A FFX-2 Fan Fiction
Chapter Six
A Shift In Time
On the third day, Yuna and her companions arrived at the Zanarkand Ruins more or less on schedule. They'd visited all seven temples, plus the gorge near Mt. Gagazet and she'd received an Aeon at each location from the ever cryptic Fayth. They had not given her any definite answer, only their continued promise of her reward and their continued insistence that she believe.
Nor had Auron come clean. He had been even less forthcoming than the Fayth had been.
So far, Yuna figured that somehow the past was connected with all this, she just didn't know how. Time travel wasn't possible, unless you were dead. Auron was proof of that. She wasn't sure how or what they were supposed to do to fix Spira. All those battles and struggles had already happened. Sin had already happened. There was no taking it back, not now. What was done was done.
Yuna was grateful that Paine had agreed to come along. She needed her friends to lean on, and as much as she loved Rikku, Rikku was not the type to think about what she did before she did it. Paine would bring some balance to the group, especially considering Gippal had a tendency to encourage Rikku's reckless behavior. While it was amusing to watch, sometimes, it got Yuna into trouble.
Her friends beside her or not, Yuna was beginning to have doubts. Her gut told her that this was just a ploy to get her to do what they wanted her to do. Her heart told her to trust in the Fayth, to trust in Auron. She didn't know which to believe.
Brother set the Celsius down just outside the Temple and Yuna prepared to disembark.
"Wait," Auron said, blocking their path. "There are things I must tell all of you before we go to the Chamber of the Fayth."
"Auron, you big meanie," Rikku complained. "Can't you see Yunie is in a hurry?"
"This can not wait," Auron said. "Sit, all of you. You all must hear what I have to say."
Yuna took a seat and looked up at Auron expectantly. This was it. What she'd been waiting to hear from him for more than a week. She shushed Rikku who draped herself over Shinra's old chair and began to swing her feet back and forth, impatient.
"I was born and raised in Zanarkand more than a thousand years ago. Jecht was my childhood friend, someone I respected, despite his various shortcomings. He once asked me to look after his family should anything happen to him. Eventually, I ended up with custody of his only son, after the boy's mother died. You already know that part of the story. Several years later, there was a war."
"Between Bevelle and Zanarkand," Yuna said.
"It was every bit as horrific as the history books said it was. Many people died. Myself included."
"But you guarded my father," Yuna said. "You were alive then."
"I guarded Braska, but I was not alive. The Fayth felt that I had failed to protect the one person I had been charged with protecting. Many of us either volunteered or were drafted into the battle. We were unprepared, overwhelmed, and most of us died. I had failed to protect him as I'd promised."
"And my father?" Yuna asked.
"The Fayth gave me a second chance. Again, I failed. I did not know enough. Again, I was not prepared. I didn't understand what it was that was expected of me. Later, I was to bring the dream Tidus to Spira, to you, and failed again."
"But we defeated Sin. How is that a failure?"
"I got more involved than I was allowed to be," he said. "My journey ends here Yuna. I'm sorry. I can accompany you no further than the dome. Beyond that, this story is in your hands alone."
"Auron, I don't understand. If you and Jecht were friends in Zanarkand, why didn't he know you when you found him in Bevelle?"
"Because he was drunk. He remembered later."
It was a weak explanation, at best, but it did make sense. Yuna was still so very confused. Auron hadn't yet explained what happened next, after he left them in the dome.
"All of you must make a decision now. If you go inside the Temple, there may be no coming back."
"If what I'm looking for is in that dome, I'm willing to take the risk," Yuna said to Auron. She looked at her friends. "I don't expect any of you to come with me. Please, stay if you have any reservations."
"Are you kidding me?" Rikku said. "I'm not leaving my bestest friend in the world to do this by herself! What kind of friend would I be?"
"A smart one," Paine said.
"Dr. P, you gonna bail?" Gippal asked in disbelief.
"I didn't say that."
"I mean it," Yuna said. "I only want you to come if your willing. I'm not going to pressure anyone."
"I'm in," Paine said.
"Me too!" Rikku said and elbowed Gippal in the ribs. "So is the Gipmeister, right?"
"Sure, why not," he said. "But where exactly are we going?"
"To Zanarkand," Auron said.
"Nothing like stating the obvious," Paine said.
"Not this Zanarkand," Auron said. "Now go. The temple awaits."
