Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A New Threat To Spira ❯ Epilogue ( Chapter 18 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Neon Ronin 
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.29.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 312 | Status: Completed
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.29.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 312 | Status: Completed
[A/N: I don't own the characters or anything else but have been quite happy to borrow them for a while. And now]
Epilogue
That night in Bevelle was one of many emotions. Relief, certainly, that the draconic Wrathfang attacks would now be a thing of the past. There was sorrow for those who had fallen at the fiends' hands, whether in an ambush or on the battlefield hours earlier. There was some modicum of anger, mostly that no one had been able to learn of Malar's existence until it was too late; some blamed Trema for the destruction of the history spheres, a few blamed New Yevon in general. But that night, the predominant emotion was one of joy and gratitude towards two groups, partly towards the Joint Council for stepping up to the front lines, but mostly toward the Gullwings in general and Yuna in particular. The moment they had set foot in Bevelle they had been greeted by applause so thunderous, they almost expected the storms of the Thunder Plains to start up again. Crowds of people who had just learned the full story of the battle had thronged the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of their hero as she and the others made their way into the city; the Council guards had barely been able to hold them back.
For the third time, Yuna had felt self-conscious as she and the others were escorted to the Council palace by Nooj, Gippal and Baralai, with LeBlanc and her goons serving as a rear guard. She had remembered how it felt those two long years ago, when she made her speech in Luca that signaled the beginning of the Eternal Calm- the eyes of the world on her, idolizing her and falling in love with her for what she had done, not for who she was. A wave of claustrophobia had begun to set in as she continued along the Highbridge, listening to the cheers and shouts of joy, but it soon passed as a familiar hand gripped hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Yes, once more she had done the unthinkable, facing a threat few would dare to meet head-on, and she had come out of it alive once again. Only this time, there was one thing that the previous two victories had lacked. Something that set it apart from the end of the Pilgrimage and the pacification of Shuyin.
This time, he was with her. This time, both of them would share the honors.
Cid had been right in his prediction; that night, the Council declared a public holiday and Bevelle was witness to one of the greatest celebrations it had seen since the fall of Sin. One of the great halls of the palace was cleared and arrangements made, and soon the entire hall was abuzz with music and dancing that rivaled even the revelry pervading the streets of the city. Rikku had immediately gotten into the spirit of things and had ducked out for a moment, returning in her Lady Luck evening dress with a coy smile on her face. As expected, Cid's eyes had bugged out and he had tried to get her to change into something less revealing, but he eventually wound up flinging his arms in exasperation and didn't say another word. Tidus was boggled by the sights around him and had started to feel self-conscious about not having any formal attire, but Yuna had calmed him down and told him it wasn't that big a deal; to prove her point, she decided not to bother with formal wear and the two had entered the party clad in their favored outfits- after getting cleaned up, of course. She was right- nobody really cared or commented on them being dressed in Blitzer clothes or a half-skirt and sheer top, they were more focused on asking them about everything that had happened.
Paine hadn't bothered with formal dress either, mainly because she couldn't be bothered. At first she was more than a little surprised at the quality of the preparations, last-second as they were. The surprise wore off quickly when she discovered that Tobli had had a hand in those same preparations, to which she had commented, "No wonder it was set up so quick with that hyperactive penguin behind the scenes." The next surprise she got was the arrival of a group of people who were fawning over her so much it almost made her sick. Apparently they had been following the Gullwings' exploits for some time, focusing on her in particular as "The Lone Dark Gull", which was actually the second thing that irked her. The first thing that irked her about them was the fact that they all dressed in clothes very similar to hers- so similar as to be frightening. Paine had gotten an odd look on her face and was looking desperately for an escape when Baralai had stepped forward, mentioning that Yuna needed her help with something, so she had hurriedly excused herself from the sycophants and left with him. When she asked him what Yuna wanted, he had replied, "Nothing, I just figured you wanted out of there." That caused her to smile and the two of them wandered over to a table, where they sat and talked about old times. Several tables down, Kimahri and several Guado were discussing the possibilities of better trade relations between Guadosalam and Mount Gagazet; Garik stood off to one side feigning indifference as he nursed a rather strong drink.
