Okay, my first FFX story. It turned out rather different than I expected. But...I like it :) Hope you do too.
WARNING! SPOILERS ALERT!!! IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU WANT TO SPOIL IT!!! UNLESS YOU"RE STUCK AND HAVE NO WAY OF GETTING OUT! OR IF YOU JUST REALLY, REALLY WANT TO KNOW!
(Shutting up now...:)
Eternal
A Tidus/Yuna Story
The first time they met, she was a girl of power, resigned to die for the world. He was a boy, cheerful despite his home having been destroyed. But his home had been ravaged by Sin one thousand years ago, and yet he stood before her with her friends and Guardians. He was different, she knew it even then, but there was something else that stuck out.
He didn't believe his home was destroyed, didn't believe what Sin was capable of.
And they talked for the first time that night; she laid aside a time for her to speak, just for him. She didn't know why, when he asked her if they could talk, she didn't know why she did, but that wasn't the point. She did it anyway, and that was what mattered.
And they met again the next day. They were to travel together to Luca- he to look for a face that he might know, she, the beginning of her end.
And thus, the Pilgrimage began.
They talked again that day, drawn to each other like bees to the sweetest nectar, and she told him how she believed in his Zanarkand.
"I'll take you there, if you'd like," he said, ginning as only he could. And She smiled back.
And Sin came, showing that boy for the first time the true extent of his terrible power. He looked on the destroyed port town, face in stone, wondering if he would ever find his Zanarkand.
And later, he watched as She danced on the souls of the dead, sending them beyond where they could rest forever. He watched as tears slid down her cheeks and marveled that she was so strong. And he wondered why she had to dance for them, this dance of death. He wondered why it had to be her that suffered on such a journey. And he realized that he didn't know what he would do when the time came to leave.
The next day, she asked him to be her Guardian, to be by her side, always.
Another answered for him, and her wish for the moment was denied.
She didn't know why she asked, really. Because she wanted to be like her father, and have the son of her father's Guardian be her own? Because he brought her such happiness and laughter? But why didn't really matter…
"I just want him nearby…" She said, and it was true; she wanted him there with her. And she wondered what would happen when the time came for her to say goodbye.
And so they moved on.
Her journey flashed before her eyes as they came to Luca and found the legendary Guardian of her father's that had been missing for nearly ten years. Auron agreed to be her guardian, provided that the boy came along.
And so the time for goodbyes was left to another day…
And they traveled along the Mi'ihen Highroad, where they met again the man that had saved them with his powerful, and terrifying, aeon at Luca stadium: Maester Seymour. Neither the boy nor the girl liked him, something about his presence did not seem…right.
"Brave Crusaders of Spira, protectors of all Spira.
Believe in the path you have chosen, let faith be your strength!
I, Seymour Guado, maester of Yevon, will bear witness to your deeds today."
He spoke to them as though from a confusing dream, saying words and promises that no Maester should have said. And with those words…
Operation Mi'ihen began…
The Al Bhed were working with the Maesters, using the forbidden Machina to lure Sin to his captured Sinspawn, where he would be shot down by the ancient machinery.
The Al Bhed and Crusaders fought with valor…but nothing stood against Sin's power.
Many died.
And She danced upon their souls, leaving him to wonder why. What was it all for? Why fight to be rid of Sin for only the period of Calm? And why, why did she suffer so?
How much longer would she have to dance?
"In dark times she must shine bright. Now are dark times, she tries hard."
And still…they traveled ever on.
They faced trials and Temples of the Fayth, hearing whispers of disappearing summoners. They laughed together, and He found himself wondering why only he was truly laughing and happy. All too soon, it seemed, they came to the moonflow, before the city of Guadosalam.
They saw the ruins of a Machina City, buried under the water. And She was captured, like the others.
And He dived in to save her, with others close behind. They rescued her, mystery of the disappearances solved.
And He meets one he thought to have vanished in a Sin attack, one that had saved him when he traveled to Spira from his Zanarkand.
And she became a Guardian.
And so, they continued their journey.
And they come to Guadosalam, at the request of Maester Seymour, they hold council with him. They see Zanarkand, as it was one thousand years before, Seymour telling them tale of the lady Yunalesca…and her husband.
And Maester Seymour asked for Her hand in marriage.
But she wished to continue her pilgrimage. And they visited the place of the dead, the Farplane, to which all souls were sent. And they saw their memories of loved ones before them, asking for their souls to appear.