In Bevelle, things were going splendidly. Everything was in place, everything was working out. Yunalesca was pleased. Maester Yu, the father she had not known until recently, was would soon make his feelings known to the world, and she would play along. Poor Lenne had bought every bit of their scheme. It had even made the young summoner angry, which was exactly what Yunalseca wanted. It was the perfect diversion. Perfect in every way. Zanarkand would be wholly unprepared for what was to come and they had no way to fight back. There were no weapons being manufactured in Zanarkand, of this Yunalesca had made certain. Only textiles and functional helper machina.
Bevelle, however, was conducting the final tests on a vast arsenal of machina, designed only to attack and destroy. She was proud of her father and proud of herself. Together, they would bring change to the face of Spira, and once they were finished, Yevon would be a household name. The world would follow them. They would be the shelter for thousands upon thousands of sinners.
Yunalesca did not feel the least bit of sympathy for the people of Spria. Her father had been right. They had become lazy, and it was time to teach them a lesson.
All she had to do was play the role of Zanarkand's protector for a little while longer.
Yuna and her guardians entered the dome, where pyreflies swarmed thicker than she'd ever seen before. There were even more here than she'd seen on the Farplane. Everywhere the colored balls of light swirled, reflecting off of every surface. They even seemed to have become part of the walls, which pulsed with iridescent light. Yuna feared that if they stayed too long, they would be swallowed by them.
"This is kinda creepy," Rikku said.
"Creepy isn't the word," Gippal murmured. "I've never seen anything like this."
"Come on," Yuna said. She lead the way to the Chamber of the Fayth, where no Aeon resided. The pyreflies followed them up the path, dancing and swirling behind them.
Around them, the walls seemed to shift. For just a second, Yuna thought she saw images of the Old Zanarkand as she'd seen in Kilika. She glanced around to confirm it and saw only the walls of the ruined temple.
In the Chamber of the Fayth, Yuna did not need to pray. The Fayth was already waiting for her. This was the little boy that she had become familiar with over the the last few years.
"Are you ready to go?" he asked.
"Go where?"
"To Zanarkand of course."
"We're already here," Yuna said, confused.
"Not this Zanarkand. This Zanarkand is dead."
"There's another Zanarkand?"
"Yes. Zanarkand of one thousand years ago."
Gippal shook his head in disbelief. "Do what?"
"It's the only way to heal Spira."
"You mean time travel?" Yuna asked.
"Yes."
"Is that possible?" Rikku asked.
"Anything is possible."
"And when we get there," Yuna said. "What is it that you want us to do?"
"Stop Yu Yevon, of course. Before he has a chance to become Sin."
"That sounds easy enough," Rikku said with a shrug. "We beat him before."
"It won't be."
"And Tidus?" Yuna asked.
"Ahh. The one you seek," the Fayth said. "You will be seeing him sooner than you think. But be warned. He will not know you. Remember, it was our dream that brought him to you. He had already lived, and dreamed of his Zanarkand for a thousand years when you knew him. In this time, he still lives. He will know nothing of you or your Spira."
"That doesn't sound fair," Rikku said. "We do all this work, and he won't know her?"
The Fayth laughed. "If their love was meant to be, he will love her again."
"I understand," Yuna said. "I am ready to go."
"You understand that changing the past is delicate work. Every action you take will have an impact on the future. Should you succeed, there will have been no Sin. The friends you have made along the way will not know you, should you choose to return to your own time."
Yuna nodded. "The laws of causality."
"Exactly."
"So your saying, if we defeat Yu Yevon a thousand years in the past, then there will be no Sin, and Yunie's father won't be dead when we get back," Rikku said.
"Yes. The summoners, and their guardians would be safe, if there was no sin," The Fayth said.
Yuna hadn't thought of that. What a wonderful thought - to have her father back. "But, if that's the case, then I would never have met Kimari, or Lulu or Wakka because I would never have gone to Besaid."
"Nor Auron, or any of the people you have met on your journey" the Fayth said. "It presents a problem, of course, but if you succeed, it will be your choice in the end. You may choose to stay in Zanarkand, or you may choose to go home. Just know that home will be vastly different when you return."
"Yeah, like, Lulu and Wakka would never have gotten married and had Vidina, 'cause Chappu wouldn't have died fighting Sin," Rikku said. "Oh, bummer."
Yuna nodded. "I understand," she said to the Fayth and she looked at her friends. "It's not too late for you to back out."
"No way," Rikku said. "You'll still be my cousin in this time or that one."