Across the room, LeBlanc and Nooj were in the process of greeting a long line of officials, detailing some of what had happened and sharing ideas for rebuilding what Malar had ruined. LeBlanc was decked out in a flamboyant royal blue dress decorated with silver brocades, Nooj wore his traditional clothes but had discarded his usual cane for one made of rich polished wood. Ormi and Logos floated amongst the other party-goers, each with their own agenda- Logos scanned the room, acting the part of unofficial bouncer/bodyguard, while Ormi lurked at a buffet table and stuffed his face. Towards the center of the room, Gippal had taken a moment from his official duties to join Rikku in a dance. At first she had shied away playfully before consenting to "one dance and that's all for tonight, mister!" Oddly enough, that one dance had turned into several as the night wore on, culminating in the two of them holding each other close in a slow dance in the middle of the floor. Brother stood off to one side, making a disgusted face as he wolfed down a few pastries from a dessert table. Buddy was engrossed in a long conversation with Rin, trying to find out more about the proposed energy extraction project Rin had been working on. Further down the room, Isaaru and Maroda were doing some catching up and comparing notes; Maroda's forces on the Moonflow hadn't sustained quite the assault that the main forces had, but it had been brutal nonetheless. Isaaru, on the other hand, had been on the front lines on the Plains and had his arm in a sling, but still bore a content smile on his face.
As the evening wore on, people continued to dine, dance and celebrate, each person becoming more engrossed in their own little world. They didn't even notice when the High Summoner and her Guardian slipped out of the great hall and out of the palace, walking hand in hand along the Highbridge.
Yuna breathed a sigh of relief. "If I hear one more person ask me whether I was afraid out there, I think I'll have to scream."
"I know the feeling," Tidus chuckled. "I still can't get used to everyone calling me 'Sir' Tidus, and they've been calling me that all night long. I wonder if Auron ever got sick of it..."
"I don't know," Yuna replied. "It never really came up when we last spoke with him." She sighed and looked up at the clear night sky. A moment of silence passed.
"I wish he were here," she said at length. "He probably wouldn't believe all that we've done." She felt Tidus put his arm around her shoulder.
"He is here. We just can't see or hear him... But I'm sure he can see us."
Yuna smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right." The two of them stopped along the Highbridge railing, standing over one of the long reflecting pools that ran along the bridge's length. "I wonder if anyone's missing us yet..."
"We can go back if you want, Yuna."
"No, it's okay, I'd rather just stay out here for a while longer. I was really starting to smother in there."
Tidus nodded. "They weren't really giving us that many chances to relax, were they?"
Yuna shook her head. "In a way, it wasn't as bad as it could've been. I can only imagine what might have happened if Dona was here." The thought of Dona showing up and making her presence known as someone who would've/could've/should've been there hit them both at once, and they both started laughing a bit. "Yeah, that could've been a little awkward," said Tidus. "Then again, I think I'd rather deal with Dona than Lulu once we get back to Besaid," he added, his face and tone a bit more serious.
"Oh, right... Boy, she and Wakka didn't look too pleased over the Commsphere earlier," Yuna said. "I know we probably should have told them what was going on, but at the same time..."
"Well, if I know Wakka he's probably not going to be that upset once we get back. But I'm not looking forward to receiving one of Lulu's tongue lashings," Tidus replied.
"Me neither," Yuna replied with a giggle. Her gaze passed over the Highbridge, towards the sparkles of the Macalania Woods in the South
Sparkles? Yuna blinked and looked again. Was that one of the trees? But... How can that be? The forest is almost completely dead!
"Yuna? What's wrong?"
Yuna took a long look and her eyes grew wider by the second. "I... It can't be... Macalania is..." She grabbed Tidus' hand and started to run forward. Tidus stumbled at first, but caught himself and picked up the pace so that they were running side by side. "Yuna, what's going on? Where's the fire?" he asked frantically.
"There's something going on down there, and I've got to check it out!!" she replied, starting to run faster still. Tidus shrugged and sprinted right along. The two of them blazed right past the Bevelle night watch so fast the guardsmen didn't have time to ask them their business, but stared and shrugged as they plunged into the woods beyond.
They ran for what seemed like a couple of minutes, darting through the thickets and trees that had grown dull with the passage of time, before drumming their feet to a halt and stopping to catch their breath. The cold night air whipped through the narrow forest paths, sending chills along Yuna's spine and prompting her to rub her forearms briskly. Tidus did likewise before glancing up and taking in the sights around them; they had been running so fast they hadn't even noticed which direction they had gone into the woods. "Yuna... Look." At his words, she blinked and raised her head... and then her eyes went wide.
