Tidus whimpered lightly in his sleep. His eyes opened only a small slit, tired and still sleepy, his conscious mind was still floating into the realms of his dreams. The orange glitter of consuming coals glowed with a misty aura on his face. The warmth spread through his pale scales, caressing the quilt he was using to cover himself. The flames had long died away, and a murky glitter sparkling in the black depths of carbon was all that remained of the fire.
Kimahri was already asleep, laying comfortably on his large, thick bed, with a quilt made out of animal fur, wool, and cotton, filled inside with the warm feathers of a garuda. The ronso was oblivious to the Vihur's dreams, to his uneasy nights, and the way this visions had been conditioning his life lately. The reptile, stiffing a wide yawn, rested his head back over his paws and went back to sleep.
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Tidus might not be obeying Feren's words completely. However, Tidus didn't consider Feren might be more important than him. Sure, he was not a High Priest, and somehow the thought of it attracted him, but he was magically as powerful as that mage, and without an exhaustive training. The boy had other ideas in mind, he had to recover his soul once he lost it, because to his kind, a spirit was very important. For that he would leave some of the most important events of his life, some hints for his soul to discover, for himself to know and to begin a search for the body.
The boy found a perfect spot. Too high up in the mountains for anyone to live, too hidden but not such that it was impossible to find. He believe his soul would not have a lot of problems to find it, as long as it kept thinking the way it was thinking now. Tidus realized just how confusing those thoughts were, having to speak about himself in dual proportion. The boy began his work, carving scenes on the walls, writing their explanation. He took special care when representing Lya, his beloved Lya, and even had to stop when his vision became blurry. Finally he represented himself, his strands of silvery golden hair, his slender figure, his young features, everything he could. Then, he proceeded to sign the work, thinking that this was a final for his soul to know the truth.
"Tidus.L"
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The people of Bevelle couldn't believe their eyes. Waking up as the city was, the tranquillity had returned to the marketplace. Everyone knew about the Vihur that had ventured into the large city, and who had viciously attacked a small commerce and stolen a chocobo chick. The merchant had redone his job and was once again selling his stock, the fear and frustration of the attack long gone. People shopped, the merchants screamed their offers, and a few sold prohibited stock into the dark alleys and the back rooms of certain shops. Everything was the way it should be, and nothing was going to disturb the peace of the chaotic life at Bevelle. Or so its inhabitants thought.
A large, chestnut chocobo galloped past. The animal was visibly exhausted, but the rider, a beautiful Al Bhed sorceress kept urging him on. People leapt aside as the animal stomped past mercilessly, carts were leapt over, or bashed when they blocked the animal's path. The bird squeaked as the woman hit him again with the long, useless part of the reins.
They were gone as quickly and as mysteriously as they had appeared, leaving behind an enormous amount of destruction and havoc. Fallen tents, toppled merchant shops, and stock sprawled all about the street. Chocobo chicks were running all about the main road, freed when one an had leapt right onto the commerce. It seemed as if a tornado married with a typhoon had decided to race furiously past the always tranquil city of Bevelle. Future generations would speak of that day of how a powerful sorceress mounting on her devious dragon bird had appeared and had threatened to destroy the whole city.
Rikku ignored all of this, as she began her climbing up the Mount Gagazet. The animal was breathing heavily, exhausted, but obedient and docile like only a chocobo could be. She galloped past the small ronso village, saluting with a hand, holding the reins expertly on her other hand. Soon she was descending the mount. That was when a shadow flew over her head, an enormous winged beast had blocked the sun for a brief moment, a second, but that was enough. Rikku looked up, but saw nothing, the beast had vanished speedily, hidden by the heights of the mount's peaks.
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Tidus trotted down the mount, a sword held tightly on his reptilian back, tied with a strap around his chest. It was all Kimahri had been able to give him, a rather precarious sword, very normal for his taste and without any special ability. It wasn't like his old sword, but then again, it was the best Kimahri could give him, apart from those lances he couldn't control. He was excited, he was full of euphoria, he was willed and valiant, stronger than he had ever been. His dreams were long forgotten, still lurking into the shadows of his mind, but hidden behind the veil of determination. He had perceived a shadow, one enormous beast slithering over his head, hence he granted it little importance, focused on his desires of humanity.