"Gippal?"
"Hey, I wanna see these legendary Machina."
"Paine?"
"I've got nothing better to do," she said with a shrug.
"Then let's go," Yuna said. She turned to the Fayth. "We're ready."
"One thing before you go. Do not reveal too much about this future until it's absolutely necessary," the Fayth said. "You must gain their trust first."
As it had in Kilika, Zanarkand began to rebuild itself, but this time, it was no mere image. The walls around them began to change for real. The cracks in the walls began to mend, the walkways became level and the scattered shards of stained glass began to fly back into their frames. It was like watching a film in reverse.
Yuna felt a strange pulling sensation that made her slightly nauseous. It felt as if the floor was dropping out beneath her. She looked down at her feet to confirm that the ground was still there. It was there all right, however, the rocks and bits of debris moved and shifted under her feet.
The damp smell of decay faded and was replaced by something cleaner - salty ocean air at first, then the musky scent of temple incense filled her nostrils. The broken floor tiles clattered back into their respective places and the pillars stacked up by themselves.
When the pyreflies faded, the candles relit in their fixtures, and people appeared around them. They were no longer in the Chamber of the Fayth. They now stood just inside the newly repaired temple doors, in the newly repaired main dome.
Yuna looked around, speechless. This was the most spectacular temple she'd seen yet. There were ornate glass works of art on the walls, each depicting a different Aeon and illuminated from behind by a candle. They glowed in the dim light, and bathed the ornate mosaic floor in soft colors. Everything was gilded in gold, and heavy crimson velvet draperies hung from the ceiling.
She had expected to land in the middle of a war, but all seemed well. She glanced around at the people praying. They gave no sign of panic or stress. They were just ordinary people, saying their daily devotionals to the Fayth.
"This can't be for real," Rikku whispered.
"It must be," Yuna said. She reached out and touched the wall. It was smooth and solid and untouched by ruin or age.
"Is there something I can help you with?" A monk asked. Yuna noticed he was dressed in a bejeweled robe of crimson and gold. Such a thing would not have been allowed in the Temples of Yevon, at least, not in her time. It was too decadent, too finely made, the fabric too expensive to serve as a temple robe. She reminded herself that the practice of Yevon had not yet been introduced here, that summoners were still considered strange, if they were considered at all.
Yuna thought fast. "I am a Summoner, and these are my guardians," she said. "If it's not too much trouble, we would like an audience with the High Summoner."
"Of course, My lady," the monk said humbly. "Please, wait here. I will inform her of your arrival."
Lenne had somehow managed to convince Shuyin that staying at the temple would be like a mini vacation, without him blowing up at her. At the very least, she hoped, he'd take a look around, see the nuns and monks and realize that there was nothing suspicious about the Temple. She hoped it would calm his fears, at least for a little while.
Yunalesca had been right when she had said there wasn't much on the schedule. In the last three days, Lenne only had to teach the daily apprentice classes and had performed one sending. It wasn't so bad, really. She wouldn't mind doing this all the time. And today, she was giving Shuyin and Tidus a private tour of the Temple, in hopes of calming Shuyin's nervousness about being here. He'd been inside the temple many times, but he'd never had a behind the scenes look at what went on behind the closed chamber doors. He would see that the temple was benign and with any luck, he'd stop worrying. And Tidus knew little to nothing about the practice of summoning, and Lenne thought it would be a good way to introduce the boy to the temple.
While she waited for the two young men to arrive, she straightened up Lady Yunalesca's private rooms. They weren't out of order, but she needed something to occupy her hands while she waited.
There was a knock at the door and she opened it, expecting to see Shuyin and Tidus. Instead, a monk stood outside, his hands clasped together. "Sorry to disturb you, Lady Lenne, but there are some visitors waiting to see you."
"Visitors?" she asked.
"Yes M'lady. A summoner and her guardians."
Lenne nodded. "I will be there in a moment. Thank you," she said. She flipped through Yunalesca's appointment book and saw no record of anything on the books other than the classes scheduled for today. Usually, when a summoner visited another temple, an appointment was made for an audience with the temple's high summoner. This was a surprise visit, she supposed, perhaps spies from Bevelle, and she decided it was best to be cautious.
She entered the main dome and approached the group of strangely dressed people standing before the passage to the Chamber of the Fayth. "Hi there," she greeted them. "I am Lady Lenne."