They were in the lakeside clearing where they had shared their first kiss two years before, a place they had revisited only a few months ago after Tidus' return. It seemed like just yesterday the two of them had opened up their hearts to each other in that very same lake, and both had been saddened on their return to see the lake drying up and the trees fading to dark shades. Now they stared in awe at the sight before them; light flecks of aqualine light were dancing along the bark of the trees, returning the familiar crystalline sparkle to their branches. The stagnant, drying lakebed shimmered in the moonlight; water was beginning to flow once again, the clear, pure water that brought life to the forest. Underfoot, the two could just make out the first signs of fresh grass shoots pushing up amongst the dried blades. The flecks of light danced upwards, wafting across the surface of the filling lake and spiraling around the lovers' bodies before drifting up into the tree branches, and for a moment they could almost hear a soft, lilting laugh. The sparkles wrapped themselves around a protruding tree limb and disappeared as the limb slowly revitalized, the glow spreading to the tree trunk and then slowly into the other limbs. Slowly but surely, Macalania Woods was coming back.
"Reconciliation and creation..." Yuna breathed softly. "That's what they meant... They're bringing the forest back to life."
Tidus gazed in wonderment around them. "I've never seen anything like it in my life," he said. "Maybe the same thing is happening to the Thunder Plains..."
The wounds of the plains will be healed. In time, new life will spring forth and all shall be renewed.
Yuna looked up. "Did you hear that?"
Tidus nodded. "They must be hard at work, Naia and the others." Another cool breeze kicked up, causing both of them to shudder and wrap their arms around each other for warmth. "Too bad they can't raise the temperature a little bit," he added lightly, eliciting a giggle from Yuna. The two of them stood in silence for a while, arm in arm, taking in all that was happening around them.
Eventually, though, they both agreed that it was getting too chilly and that it might be a good idea to head back to Bevelle. "After all," Yuna quipped, "we don't want Rikku up all night worrying about us." The two of them laughed as they took one last look at the woods around them, then turned and started up the path back to the city. As they did, they failed to notice the faint outlines of several individuals floating on the surface of the refilling lake. Two were tallish, the third appeared to be a child wearing a tunic with a hood covering his eyes.
"You wish you could be there, don't ya?" one of the tall figures said, a muscular man clad in loose trunks and a bandanna on his head. The other figure, clad in flowing robes, turned and nodded slightly. "Yeah, me too. Never got a chance to tell him how proud I am," he continued. "Some father, huh?"
"You did the best you could, Jecht," Braska replied. "More than I could do for my little girl, anyway." He sighed, looking up towards the lights of Bevelle in the distance. "It would be nice to go back- but it's not my time anymore. It's their time."
Jecht nodded. "They really are something, aren't they?" He folded his arms and smiled. "Bet you're looking forward to being a granddad, eh Braska?" he added with a laugh. Braska smiled and chuckled in response.
"We shouldn't stay much longer," the Fayth piped up. "It's almost time to go."
"I know," Braska said, turning to the young boy. "I didn't think we could come here for very long... Thank you for giving us this chance to see them." He paused a moment. "And thank you for bringing them back together."
The Fayth nodded. "It was the love they shared for each other that enabled us to make the dream a reality. For all Yuna has done for us and for Spira, she deserves it."
The three spirits smiled and nodded to each other as their forms dissipated into swirling clouds of pyreflies, spiraling into the air and descending into the depths of the lake, making their way once more to the Farplane. A cloud passed overhead and a light snow began to fall as peaceful silence settled over the woods once again.
****************
Ten Years later
The springtime sun shone brightly over the vast expanses of the Thunder Plains. It shone on the lakes and rivers that dotted the landscape, it shone on the swaths of tall green grass that covered the hills and valleys of the Plains. The great lightning towers in the Southern Plains still stood, their purpose all but defeated since the calming of the storms that had once been everlasting. Now their sides were thick with ivy and flowering plants, some of them naturally occurring, some that had been cultivated and planted by travelers and settlers of the Plains. The Travel Agency had long since been rebuilt, larger and more elegant than before, with more than enough room for vacationers and people stopping on their way to and from Bevelle. A dock setup had also been constructed alongside the river by the Agency, with landing facilities for Bevelle riverboats or airships. There were no Hovers operating in the Plains, but Chocobos were available in abundance for transportation or just for joyrides.