The white reptile galloped around a corner and his pale eyes blinked when the brilliance of a newborn sun caressed him with the flaming wings. Tidus saw it, there, standing as impressive as it always had, laid the once glorious city of Zanarkand. A surge of energy hit him as he ran, and suddenly the four clawed feet had given place to the two, strong, human legs, covered in a tan skin. Tidus ran in his human shape, feeling the excitement of the oncoming battle burning in his blood.
It didn't take him long to reach the ruins. They were as empty as ever, gone like it was the cult to Yevon. The boy lost no minute, sword in hand he descended into the shadows of the large, stadium ruins, and began descending into the depths of the lower chambers. This had been the same place where Yunalesca had hidden, hence being the only building that it still contained chambers, it was of logical thinking that Soletha was to be hidden here.
The boy climbed down the ruins, walked down precarious stairs, and finally entered one chamber, one enormous room, big enough to fit the dragon. Tidus, hidden into the shadows, gasped rather loudly. There it was, his attention being called, the enormous beast was resting the vigorous and strong body over the crumbled stones. That is half of what Tidus was expecting, but the other half took him completely by surprise.
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The poor chocobo was completely exhausted. Rikku gave him a breath, pacing gently, slowly, over the sandy path. There she was, staring at Zanarkand once again, from the heights of a narrow path. On one side was a thick, stone wall, not much taller than four metres, being as she was at the very height. Next to her right side was a cliff, this one so profound and deep it was dazzling. The chocobo paced gently, head low, and taking in deep, laboured breaths. He had been galloping all night and was visibly tired.
"Zanarkand, at least. Hold on Tidus, please, hold on!" Rikku prayed hopefully, glancing with worry at the unnaturally calm ruins.
A very acute, loud screech startled her, tearing and shattering the silence with cruel vice. Rikku looked up and barely had time to realize what was going on. A garuda, a very angry one flapped the feathered wings rapidly, only to close them and fall upon the rider and her creature, claws ready and fanged mouth wide open. Rikku tried a thunder spell, one attempt at saving herself which, unfortunately, missed due to her concentration on protecting herself with the very hand that held the staff.
The chocobo squeaked and took one step aside to avoid the attack, one calculated step which could have worked had it not been for destiny's strange way of playing her cards. The animal landed his enormous weight over the edge of the cliff, knowing well his paces, and tried to hold the garuda back with a sharp blow of his powerful beak. The garuda flapped up once again, and maintained the distance carefully, glancing at the valiant animal with anger. Everything could have been fine, but the stone where the chocobo's right foot was placed gave in, and the animal was too tired to regain balance. Rikku yelled, the chocobo squealed but finally the girl fell down the cliff with her animal.
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The first time Tidus had heard about Soletha, being mentioned briefly by the High Priest, Laethos, he had imagined a cruel, bloodthirsty dragon, covered in black and red scaled, and with vicious amber eyes, with enormous fangs glittering in crimson stains. Instead Tidus was gazing at an enormous beast, that was obvious, laying placidly in a restful nap, and glancing at him with curiosity.
Soletha was the largest monster, apart from Sinh, he had ever seen. He was white, with a tint of silver glittering on his velvety scales. A mane of silvery gold fur railed his long neck, from the forehead till the shoulders. His wings were leathery, yet covered in long strands of white fur at the bony tips of each claw. The fangs were large and sharp, at least he had been right on that one. However, his beautiful, oceanic blue eyes were so sad, dull, as if they lacked something very important.
"You are… Soletha?" inquired Tidus gasping again, walking towards the dragon slowly, cautiously.
"I am… in a way, Tidus!" the dragon looked at Tidus calmly, and saw the precarious sword on his hand with some pity.
"How do you know my name?" inquired Tidus frowning with suspicion, hence shrugging it off, accustomed as he was to all of this oddities.
"You should know that, Tidus." Soletha's blue eyes glinted knowingly, "however I have heard you want to be human forever. Prove yourself worthy then!" the dragon roared all of a sudden and stood up as vast and wide as he was,.
Tidus obeyed immediately, and leapt forward, exhaling a growl, his gloved hand clenching the sword very tightly. The fight began, Tidus lost no second and slashed the dragon' paw, making him roar and whimper lightly, making him far more furious. On the run, Tidus was trying to make himself more furious to maintain his ecstasy until the sun sank into the distant ocean. Soletha roared and shot a haze of luminous energy at the boy.
