," Yuna said, looking out the window, "I never want to go back home."

"But..." Tidus just trailed, and Yuna noticed that he looked terribly tired, and still quite white also.

"The only thing I want is to fall asleep in your arms," Yuna just said, lying her head on Tidus' shoulder.

Smiling a cocky smile, the smile that Yuna hadn't seen for a very long time, Tidus said, "Okay, I guess I can go for that!"

"Good," Yuna just said, and the two sped silently through the dark night, just as the snow finally began to stop falling...

A/N: The song Yuna sang is "Exodus '04" by Utada, which is an awesome song! Back in late August I first heard that song, and knew that I wanted to write "A Foreign Home"–I even got the title from that song–because in short, "Exodus '04" was my original inspiration for this story. I don't usually like putting songs into my stories, but I promised myself I would do it, so...Here it is! I also wanted some fluff in this chapter, but I guess that will just have to wait 'till some other time, huh? By the way...This is the:

End of Part II

(Not the entire story though!)