Just down the hill from the Agency, several children were chasing each other back and forth, passing and kicking a Blitzball between them.
"C'mon, Vidina, stop hogging the ball!" shouted one of the kids, a girl about 8 years old with short brown/blond hair and vivid blue eyes. She wore denim knee-length shorts and a leather vest over a white t-shirt, and might have been mistaken for a boy if it weren't for the ponytail that fell between her shoulders and her white sneakers with pink racing stripes. "You gonna run around with it all day or are we gonna get to play too?"
"Okay, heads up Elsa, here it comes!" the redheaded 10-year old in white trousers and a red vest replied, lobbing the ball into the air and roundhouse-kicking it towards her with surprising force for one so young. "I thought I told you to call me Ellie!!" Elsa hollered. She grabbed the ball and flung it in the direction of another 8-year old, a boy who sported the same color hair and eyes as her and was wearing long shorts, a yellow t-shirt with the Aurochs emblem on the back and black sneakers. The boy grinned and he and Elsa started playing a vicious game of Keep Away with the ball, sending Vidina scrambling to try and keep up.
"Hey, c'mon! This isn't fair, ya? Krys, why you always gotta team up with her?"
"I dunno, maybe because she can read my mind?" Krys responded with a smirk, flinging the ball over Vidina towards his twin sister. Just then an orange-yellow blur shot through the air and grabbed the ball, landed on the ground and volleyed back to Vidina. The blur skidded to a halt, revealing a 7-year old Al Bhed boy with spiked-up blond hair, orange trousers and a sleeveless red shirt. "Hey! No fair, you didn't even say you were playing, Derrik!" Krys whined.
"Didn't say I wasn't, Krys!" Derrik shot back with a goofy grin. Krys and Elsa couldn't help but snicker. I wonder if Aunt Rikku was like that when she was his age...
"Is there room for one more?" a soft female voice called out. The four of them turned to see a girl no older than six running down the hill, her silver-white hair waving in the breeze. She wore bleached denims and a pale green shirt that offset her magenta eyes nicely. "Please? I can keep up with the rest of you!"
Vidina scratched his head. "Maya, you're still kinda young for Blitz, ya? You could get banged up if you're not careful."
"Oh, give her a break, Red!" Elsa said in a teasing tone. "Maya's a lot tougher than she looks, d'you know she beats me at arm wrestling almost every time?"
"Give her a chance, huh?" Krys added. "We can tone things down a bit if it gets too rough."
A few moments passed, but finally the consensus was yes and the game started over again. Derrik grabbed the ball and bobbed and weaved like a madman, eventually spinning and tossing it to Maya, who promptly kicked it in Vidina's direction. It smacked him in the knee- she had aimed too low- but he easily caught it with his foot and lobbed it up, head-butting it back to Derrik. Derrik zoomed in to catch it but the ball was intercepted by Krys, who twisted in midair and kicked it over to Elsa. She caught the ball and volleyed to Maya, who elbowed it back in Krys' direction. There was no rhyme or reason to the game they were playing, except that 'have fun' was the primary rule. The sounds of the ball being kicked and their laughter echoed up the hill, towards a wooden picnic table where lunch was being set up.
Yuna stood atop the hill, watching the children play and smiling. She wore her hair much the same way she did when she was a Sphere Hunter, but the braid was now only waist-length. She wore a simple short-sleeved blue dress that came to her ankles, and she still wore her favorite pair of dark blue boots. Many people had told her as of late that she looked radiant, and they couldn't believe how well she had kept her figure after Krys and Elsa were born. She watched the twins as they mercilessly kept the ball away from Vidina again and couldn't help but laugh at their antics. They must get that from their father and Rikku, she thought to herself.
"Wonder if we should tell them lunch is ready?" Tidus asked as he crossed over to her from the picnic table. He wore dark slacks and black sneakers, and a long sleeved denim shirt over a white t-shirt; there was no sense in wearing his Blitz uniform before they got to Bevelle for the inaugural game of the season. It was to be Bevelle's first time participating in the games, to say nothing of their new stadium which had been completed just a few months before. The Bevelle Falcons were rumored to have a few exceptional players despite the fact they were an expansion team, and Tidus was looking forward to facing off against them with the rest of the Aurochs.