An image flashed before his eyes, that same energy, that power filling him up inside.
Tidus leapt aside with agility, evading the attack with more ease than he would have thought. The boy leapt over a stone, and climbed over the ruins until he was at the exact height. Once there the boy leapt over the dragon's wing and raced towards the back, which was wide and flat, easy to walk over it. The dragon made a shivering movement, almost as if trying a weak attempt of getting rid of the boy's presence.
"Curious!" thought Tidus rather consternated, "I would have thought Soletha would put more of his part to destroy me! It's almost as if he isn't doing any effort!" he deduced glancing at the dragon with worry.
The boy climbed up the golden, silvery mane, determined to reach the head. The dragon lowered his neck rapidly, which made the boy float for a few seconds, gripped tightly upon the thick fur. A shriek filled the air very loudly, almost hurting his senses, and making the dragon inflate his lungs, and tremble with the pain this sound caused him. Into the chambers flew the most magnificent animal any of them had ever seen. It was an eagle, golden like the brilliant sun, with pure white falling on the tip of the wings, chest, tail, face and stomach.
The dragon growled at that new threat, and shook his head very abruptly and harshly. Tidus was sent flying into the shadows of a corner, his body rolled onto the hard ground, scratching his flesh against the sharp stones and razor edges and remains of glass that rested on the floor. The boy felt the pain hitting every inch of his body, and he groaned rather loudly, his humanity vanishing into the reptile shape of a white vihur. The reptile stood up with much effort, he had sub estimated the dragon and had been easily defeated. Tidus realized as he stood up that he had landed by a crumbled old wall, made out of thick boulders of stone, and which's paint had been peeling off since a long time ago. Resting against the wall was a mirror.
Tidus glanced inside the mirror, realizing it was the first mirror he saw in years since his journey through the pilgrimage and his posterior demise or vanishing never brought him close to any mirror. However it wasn't a Vihur staring back, not even his human self. There was a very young man, about his age, with childish features, staring back at him. His hair was of a silvery golden shade, shorter and thinner than his very own, and falling in delicate, silky strands over his forehead. His eyes were his own, oceanic blue, and glancing with surprise at the youth.
The eagle flew against the dragon's head, attempting to claw at the blue eyes with vice. The animal did a great job at avoiding the attack, placing the horns before the animal to protect his valuable orbs. Then he exhaled a roar at the bird as the beast flew off towards the ceiling. The animal tried one manoeuvre, turning on the air and falling quick upon the dragon, flying under his throat to steer back up. Soletha emitted one weak roar, closer to a whimper than to an actual growl. There was a stone, an enormous boulder had lost itself from the ceiling and was falling upon the eagle. The animal, proudly glancing at the dragon, did not see it.
"Rikku watch out!" growled the dragon, opening the enormous mouth and firing a beam of light metres over the eagle's head.
The animal saw it and dived down at full speed, while a rain of tiny pebbles and dust fell upon her feathered body, destroyed by the dragon's beam. Tidus glanced at the scene, seeing everything, then back into the eyes of that strange man in the mirror. He knew who he was, but he seemed different, in a way. His mind flew again into the visions that had filled his dreams lately, and this time he was flying, with Lya the dragon flying next to him. Everything became very clear to him, and his body began to glow, pireflies escaping his scaly skin.
"Soletha!" called the lizard at the dragon, running towards him rapidly, and standing before him.
"Tidus!" there was nostalgia in his voice, and his eyes sparkled upon seeing the sparkling, luminous figure.
"You… you are Laethos, right?" questioned the small reptile, although he knew the answer.
"Yes!" nodded the animal solemnly, and smiled almost lovingly at the animal.
"And… and I am you!" Tidus inquired calmly, staring at the animal almost shamefully.
The eagle squeaked loudly, and her figure changed into that of the sorceress immediately upon hearing those words. This time, however, she had changed upon will.
"Indeed, your name is Tidus Laethos, which means Spirit of the Dragon. We were one brilliant player of the Zanarkand Abes, married to a lovely woman, expecting a child. When Sinh came, we lost everything." Laethos, the enormous dragon, had began to glow as well as Tidus.
