Chapter Five: Zanarkand's Second Dream

Yuna slept peacefully that night, cradled in her loving husband's arms. Tidus, on the other hand, was troubled by dreams. Dreams he had not had since the pilgrimage two years ago. A mysterious girl appeared, and in his dreams, he knew who it was. It was his cousin, Miliyah, whom he had not seen for almost three years. But she disappeared in the confusion of Sin's attack, and Tidus had been thrown into the future, to Spira. He had thought Miliyah dead. He awoke in a cold sweat. He had forgotten that he was in Spira, with Yuna. Yuna awoke from her sleep slowly, and wrapped herself in the bed sheets. She spoke with a great yawn, as the first rays of sunlight hit the Island of Besaid.

"Tidus what's wrong sweetie? It's barely dawn. Come back to bed."

Tidus debated whether or not to tell her about the dream, about Miliyah.

"I dreamt about my cousin. I thought she was dead but she…"

Yuna cut him off by standing, and rummaging through her dresser, and drew out a small piece of paper. Shinra had invented a new device called a camera, and it was just like a sphere, but it wouldn't break as easily as a sphere. Yuna showed Tidus the picture, of her and a young woman, with purple hair.

"Is that her Tidus?"

Tidus snatched the picture and held it under the light. Sure enough, it was Miliyah.

"Where is she? Is she alive?"

Yuna pushed her lips to his, and smiled. She had to shut him up somehow she thought.

"She's here in Spira. I found her washed up on the beach, about a week after you vanished. She had nothing on, no food, nothing. All she could say was two sentences before she collapsed. 'My name is Miliyah. Sin attacked Zanarkand.' We brought her to the temple to rest, and nursed her back to health. I didn't tell you, because she asked me not to. Miliyah and I talked for a long time, and we became very close friends. She's waiting for us in the Ruins of Zanarkand. For you, Tidus."

Yuna handed him a pendant. Tidus took it, and looked at it. It was Miliyah's. It was a clean-cut sapphire. Jecht had given it to her when she turned ten. He smiled, knowing that someone else had survived Sin's attack on Zanarkand. Miliyah was his only family member still alive, and she was his only cousin. He turned to Yuna, and smiled.

"It's time for me to go meet my cousin Yuna. Shower, dress and call the Celsius. We're going to Zanarkand again!"

Tidus was absolutely thrilled. He remembered the fun times with Miliyah. How they used to watch Jecht play Blitzball. Miliyah was always loud and energetic, while Tidus was cheerful and hyper. Some called them the Crazy Cousins of Zanarkand. He quickly showered and rushed outside to dress and eat.

"Are you ready Yuna?"

She nodded as the great red airship landed on the hilltop, and they sped off to the ruins of Zanarkand. Tidus jumped from the ship with Yuna, and he saw a young woman standing where his floating house used to be, dressed in a velvet kimono, emblazoned with the purple roses he used to grow. She turned to see them, as a wide smile creased her rosy lips. She had her vibrant purple hair in an elegant yet simple bun, held in place with the coral hairpin Tidus had made for her. Her dark eyes darted back and forth at them both as she drew her best friend into a hug. Yuna smiled as she saw her best friend looking so elegant, just for this reunion of family, a thousand years in the making. Miliyah released her grip on Yuna and turned to her cousin, who was hanging in the shadows, the way he always had. He dropped upside-down and hugged Miliyah from behind.

"Miliyah, we're home."

She laughed a little, in the soft giggle she always had, and spoke in her soft silky voice.

"You haven't changed a bit Tidus. I thought you were dead, but I called out to you nonetheless. And it reached you finally, and here we are. We're all together again. The Crazy Cousins of Zanarkand are back."

Tidus nodded and smiled, and held onto Yuna's hand, as he drew them both into a hug. Miliyah and Yuna both smiled, nodded and pushed him into the water playfully.

"Hey! What was that for?"

Tidus couldn't see them, but they were on the floor laughing. He climbed out of the water, wrapped and arm around each of them, and jumped into the water, soaking them.

"Not funny Tidus."

"Yeah what she said. Jeez, cousin. You really haven't changed."

Tidus laughed and grew serious.

"Miliyah, how on earth did you survive Sin's attack?"

She had hoped to avoid talking about this subject, but her younger cousin had a right to know. She had told Yuna, under the condition that she would not tell her husband.

"I knew long ago what happened to Jecht. I knew he was Sin. That day he disappeared, I was with my mother, at the beach. The pendant he gave me was a communicator. One he had made, so we could still talk. He only ever sent me one message. All he said was, 'Tell my son I love him.' But he forgot to disconnect it. I heard names, words and things. Braska, Auron, Yunalesca. Those were the names I heard. Final Aeon, Fayth, Sin. Lady Yunalesca was the first to defeat Sin with the Final Aeon. Jecht said he would become the Fayth, so he could save Spira. He spared me, my house, and everything in it. That's how I survived. But that's enough about that. You two are obviously happy together."

Yuna had not told Miliyah of how Tidus asked her to marry him, about the wedding, or about the Moonflow. So she told the story, up until the point of the Celsius flying away from the waterfall ruins. Miliyah listened to the story, and smiled at her cousins. Tidus was her cousin, and they were married, so that made them all family.

"Miliyah, we have a big house on Besaid. I want you there, with us. You're family. Please?"

Miliyah smiled, and nodded.

"I will, but we stay the night here tonight, and we return to Besaid tomorrow morning."

Tidus and Yuna smiled, and they did a group hug, Tidus hugging the two most important people in his life. Yuna was the happiest she had ever been. Her husband who loved her, and her best friend. Miliyah was happy to have things looking up for their family again. As the sun set on the Ruins of Zanarkand, they dried themselves, and walked to Miliyah's house, and walked inside, mouths agape at the furnishings. Marble floors, silver and gold everywhere. Miliyah led them upstairs, to their temporary room, where Tidus and Yuna both fell asleep almost instantly, exhausted. Miliyah slept on her large bed, wrapped in silk sheets.

They awoke early, as the sunlight was starting to shine down with a red hue. They had arranged for the Celsius to arrive at noon. Miliyah packed her belongings, and they all walked to the beach, where the great red airship set down, and picked them up, and flew off to Besaid Island once more