"Might as well, we don't want them to be too tired from playing to eat," Yuna replied with a giggle. Tidus nodded and put his fingers to his lips, unleashing a long whistle. The kids immediately stopped tossing the ball and looked up the hill. "Lunchtime!!" Krys and Elsa shouted in unison before scrambling as fast as they could up the slope. The other kids followed suit, and soon four respective families had gathered around the picnic table, eating, joking and reminiscing about the 'good old days'.
Everyone was up to something new since the formal disbanding of the Gullwings; Rikku and Gippal, with the help of the Machine Faction, had begun experimental work towards the exploration of the stars. Of course, their primary interest was developing new machina for everyday use- and of course, taking care of their son Derrik. Paine had finally carried through with her dream to pilot an airship of her own, a sleek steel-gray vessel named Excalibur which was the first of Spira's line of light scouting and transport airships. She and Baralai would often fly together on official Council business or just to get away from it all; the ship had enough cabin space for the two of them and for Maya, and a few special guests. Wakka had packed on a few more pounds over the years, but he was still in decent enough shape to act as a coach for the Junior Blitz league; Vidina had already set his sights on joining the league once he turned 12. Nooj and LeBlanc had eventually married and kept busy much of the time with Council affairs, just as Kimahri remained occupied with the cares and concerns of the Ronso.
As for Yuna, semi-retirement suited her quite well. She and Tidus had decided to stay on Besaid, where they had built a cozy cottage down by the beach. It wasn't too large, but it was far from being cramped- the perfect place to raise the twins. Sphere Hunting had taken a back seat now- though she still loved to get out and adventure once in a while, and had even held an occasional concert for fun or to lift people's spirits. Tidus had kept fairly busy ever since becoming Captain of the Aurochs; under his leadership and motivation, the Aurochs had become one of the most dominant Blitz teams in all of Spira. Yet even with all these distractions, they both made sure that Krys and Elsa- or as she preferred, 'Ellie'- came first. They were alongside them almost everywhere they went, every Blitz game, every concert, even when Yuna was invited by the Council to act as a neutral mediator when certain things came up.
It really has arrived, Yuna thought to herself as she looked across the lush green expanses of the Thunder Plains. The Eternal Calm is well and truly here; we can finally relax. She glanced at their son and daughter, who were arguing with Vidina over who the best Blitzer in Spira was; he was certain it was Wakka, while they, of course, insisted their dad was the best. Tidus and Wakka laughed and started poking fun at each other's weak points, playing along and starting a mock-argument that got everybody at the table laughing.
I wonder what the future will hold for our two angels? she wondered to herself, and smiled.
The End
[Final Author's Notes: I hope you've enjoyed this chronicle as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I probably won't be doing any fanfic writing on this site for a while; it'd take me quite a while to come up with another plotline after the one I just cranked out. ^_^
I had a few other ideas for Dressphere designs when I decided to incorporate Tidus into the Gullwings, but obviously not all of them showed up in this fanfic. Here then are some of the ideas that didn't make it, and a few whose inspiration sources are now revealed:
Warrior Dressphere: Well, obviously that's just him in his normal Blitz clothing. No further design necessary.
Thief: I didn't have the heart to put him in an outfit like Rikku's. Ugh. Closest I could come up with was a black ninja gi- black pants, sleeveless shirt, scarf over the face, pair of silver daggers. It never came up in the storyline; unused.
Gunner: Inspired by Squall of Final Fantasy 8, but also by the character of El Mariachi from Once Upon A Time In Mexico. I liked the style of the slacks and short jacket, and decided to adapt them.
Gun Mage: I couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't look like a Yevonite robe, so I discarded this one.
Black Mage: I envisioned him in a black longcoat covered in purple runes, the token wide-brimmed hat and a spear-like staff, but never really saw him as a magic user. Unused.
White Mage: Similar to the standard White Mage attire, but with white trousers and a robe that resembled a longcoat rather than the dress the others wore. Didn't see him using it much; unused.
Alchemist: This one was kinda fun, just a few variants on the standard outfit. I figured a trenchcoat suited him better than a bodysuit.
Samurai: Based this one off of Auron's attire, obviously. Figured it made sense.