"Memories are nice…but that's all they are."
She spoke to him again, and they revealed their pasts, their mother and father. He hated his father, the man he now knew, killed so many to this day.
And She left with an answer.
And the father of Seymour, sent to the farplane only weeks ago, broke free, standing in the physical world. He dropped a sphere on the ground and vanished, leaving the mystery to Her…
And he wondered why the dead souls had to be sent to peace.
Seymour was gone to another temple that they too, needed to see.
And She would give him his answer soon.
"I've decided to marry…"
They traveled through lands of thunder and discovered a Sphere of Auron and their fathers. And He realized, that it was time to accept his fate.
And She journeyed to her soon-to-be husband.
A man, they learned as She was lead away, murdered his father. And they fought him, to protect Her, and in the process they killed the corrupted Maester. They were fugitives now…
"Ieyui…Nobomenu…Renmiri…Yojuyogo….Hasatekanae…Kutamae…"
And they met Sin, felt him calling to them.
And they awoke in a desert, on an island that was home to the Al Bhed. And…She…was gone.
And so they travel to the Home of the Al Bhed, forever searching for their lost summoner. And in the darkness of the Home that is being attacked, He learns the truth.
"You know, don't you? Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon. Yuna told you, didn't she? With the Final Aeon, she can beat Sin...but then...If she calls it, then the Final Aeon's gonna kill her. Even if she defeats Sin, it will kill Her too, you know?"
And now he knew that Her journey, Yuna's journey, would lead to death.
"Summoners shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves...just so the rest of Spira can be happy, right?"
And He wonders why. Why do they die, for the sake of the world that watches them go by, never to live and breathe again? Why…?
"But that is our choice…a world without Sin…that is the dream of all Yevon's children. And we will use that power, even if it means our lives!"
But He couldn't let that happen. Guilt settled into his heart at all he had told her, everything he said about 'after Sin was defeated'. He knew that he had to find her…
"I can't let her die! I'll find her!"
And they escaped the Home on ancient Machina, destroying what was left of their hiding place. And Rikku of the Al Bhed, their companion and friend, holds her tears as they bomb their own Home.
Ieyui…
Nobomenu…
Renmiri…
Yojuyogo…
Hasatekanae…
Kutamae…
And when they find Her, she is standing next to the Maester thought dead, ready to marry. And Yuna was clutched in his grasp, her own plans in mind. And He wonders how the Maester lives…
"He is dead. Dead as his father was. His attachment to this world kept him from the next…"
And Yuna's plan became clear. Her wish to send him to peace in the land of Dead Souls and Memories…the Farplane…
They fight the guardian beast of Bevelle to save her, gliding down harpoons where she awaits with the Maester.
And anger surges through him, as He had never felt before. Yuna is kept from her plan, as her friend's are held, helpless at gunpoint. And the Maester kisses the bride.
And He can hardly control himself as he watches Yuna struggle, fists clenching in horror and anger at the undead man.
And Yuna runs, running from her beckoning friends and new husband, running to the edge, where she will jump and fall.
"Don't worry. I can fly. Believe…"
And she falls, continuing her journey to the Chamber of the Fayth, waiting for her friends and Guardians.
But the Maester was waiting for them…
And they stood trial, pleading their case of murder. They discover the true face of Yevon that not only is Seymour unsent, but the Master of them all is still among the living when he should not be…
And Yuna pleaded with them, to realize their innocence and who the real traitors were…
"But what of Sin? I am a summoner, my lord, like my father before me! I am on a pilgrimage to stop the death that Sin brings. Are you…are you telling me that, too, is futile? Grand Maester Mika, I am not alone! All the people who have opposed Sin…their battles, their sacrifices-were they all in vain?"
But the opinion of the Maesters cannot be changed…
"Not in vain. No matter how many summoners give their lives, Sin cannot truly be defeated. The rebirth cannot be stopped. Yet the courage of those who fight gives the people hope. There is nothing Futile in the life and death of a summoner…"
And they are sentenced…to death.
But they don't let it end there. Expected to give up and die in a pit filled with water, the only way to survive is to navigate the maze…
The journey is hard…but they are reunited for a moment. But the cunning undead Maester strikes again. They battle him and run once more.
But He and Yuna share their feelings in twilight, under the glow of the dead souls…
"Forget about Sin, about being a summoner. Forget all that. You know, live a normal life. Come one now, Yuna, what do you say?"
