An optional ending for those who want more and appreciate the Tidus/Wakka friendship. I felt I'd done a bit of a disservice to the Wakka/Tidus relationship in this story and I wanted to give it a better resolution than what it initially had. While this epilogue is not really needed and can be ignored, some might actually prefer this over the original ending just for the missing Wakka/Tidus scene and my attempt to tie this story in with yet another Final Fantasy game.

Epilogue (Optional Ending)

Six months had passed since Spira's liberation. Word about the Farplane's destruction had begun to circulate just days after the realm keepers had been defeated. Spirans had demanded answers. Together, Tidus and Yuna had addressed all of Spira at the Luca stadium about the events which occurred in the shadows. The revelation about Hydaelyn's existence and the truth about the fayth had shook Spirans to the core. While most responded favorably to the couple's speech, others rejected it, and chose to continue living in their own reality. Of course this hadn't surprised Tidus any. He hadn't expected everyone to accept the truth, especially the older folk—learning they'd been living a lie for over a millennia was a bit tough to swallow.

Tidus had followed through on his resignation, leaving blitzball behind to open a studio where he taught the art of sword combat, and the discipline needed for advanced magic techniques. Oddly enough, his career change seemed to inspire Yuna, who had left a successful career in music, to pursue unraveling the mysteries of the universe through magic with Shinra and Rikku, forming a group named, The Cetra.

And while all finally seemed right with the world, life wouldn't be complete for Tidus, without having at least a day during the week where he spent time sitting on the beach with the closest person he had to a brother—Wakka.

Orange embers floated up into the star-studded night sky. The dancing flames of the bonfire crackled almost in tune with the sound of the waves crashing ashore.

"Eh—pass it over, brudda."

"Hold your chocobos!" Tidus finished impaling a rather large marshmallow onto a skewer then handed it to Wakka, who eagerly latched onto the metal rod, and held it over the flame. "Never seen anyone want s'mores so badly."

"You dunno the half of it. Lu's got me on a strict diet and it's drivin' me crazy, ya?"

Tidus chuckled while fixing another marshmallow onto a skewer for himself. "She's bound to know you're cheating tonight."

"Probably the reason she gave me one of those icy glares before she left for Luca."

"I wouldn't worry—she'll be too hung-over in the morning to scold you."

"I guess you're right." Wakka exhaled heavily. "Not gonna lie—I thought I'd miss the drink more than this. But after seein' how upset it made the kids…well, you know how it goes, ya?"

Feeling guilty for mentioning the party Lulu was attending with his wife, Tidus cringed and shifted uncomfortably on the sand, before settling in a crossed-legged position. Wakka had only been sober for about four months. And while his friend seemed to be handling it well, he knew battling an addiction was no easy task. After all, alcohol had always won over in the end with his father.

"I'm proud of you, man." Tidus gave his best friend a sturdy pat on his bare shoulder. "You're doing great!"

"Couldn't have done it without ya, brudda." Wakka squished the roasted marshmallow between the chocolate and graham crackers then took a bite. "Stuff like this...sure helps too," he said in between chomps, crumbs falling from his lips onto his lap.

Lowering his gaze, Tidus constructed a s'more of his own, and tried to suppress the guilt he felt bubbling to the surface. Unfortunately, it didn't work. "I dunno, Wakka. I can't help but feel like I had something to do with you starting in the first place."

"Eh—don't talk like that, ya?" Wakka frowned.

"I shouldn't have pushed you away for all those years."

Wakka leaned over and playfully ruffled a hand through Tidus' blond hair, while he grunted in discontent from the slight roughhousing. "Gawh—I get why you did it, ya?"

"Still…" Tidus paused, combing a hand through his disheveled hair, trying to fix the mess his friend had made. "I could've found a better way."

"Nah, I got to thinkin'... Chappu would've done the same thing."

Tidus raised his brow. "Really?"

"I'm tellin' ya, you're a lot like him. Now quit apologizin' almost every time you see me and let's focus on the future."

A smile tugged on Tidus' lips. They may not have been blood related, but Wakka sure was everything he'd wanted in a brother growing up. And he took comfort in the fact the ginger-haired islander felt the same way.