Dark Knight: It was impossible to come up with anything highly original on this one, except maybe silver highlights on a suit of black spiked armor. Envisioned Paine using it more than him; unused.
Berserker: I didn't like the look of the claw gloves so for Tidus I changed them to claw bracers. There's a bit of Native American in the design, too.
Songstress: Forget it. Incompatible with male users. ^_^
Lady Luck: Thought about putting him in a sharp gray tuxedo with a red vest for this one, sort of a James Bond design. Decided it wasn't going to come into play; not one of my preferred spheres in the game. Unused.
Trainer: Couldn't come up with either a design or an animal- although I came close to pairing him with a black panther named Kuroneko. (Black Cat- bad play on Japanese, I know) Eventually gave up.
Mascot: Gimme a break! All the good critter costumes were taken! Well, I could've dressed him up as the Onion Knight, Lulu's ultimate weapon, but decided not to go there.
Ultimate Dressphere: In all honesty, I never used the ultimate forms in the game that much, and felt it wouldn't have done much for the story, so I decided not to give him one. If I had, though, it might've been Celestial Templar: a form in which he emerges clad in a full suit of silver armor sporting white angel wings, each of which has offensive or defensive capabilities. It never came up; unused.
Anyway, that's what was left on the cutting room floor. It's been a long, wild ride, and I hope you liked this story. This book is closed, but another one may open before you know it! -Neon Ronin]
Epilogue
That night in Bevelle was one of many emotions. Relief, certainly, that the draconic Wrathfang attacks would now be a thing of the past. There was sorrow for those who had fallen at the fiends' hands, whether in an ambush or on the battlefield hours earlier. There was some modicum of anger, mostly that no one had been able to learn of Malar's existence until it was too late; some blamed Trema for the destruction of the history spheres, a few blamed New Yevon in general. But that night, the predominant emotion was one of joy and gratitude towards two groups, partly towards the Joint Council for stepping up to the front lines, but mostly toward the Gullwings in general and Yuna in particular. The moment they had set foot in Bevelle they had been greeted by applause so thunderous, they almost expected the storms of the Thunder Plains to start up again. Crowds of people who had just learned the full story of the battle had thronged the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of their hero as she and the others made their way into the city; the Council guards had barely been able to hold them back.
For the third time, Yuna had felt self-conscious as she and the others were escorted to the Council palace by Nooj, Gippal and Baralai, with LeBlanc and her goons serving as a rear guard. She had remembered how it felt those two long years ago, when she made her speech in Luca that signaled the beginning of the Eternal Calm- the eyes of the world on her, idolizing her and falling in love with her for what she had done, not for who she was. A wave of claustrophobia had begun to set in as she continued along the Highbridge, listening to the cheers and shouts of joy, but it soon passed as a familiar hand gripped hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Yes, once more she had done the unthinkable, facing a threat few would dare to meet head-on, and she had come out of it alive once again. Only this time, there was one thing that the previous two victories had lacked. Something that set it apart from the end of the Pilgrimage and the pacification of Shuyin.
This time, he was with her. This time, both of them would share the honors.
Cid had been right in his prediction; that night, the Council declared a public holiday and Bevelle was witness to one of the greatest celebrations it had seen since the fall of Sin. One of the great halls of the palace was cleared and arrangements made, and soon the entire hall was abuzz with music and dancing that rivaled even the revelry pervading the streets of the city. Rikku had immediately gotten into the spirit of things and had ducked out for a moment, returning in her Lady Luck evening dress with a coy smile on her face. As expected, Cid's eyes had bugged out and he had tried to get her to change into something less revealing, but he eventually wound up flinging his arms in exasperation and didn't say another word. Tidus was boggled by the sights around him and had started to feel self-conscious about not having any formal attire, but Yuna had calmed him down and told him it wasn't that big a deal; to prove her point, she decided not to bother with formal wear and the two had entered the party clad in their favored outfits- after getting cleaned up, of course. She was right- nobody really cared or commented on them being dressed in Blitzer clothes or a half-skirt and sheer top, they were more focused on asking them about everything that had happened.