"Maybe I will…what will I do if I give up my pilgrimage?"
"Hey! Zanarkand! Lets' go to Zanarkand! Not the one in Spira, the one I'm from! Yeah, we can all fly there. Everyone can go. Then, we'll have a big party at my place!"
"And then we could see Blitzball! Your Zanarkand Abes would play! We could all watch you play, in the stadium, all lit up at night! I'd cheer and cheer till I couldn't cheer anymore! What about after the game?"
"We'd go out and have fun!"
"In the middle of the night?"
"Sure! Zanarkand never sleeps! Let's go to the sea, before the sunrise. The city lights go out one by one. The stars fade… then the horizon glows, almost like it's on fire. It's kinda rose-colored, right? First in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter, till everything glows. It's really…pretty. I know you'd like it…"
"I'd like to see it…someday…"
"Well you can, Yuna, we can both go!"
"I can't…I just can't! I can't go!"
"Yuna…"
And he wipes her tears. Holding her close they show their love, embracing together, being with the other If only for a moment…an eternal moment.
And then it is done, and they know what they must do.
"Stay with me until the end. Please…"
"Not until the end. Always…"
And they continue their journey.
They reach the Calm Lands, the halfway point of their journey. The land where Lulu lost her first summoner as a Guardian, where they are all officially known as traitors, and murderers of a man they did not kill. He plans with Rikku to save Yuna, so that she won't die. He doesn't know how, but he promises to find a way.
And Yuna continues her journey.
"Sometimes Yuna would just stare off into the distance. I finally understood why. She was saying goodbye to the places she'd never see again…"
And up the mountain they climbed, into the snowy peaks of Mt. Gagazet, home of the Ronso. There, Yuna admits to her separation from Yevon, and her will and determination to fight for Spira and its people.
"I fight for Spira. The people long for the Calm. I can give it to them. It's all I can give. Defeating Sin, ending pain…this I can do."
Ieyui…
Nobomenu…
Renmiri…
Yojuyogo…
Hasatekanae…
Kutamae…
At the top of the mountain, they find the undead Maester Seymour waiting for them. They battle him once more, though he is not finished until Yuna dances for him as she has done for so many others.
And the truth comes out. Sin is Sir Jecht, old Guardian of Yuna's father. And His…Tidus's father…is responsible for the deaths of many.
And yet they know that they must go on.
They come to the place of the Fayth, people who gave their lives fighting Sin. It was their souls that gave Aeons and summoners their power.
And He, Tidus, learned what he really was…
"…Yes. You are a dream of the Fayth. You, your mother, your father, everyone. And if the Fayth stop dreaming…"
"So what if I'm a dream? I…I like it here…"
"We've been dreaming so long…we're tired. Would you and your father…would you let us rest? Both you and your father have been touched by Sin. Sin, the one around whom al of Spira-the spiral-revolves…
You two are more than just dreams now…"
"Just a little more and maybe…maybe you are the dream that will end our dreaming at last…"
But he hid the truth, unable to bear their worry and horror at what he truly was. And they continued, up the mountain…
Doubts entered their minds. Could they save Yuna? Would they, too, die in the process of freeing Sin from this world? And Auron, legendary Guardian of Yuna's father, and a man Tidus knew from Zanarkand, spoke of his true legacy…
"Before, the closer I came to Zanarkand, the more I wondered..." when we arrive, Braska will call the Final Aeon...He will fight Sin, then die. I thought my mind was made up long before. But when I stood here, my resolve wavered…"
"Legendary guardian? I was just a boy. A boy about your age, actually. I wanted to change the world, too. But I changed nothing.
That is my story."
And they stood over the mountaintop, staring over at the ruins of Zanarkand. Their journey was over. It would all end, exactly where is began one thousand years before…
"A city dead for a thousand years. A city I had to see with my own eyes. The end of Yuna's journey. The last chapter in my story. My thoughts, they kept floating up, and then slipping through my fingers. Slipping away before I could pin them down with words..."