"So when you became the Fayths, you created Zanarkand, not only because you knew it. You were also hoping I would remember and return. That is also the reason why both of us can feel the same feelings!" Tidus chirped cheerfully, glancing at Laethos rather excited, glowing even brighter.
"I… I don't understand anything!" commented Rikku confused, her eyes tearful with worry.
"You understand it now Tidus? I couldn't tell you, you had to figure it out by yourself so that is why invented Soletha and the epic fight, hoping you would realize before you came here. All those hints, everything. The only way to fix what we broke was if you realized everything by yourself!" the dragon bellowed with a proud smile, glowing even brighter.
"That I am your Spirit!" Tidus proclaimed strongly, inflating his chest and smiling at the dragon with expectance.
There was an enormous flash of radiant light. Pireflies floated lazily into the brilliance, the luminosity expanding throughout the whole chamber, engulfing the Vihur and the enormous dragon into one igniting ball of star like glow. Rikku was thrown backwards, and her hand had to cover her eyes in order of protecting them from the harmful light. She inhaled several deep breaths, it was hard to breath, and a surge of energy coursed around her, evading her yet absorbing all oxygen. Once the glow subsided, the girl looked up worriedly, cautiously in order of avoiding any damage to occur to her spiralled, green eyes.
There was nothing odd, and a lot of odd things as well. Laethos was laying on a heap, unconscious, resting over the stones. He was in human shape, dressed with a white, wide shirt, a pair of brown pirate pants, and light shoes. It was odd, but to Rikku, although he was the same man, there was a curious difference in him, as if he was younger. Tidus, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. The small Vihur had disappeared into nothingness, probably destroyed by the energy and spread around in pireflies.
Rikku ran towards the man, gripped him from the shirt and shook him vigorously, trying to wake him up. Laethos' eyes fluttered open, his blurry vision focused onto the girl and a feeble, placid smile appeared upon his lips, gently and glad of her presence.
"Rikku…" he said happily, his voice was gentle and melodious like it had always been, but there was an emotion floating inside it, some depth in his sentiments Rikku had never seen.
"Laethos! What did you do to Tidus? He is gone!" called the woman, glaring at the man yet on the verge of tears.
"Tidus? But… I am Tidus, Rikku!" the man exclaimed, suddenly glancing at his pale, delicate hands.
The boy hadn't granted Rikku time to answer. He had stood up as soon as he had seen his hands, and had raced upon the mirror. His eyes focused on the image reflecting on it, glancing down at his human legs and hands, and back at the image. It had been the same vision seen in his Vihur shape, but there was a security now that he was no longer the small reptile.
"Rikku!" he exclaimed turning around, his smile broad and showing a collection of perfect, pearly teeth, "I am human?" he inquired doubtfully, yet conscious of the answer.
"Y… Yes!" she stuttered doubtfully, glancing at the man's eyes curiously, frowning at the lack of understanding.
Then she saw it. It was doubtless that the man was Laethos, yet somehow the weight of a whole responsibility had vanished, being lifted from his back, making him look younger. However, glowing in the depths of his eyes was no longer that shadow, that lack of something, that dullness. Inside his eyes was the ocean, the adventure, the youth, the joy of living to the limit. Those were not the eyes of Laethos, those were the unique eyes of Tidus.
"Tidus!" called the girl, running towards him, and leaping upon his arms.
"Oh, Rikku, I missed you!" the boy hugged her tightly and inhaled her scent deeply.
"You have to explain me a lot of things!" the girl growled lightly, trying to appear angry when glancing at the young boy.
"Yeah, I know, just wait till I explain them to myself!" Tidus laughed lightly, keeping one arm still around the girl, "Hey, you passed your exams, right?" the boy inquired very curious.
"No, I failed the last one!" the girl stated shamefully, looking down and sinking her shoulders.
"Who says you failed? I'm the High Priest now, so I say you have passed your exams, and I will abdicate on you, High Priestess!" Tidus stated with a happy smile, glancing at the girl through a sparkling gaze.
"Oh… Tidus, thank you!" the girl yelped cheerfully, leaping onto his arms again and hugging him tightly.
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Five months after the whole Tidus Laethos episode, Kimahri was having one fine day studying his favourite carvings in the walls. Now he knew what they meant, but he was hoping to find something else hidden behind their fine carving. The ronso felt the sun fall upon his furry back, and several drops of humidity, the remaining snow which was melting, trickling through his neck.