Paine hadn't bothered with formal dress either, mainly because she couldn't be bothered. At first she was more than a little surprised at the quality of the preparations, last-second as they were. The surprise wore off quickly when she discovered that Tobli had had a hand in those same preparations, to which she had commented, "No wonder it was set up so quick with that hyperactive penguin behind the scenes." The next surprise she got was the arrival of a group of people who were fawning over her so much it almost made her sick. Apparently they had been following the Gullwings' exploits for some time, focusing on her in particular as "The Lone Dark Gull", which was actually the second thing that irked her. The first thing that irked her about them was the fact that they all dressed in clothes very similar to hers- so similar as to be frightening. Paine had gotten an odd look on her face and was looking desperately for an escape when Baralai had stepped forward, mentioning that Yuna needed her help with something, so she had hurriedly excused herself from the sycophants and left with him. When she asked him what Yuna wanted, he had replied, "Nothing, I just figured you wanted out of there." That caused her to smile and the two of them wandered over to a table, where they sat and talked about old times. Several tables down, Kimahri and several Guado were discussing the possibilities of better trade relations between Guadosalam and Mount Gagazet; Garik stood off to one side feigning indifference as he nursed a rather strong drink.
Across the room, LeBlanc and Nooj were in the process of greeting a long line of officials, detailing some of what had happened and sharing ideas for rebuilding what Malar had ruined. LeBlanc was decked out in a flamboyant royal blue dress decorated with silver brocades, Nooj wore his traditional clothes but had discarded his usual cane for one made of rich polished wood. Ormi and Logos floated amongst the other party-goers, each with their own agenda- Logos scanned the room, acting the part of unofficial bouncer/bodyguard, while Ormi lurked at a buffet table and stuffed his face. Towards the center of the room, Gippal had taken a moment from his official duties to join Rikku in a dance. At first she had shied away playfully before consenting to "one dance and that's all for tonight, mister!" Oddly enough, that one dance had turned into several as the night wore on, culminating in the two of them holding each other close in a slow dance in the middle of the floor. Brother stood off to one side, making a disgusted face as he wolfed down a few pastries from a dessert table. Buddy was engrossed in a long conversation with Rin, trying to find out more about the proposed energy extraction project Rin had been working on. Further down the room, Isaaru and Maroda were doing some catching up and comparing notes; Maroda's forces on the Moonflow hadn't sustained quite the assault that the main forces had, but it had been brutal nonetheless. Isaaru, on the other hand, had been on the front lines on the Plains and had his arm in a sling, but still bore a content smile on his face.
As the evening wore on, people continued to dine, dance and celebrate, each person becoming more engrossed in their own little world. They didn't even notice when the High Summoner and her Guardian slipped out of the great hall and out of the palace, walking hand in hand along the Highbridge.
Yuna breathed a sigh of relief. "If I hear one more person ask me whether I was afraid out there, I think I'll have to scream."
"I know the feeling," Tidus chuckled. "I still can't get used to everyone calling me 'Sir' Tidus, and they've been calling me that all night long. I wonder if Auron ever got sick of it..."
"I don't know," Yuna replied. "It never really came up when we last spoke with him." She sighed and looked up at the clear night sky. A moment of silence passed.
"I wish he were here," she said at length. "He probably wouldn't believe all that we've done." She felt Tidus put his arm around her shoulder.
"He is here. We just can't see or hear him... But I'm sure he can see us."
Yuna smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right." The two of them stopped along the Highbridge railing, standing over one of the long reflecting pools that ran along the bridge's length. "I wonder if anyone's missing us yet..."
"We can go back if you want, Yuna."
"No, it's okay, I'd rather just stay out here for a while longer. I was really starting to smother in there."
Tidus nodded. "They weren't really giving us that many chances to relax, were they?"
Yuna shook her head. "In a way, it wasn't as bad as it could've been. I can only imagine what might have happened if Dona was here." The thought of Dona showing up and making her presence known as someone who would've/could've/should've been there hit them both at once, and they both started laughing a bit. "Yeah, that could've been a little awkward," said Tidus. "Then again, I think I'd rather deal with Dona than Lulu once we get back to Besaid," he added, his face and tone a bit more serious.
"Oh, right... Boy, she and Wakka didn't look too pleased over the Commsphere earlier," Yuna said. "I know we probably should have told them what was going on, but at the same time..."
"Well, if I know Wakka he's probably not going to be that upset once we get back. But I'm not looking forward to receiving one of Lulu's tongue lashings," Tidus replied.