And Yuna knows how her journey will end. Unknowingly, Tidus discovers her way of saying goodbye. It was a sphere, and in it, was her will…
"Sir Auron. Kimahri told me...when my father wanted me taken from Bevelle to Besaid... It was you who told Kimahri, right? I had always wanted to meet you someday. I am truly glad that I had that chance. Having you as a guardian was so great an honor I don't know how to thank you. Perhaps if I defeat Sin, that will be my thanks to you. That's what I'll do. Yes. I will challenge Sin, I will defeat Sin. If you are all there watching this, then I guess Sin is already gone. And so am I, I suppose. Anyway, I just wanted to say:
Sir Auron, I thank you."
Auron. Her father's Guardian, and friend of Jecht. Auron, who smelled of the Farplane…
"Kimahri...Do you remember the first day we met? I was only seven." My father had defeated Sin, and all Bevelle was celebrating. Everyone was saying what a hero my father was. I was so happy. But when night came, it occurred to me. My father had defeated Sin and now he was dead. Now, I was all alone. I couldn't sleep, so I wandered into the town, away from the celebrating crowds. I stood on the bridge in Bevelle where my father and I had parted. Standing there, alone, I could see the fields where he had fought Sin. Then, you appeared, Kimahri. You said you were looking for the daughter of Braska, remember? At first, I was so scared. Until I realized what a gentle person you are. You weren't used to talking to children. When I told you that I was Braska's daughter...you said you would take me as far from Bevelle as you could. That it was the wish of a man facing death. I think...I cried then. Because that...that was when I knew my father was dead...and I would never see him again. You just held me, without saying a word." I cried after we got to Besaid, too. When you tried to go after leaving me in the care of the temple... I held on to you, crying, "Don't go, don't go! And you listened, Kimahri. You stayed Kimahri, thank you. Thank you so much. And I've always liked your broken horn…"
Kimahri. Yuna's first protector, fierce, proud, and shunned by his fellows.
"Wakka, Lulu: I'll never forget my days spent with you, growing up in Besaid. We always played together, us and Chappu. That's why I was always so happy, I think. And when you refused to let me become a summoner and I did it anyway...I'm sorry. I've always wanted to apologize. You know, when you tried to stop me then--really, I was happy. I could tell you really cared about me. You were like my big brother and sister. No... I think you really were my big brother and sister. What else...I love watching you play blitzball, Wakka. I even love it when you scold me, Lulu! Really!"
Wakka and Lulu. Her brother and sister, greatest supporters and strength.
"Rikku. You are a true friend. All my life, I knew this moment would come. Thank you, Rikku. Thank you for everything…"
Rikku. Yuna's cousin and newest friend. One of her greatest, too…
"I guess that leaves...The newest guardian. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes! You are...I am…Well, um...I'm glad...I'm glad that we met. We haven't even known each other long, but...It's funny. So this is what it feels like…
It's a much more wonderful feeling than anything I had ever imagined. Wonderful...but it hurts, sometimes. I wonder. I..I just want to say, thank you for everything. Maybe...maybe that's why it hurts. When I... When I think about us never being together again at all...I'm afraid..."
And Tidus wonders if he can say goodbye.
And he stands alone for one of the first times in his life. Alone in a place that he wasn't born to, but already felt more like a home than anywhere else that he'd ever been.
"Listen to my story. This…may be our last chance…"
And they went into the Temple of the Fayth in Zanarkand, where Yuna would pray for the Final Aeon.
The Aeon that would defeat Sin, and take her life.
"Welcome to Zanarkand. I congratulate you, summoner. You have completed your pilgrimage. I will now bestow you with that which you seek. The Final Summoning...will be yours. Now, choose. You must choose the one whom I will change...to become the fayth of the Final Summoning. There must be a bond, between chosen and summoner, for that is what the Final Summoning embodies: the bond between husband and wife, mother and child, or between friends. If that bond is strong enough, its light will conquer Sin. A thousand years ago, I chose my husband Zaon as my fayth. Our bond was true, and I obtained the Final Aeon. There is nothing to fear. You will soon be freed of worry and pain. For once you call forth the Final Aeon, your life will end. Death is the ultimate and final liberation. Your father, Braska, chose this path."
And they met the summoner of a thousand years past, the Lady Yunalesca. She told them what they had to do in order to defeat Sin. Many offered to become the Fayth for Yuna, but Tidus wouldn't let it end there.
"So what would an adult do, then? They know they can just throw away a summoner, then they can do whatever they like. You're right, I might not even have a chance. But no way am I gonna just stand here and let Yuna go. And what Auron said about there being a way...I think it's true. I have to try. This…is my story. It'll go the way I want it…or I'll end it here."