At his right, a good half a metre after the ending of the sequence of carvings, something called Kimahri's attention. There was an enormous boulder, with enough space for children to fit in through it, yet nothing bigger could fit it. The Ronso however had seen some strange gashes on the walls, the ice and the sun in it reflecting the drawings, sparkling their presence. The ronso pulled the rock away, the effort was maximum since the stone had been there for thousands of years, and was deep inside the hardened ground.
The ronso gasped loudly. They were carvings drawn by children, a human boy and a human girl in various postures, games, sharing food with ronsos, and other traditional ways of live followed by his people. There was something written in the old language of ronsos, hard to read but not impossible, and Kimahri was accustomed to it already.
"My sister and I have no parents. Reihras, our step mother Ronso told us my mother and father died when fighting Sinh. My sister wants to be a Summoner, but Reihras will not let her, I don't understand why. I would like to be like my father, a strong warrior. By the way, my mother's name was Lya, and my father was Tidus. Reihras always reminds us who they were, for they were very brave. They died almost 400 years ago, and you might wonder why we are still like eight year old humans. Dragons grow very slowly. I have to go now, Reihras is calling. Vaan. Year 355 after the First Redemption!"
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"I have something very important to tell you!" Kimahri was inhaling deep breaths, as if he had come running all the way from mount Gagazet, which he probably had.
"What happened Kimahri? Tell me!" Tidus was at the door of the tower, staring at the man with worry.
"You have two children, a boy and a girl!" Kimahri hissed in an exhausted voice.
"I have what?" Tidus gasped becoming paler than he already was, glancing at Kimahri as if he was crazy. Truth was the only thing reflecting his eyes.
The End.
AN: Ok, this is the end, or is it? If you people ask me long and loud about it, there will be a sequel about this story. Many things will be revealed, for example, who are this children? Review and tell me what you think about it.
Theatrical trailer.
"You have two children" Kimahri says with a tired voice.
"I have what?" Tidus gasps surprised.
'When Tidus had regained his life, the past haunts him again'
"There is two of them, a boy and a girl!" Kimahri explains.
Tidus seems worried, and Rikku holds his hand gently.
"I'm going to search for them!" Tidus exclaims suddenly, determined, standing up and shaking a fist.
"I'm going with you!" Rikku comments with a smile.
'Meanwhile some odd sickness is spreading through Spira'
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Order of New Yevon, we must find the reason why this disease is happening!" Yuna stands in front of the highest members of the Order.
"It is a demency, Lady Yuna, a madness, I say we exile this dements until finding a cure!" Wakka estates, and soon the rest of the Order agree with cheers.
"Very well…" Yuna seems tired.
'Affecting everyone without a distinction'
Yuna screams, holding her hair tightly, while gazing into a mirror.
"Mommy, are you ok?" a little girl with pale eyes and platinum hair stares at Yuna.
"I am fine…" Yuna answers without conviction.
'However, a young thief found to be bearer of such madness is not going to give up'
"I said I'm not crazy!" a young boy with pale golden hair and intense blue eyes yells.
He is seen running away from the authorities of New Yevon, as they pursue him to capture him.
'The Conclave also celebrates a meeting to consider this topic'
"I don't think it is really a madness!" states Lulu calmly, glancing at the High Priests of various other towers.
"We should investigate it deeply before giving an outcome!" Rikku says calmly, glancing at the group.
"Then lets find a dement!" Tidus points out.
'The encounter?'
"You? You are my father?" the pirate boy looks up at Tidus.
"Vaan!" Tidus exclaims.
'Love blooms'
"I… I'm sorry Vaan, I'm dating your father!" Rikku says sadly, glancing at the boy with desiring eyes.
Vaan inhales a deep breath, and stares at the woman deceived.
'Meet Vaan, a pirate thief.'
'Yuna, High Summoner'
'Rikku, the High Priestess'
'Tidus, the last Guardian of Bahamut'
'Lulu, High Priestess'
'Into the most thrilling, emotive and wonderful adventure of all the times!'
"You are the only one who can stop this!" Rikku says with a worried glance.
'The letters flash in bright, bluish white over a black background'
THE LAST WIZARD
Stay tuned for The Last Wizard. On your best Fan Fiction site in the next days.