"Speakin' of the future..." Wakka grinned. "How 'bout those kids of ours?"

"Whaddaya mean?" Tidus asked, stuffing the rest of the s'more into his mouth.

"You know..." Wakka playfully jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow. "My son and your daughter—might be wedding bells in the future. Maybe even a few little rascals runnin' around."

Tidus about choked on the s'more sliding down his throat. "Whoa—slow down," he spat, grabbing a soda bottle out of the cooler beside him and then taking a swig. "I just turned thirty-seven. I'm in no hurry to be a grandfather. Besides, Tris and Vidina are still teenagers—there's no need to rush things."

"Oh-ho-ho," Wakka chuckled, slapping his knee. "You should see the look on your face, right now."

"I'm glad you find this amusing."

"Oh c'mon, imagine the fun we could have, ya? We'd feed them nottin' but cake and candy then send them home after. It would be sweet revenge, and y'know it."

Tidus let out a breath of a laugh. "I can almost hear Trista's whining now. Y'know...it could always end up being Zak and Alyse."

It seemed like his suggestion put a damper on his friend's cheerful mood with how quickly Wakka's smile had dissolved. "Alyse is only sixteen, ya?"

"It's different when we're talking about our little girls, huh?"

Judging from Wakka's half-smile, he'd finally resonated with how Tidus had felt earlier. "Yeah, yeah," he replied, waving a dismissive hand. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Hey—I heard a rumor. Is it true that crazy sister of yours decked Leblanc and ran off with Nooj?"

"Uhh…that's not entirely false." Tidus winced. "Trin didn't run off with Nooj, but she did flatten Leblanc in Bevelle. It was over a sphere Leblanc stole from her and Buddy."

"I guess sphere huntin' is still pretty lucrative, huh?" Wakka chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess. She seems to have found her niche with the Al Bhed. Apparently, she and Buddy are 'together' now. I'm happy for her though."

"So, how's things goin' with that new thing Yuna's involved in?"

"Oh—The Cetra?" Tidus shrugged. "I dunno—they seem to have some lofty goals. And something about it just doesn't sit right with me. Right now, they've been trying to harness this strange energy that's been left in Spira's underground after the Farplane's destruction. Yuna calls it the lifestream. Rikku believes it may hold some secret in opening doors to other realms, or parallel universes."

Wakka's eyes slightly widened. "Whoa, that's some deep stuff, ya?"

"After everything we'd been through, I kinda wanna leave well enough alone, y'know?"

"I get it—don't wanna rock the boat. Never know where you'll end up."

"Exactly."

Wakka nudged him on the shoulder. "Eh, pass me a soda, will ya?"

Leaning over, Tidus pulled a bottle out of the cooler and tossed it over to his friend.

"Say, you ever thought we'd end up like this?" Wakka popped off the cap and took a long swig from the bottle. "It only seems like yesterday when you washed ashore on this beach lookin' clueless."

"Feels like a lifetime ago to me."

"Not to me." Wakka rested the bottle on his knee and stared intently at the ocean waves as though they held the secrets to the universe. "It's like one minute we're on Yuna's pilgrimage and then it's like boom, we got hit in the head with a bomb, and somehow ended up here, on this beach, twenty-years later."

Tidus shivered. There was something about his friend's strange analogy that made his blood run cold. "That was…colorful Wakka."

"I guess what I'm tryin' to say is—I'm grateful for all the memories and times we've shared. They seem to have went by so quickly. And I'm glad you're here with me now."

It was a rare occurrence for Wakka to get sentimental like this. Even though Tidus had grown accustom to suppressing his feelings, he couldn't help his throat tightening with emotion at his friend's heartfelt admission. "I feel the same way."

"Here's to the future." Wakka grinned and held up his bottle for a toast.

A warm smile spread across Tidus' lips. "And to many more years of wonderful memories," he added, finishing the toast by clanging their bottles together.

While this chapter in Tidus' life may have come to a close, his story was far from over. And in a way, it felt like it was just beginning—a new life free from dark secrets and perilous journeys. A life where he could finally focus on living.

Thanks for Reading! Hope you enjoyed it! Comments are welcome!