And Yuna knew what she had to do. And it was her choice alone.
"Wait…you say it's your story, but it's my story too, you know? It…would be so easy…to let my fate just carry me away…following the same path my whole life through. But I know…I can't. What I do, I do…with no regrets."
And Yunalesca laughed. Sin was eternal. He could not be defeated. And Spira's hope was Spira's sorrow. And Sorrow could not be abolished. But Yuna's will could not be broken, even then…
"My father... I loved him. So I...I will live with my sorrow, I will live my own life! I will defeat sorrow, in his place. I will stand my ground and be strong. I don't know when it'll be but someday, I will conquer it. And I will do it without...false hope."
And they defeated Yunalesca. And with her…the Final Aeon, Spira's Hope.
But they would find another way to defeat Sin…a way to where he could not be reborn. And they would do it, together.
On they traveled. And Auron admits to what he really was. An unsent, just as the Maesters of Yevon were. But they needed him a little longer…
And the Airship that had carried them so far before appeared with Rikku's father. And they left Zanarkand to go to Bevelle, meeting with the Grand Maester Mika, an unsent.
And they hatched a plan.
With the help of the Hymn of the Fayth, and the Fayth themselves, they could fight the man that had created Sin, and destroy both, forever…
They return to Zanarkand, and fight Sin.
The battle is long and hard. Jecht speaks to them in a moment of calm, and tells them of his deeds and wishes.
"I can't hear the Hymn so well anymore. Pretty soon, I'm gonna be Sin. Completely. I'm glad you're here now. One thing, though...When it starts, I won't be myself anymore. I won't be able to hold myself back. I'm sorry."
"Dad? I hate you…"
"I know, I know. You do what you have to do."
And they defeat Sin.
But Yu Yevon is still alive. And they needed to fight him with the Fayth. And then…the dreaming of the Fayth, would end.
And Yuna Dances upon the souls of the dead, for the last time.
Auron vanishes with them; finally going to the peace he should have seen ten years before. He urges Yuna to keep dancing, and goes with the souls of the dead at last.
"It's all right. It's been long enough. This…is your world now…"
And it is time for the dream of the Fayth to end.
"Yuna…I have to go. I'm sorry I couldn't show you Zanarkand. Goodbye!"
"No!"
And she ran toward him, even as pyreflies left his body, she ran straight through him, straight through the dream that she has come to care for so…
And she stood again, holding in her sorrow, unable to cry for the pain in her heart is unlike any she could have imagined. And she says the words that she had held in before…
"I love you…"
Neither cried. Too caught up in their bleeding hearts, they could not even begin to express the pain and sorrow. But they cried inside. And Tidus held her against him, as he begins to fade, words unable to express the feeling in his heart. And he walks forward, knowing that he could not bear to see him go before their eyes he runs through Her, and jumps into oblivion.
And as he exits the world to enter the next, he sees his father before him. He sees Auron, and Yuna's father, waiting. But most of all he sees Her, though she is not before him. But she will be in his thoughts, always.
And Yuna is alone now. He is gone. And still, Spira demands from her.
"Yuna, it's time."
And she is given a chance to speak of her journey. But few words pass her lips. What could she possibly say for them to really know and understand? But she tries…she tries…
"Everyone…everyone has lost something precious. Everyone here has lost homes…dreams…and friends. Everybody…now, Sin is finally dead."
"Now, Spira is ours again. Working together…Now we can make new homes for ourselves, and new dreams. Although I know, the journey will be hard…we have lots of time. Together, we will rebuild Spira. The road is ahead of us, so let's start out today."
And she remembers her friends, alive and dead, that will be with her always.
"Just…one more thing. The people and friends we have lost…or the dreams that have faded…Never forget them."
And Yuna knows that her journey, her story is not yet over. She will not forget, she will never forget her dream.
Some dreams last only one day, one night. But Yuna's dream…Tidus's dream…Their dream…was Eternal.
Two Years passed.
And on an island where they first met, a man awakes in the water. He yawns and stretches, wondering where he is, and how he got there. He begins to swim upward, toward the surface. And he smiles, knowing that he is home. And as Tidus breaks the surface of the water before the island of Besaid, he knows that Yuna is coming.
Because their dream, was Eternal.
Whew! Man, this took me a while. Anyway, hope you liked it.
Please Review!
Catch ya on the flip side-
AerithHeart