A girl about her own age bowed and then flashed her a friendly, but surprised smile, as if she had not expected to see someone like Lenne before her. If Lenne didn't know better, there was a hint of recognition in the girl's eyes. "I am Lady Yuna, of Besaid. And these are my guardians, Rikku, Paine and Gippal."
"Pleased to meet all of you. So, are you here to receive the Aeon Yojimbo?" Lenne asked, noting that Yuna's guardians stared at the temple around them in awe.
"No," Yuna said. "I have already received the Aeons."
"I see," Lenne said, curious. "So what brings you to Zanarkand?"
"I wish to serve here at the Temple," Yuna said.
Occasionally, summoners came to study with Yunalesca, but it wasn't often, and the never arrived unannounced. Something like this should have been in the appointment book, unless this summoner had come without permission from her temple.
"Lady Yunalesca is away on business," Lenne said, taking a closer look at Yuna. She sensed this girl was experienced, that her pilgrimage had been particularly difficult. In her eyes, Lenne saw wounds that ran deep, as if she'd lost something dear to her some time in the recent past. Lenne sensed that Lady Yuna was a dedicated summoner, and a strong one. It was enough to convince her that this girl was not a spy from Bevelle.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Yuna said.
"It's all right," Lenne said. "I'm glad you are here. We could use a few experienced summoners around here. Right now, there are only three, myself included."
"Thank you. I'm happy to be here."
"I'm giving a tour of the temple in just a little while. If you'd like, you can come along, get reacquainted with the place," Lenne said. "And, I'll go ahead and have our guest rooms made ready for you."
"I appreciate that," Yuna said. "But you don't have to go to the trouble."
"It's no trouble. We rarely have guests, so the rooms are almost never used. You're welcome to stay as long as you like."
Yuna hoped she'd been convincing. She hadn't really lied yet, but he knew she would have to in the future. It would be difficult to keep the secrets of the future under wraps. It would be difficult not to give anything away.
She found it hard to believe that the first person she'd met in Zanarkand was Lenne. It hadn't occurred to her that their paths would cross again, but she thought she'd done well in disguising her surprise. She supposed that Shuyin would be somewhere nearby, and that thought made her nervous. But, she reasoned, the Shuyin they'd known wasn't the real Shuyin. There must be some good in him. He had loved Lenne enough to die for her, after all.
Everything was connected, of course, but seeing Lenne was a surprise just the same.
"This is freaky," Rikku said. She rested her hand on her forehead.
"You got that right," Paine said.
"So, Yunie, what's next?" Rikku asked as they waited for their tour of the temple.
"I don't know," she said. "I guess we wait and see what happens."
"We travel a thousand years into the past and 'wait and see' is all we have?" Paine asked.
"She's right," Rikku said. "It feels kinda nuts just to be here. It doesn't seem real."
"Keep your voices down, we don't want to make anyone suspicious," Yuna warned. The last thing she wanted to do was raise anyone's alarm. She wanted them to trust her, so that when the time came, they'd believe in her enough to trust what she said was the truth. She needed Lenne and Shuyin especially to trust in her, otherwise, coming to Zanarkand would turn out to be a massive waste of time.
The temple door opened and a pair of young men entered the massive dome. They were both blonde and of athletic build, though still too far away for Yuna to make a positive identification. Her breath caught in her throat as they drew closer. She couldn't breathe . . . . couldn't think. Could they be . . .
The pair stopped just a few feet away, close enough to confirm that she had found what she'd come for. Her heart began to pound, and she had to force herself not to throw herself at him and cry all the tears she hadn't cried in the last three years. She had to tell herself that he wouldn't know her, had to grab Rikku's hand to keep herself from grabbing him, just to make sure he was real.
"Yunie," Rikku whispered and gave her hand a squeeze. "It's him."
"I know," she choked out. She couldn't make herself stop staring. She hoped he didn't notice.
Tidus glanced over at the group, caught Yuna gaping at him and smiled at her. That grin . . . it was what she'd waited to see for so long. She suddenly felt lightheaded and she couldn't breathe.
"Yunie, you ok?" Rikku asked.
Yuna's vision went cloudy. Her heart thundered in her chest as if it was trying to get out and she swayed on her feet, overtaken by a dizzy spell.
Then, she collapsed to the floor.
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Notes:
Mwaa ha ha ha...I love cliff hangers.
BabyRose...Oops...Baralai was supposed to be sleeping! I'm a crappy editor. But, you are correct. It was supposed to be Gippal.
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