"Me neither," Yuna replied with a giggle. Her gaze passed over the Highbridge, towards the sparkles of the Macalania Woods in the South
Sparkles? Yuna blinked and looked again. Was that one of the trees? But... How can that be? The forest is almost completely dead!
"Yuna? What's wrong?"
Yuna took a long look and her eyes grew wider by the second. "I... It can't be... Macalania is..." She grabbed Tidus' hand and started to run forward. Tidus stumbled at first, but caught himself and picked up the pace so that they were running side by side. "Yuna, what's going on? Where's the fire?" he asked frantically.
"There's something going on down there, and I've got to check it out!!" she replied, starting to run faster still. Tidus shrugged and sprinted right along. The two of them blazed right past the Bevelle night watch so fast the guardsmen didn't have time to ask them their business, but stared and shrugged as they plunged into the woods beyond.
They ran for what seemed like a couple of minutes, darting through the thickets and trees that had grown dull with the passage of time, before drumming their feet to a halt and stopping to catch their breath. The cold night air whipped through the narrow forest paths, sending chills along Yuna's spine and prompting her to rub her forearms briskly. Tidus did likewise before glancing up and taking in the sights around them; they had been running so fast they hadn't even noticed which direction they had gone into the woods. "Yuna... Look." At his words, she blinked and raised her head... and then her eyes went wide.
They were in the lakeside clearing where they had shared their first kiss two years before, a place they had revisited only a few months ago after Tidus' return. It seemed like just yesterday the two of them had opened up their hearts to each other in that very same lake, and both had been saddened on their return to see the lake drying up and the trees fading to dark shades. Now they stared in awe at the sight before them; light flecks of aqualine light were dancing along the bark of the trees, returning the familiar crystalline sparkle to their branches. The stagnant, drying lakebed shimmered in the moonlight; water was beginning to flow once again, the clear, pure water that brought life to the forest. Underfoot, the two could just make out the first signs of fresh grass shoots pushing up amongst the dried blades. The flecks of light danced upwards, wafting across the surface of the filling lake and spiraling around the lovers' bodies before drifting up into the tree branches, and for a moment they could almost hear a soft, lilting laugh. The sparkles wrapped themselves around a protruding tree limb and disappeared as the limb slowly revitalized, the glow spreading to the tree trunk and then slowly into the other limbs. Slowly but surely, Macalania Woods was coming back.
"Reconciliation and creation..." Yuna breathed softly. "That's what they meant... They're bringing the forest back to life."
Tidus gazed in wonderment around them. "I've never seen anything like it in my life," he said. "Maybe the same thing is happening to the Thunder Plains..."
The wounds of the plains will be healed. In time, new life will spring forth and all shall be renewed.
Yuna looked up. "Did you hear that?"
Tidus nodded. "They must be hard at work, Naia and the others." Another cool breeze kicked up, causing both of them to shudder and wrap their arms around each other for warmth. "Too bad they can't raise the temperature a little bit," he added lightly, eliciting a giggle from Yuna. The two of them stood in silence for a while, arm in arm, taking in all that was happening around them.
Eventually, though, they both agreed that it was getting too chilly and that it might be a good idea to head back to Bevelle. "After all," Yuna quipped, "we don't want Rikku up all night worrying about us." The two of them laughed as they took one last look at the woods around them, then turned and started up the path back to the city. As they did, they failed to notice the faint outlines of several individuals floating on the surface of the refilling lake. Two were tallish, the third appeared to be a child wearing a tunic with a hood covering his eyes.
"You wish you could be there, don't ya?" one of the tall figures said, a muscular man clad in loose trunks and a bandanna on his head. The other figure, clad in flowing robes, turned and nodded slightly. "Yeah, me too. Never got a chance to tell him how proud I am," he continued. "Some father, huh?"
"You did the best you could, Jecht," Braska replied. "More than I could do for my little girl, anyway." He sighed, looking up towards the lights of Bevelle in the distance. "It would be nice to go back- but it's not my time anymore. It's their time."
Jecht nodded. "They really are something, aren't they?" He folded his arms and smiled. "Bet you're looking forward to being a granddad, eh Braska?" he added with a laugh. Braska smiled and chuckled in response.
"We shouldn't stay much longer," the Fayth piped up. "It's almost time to go."
"I know," Braska said, turning to the young boy. "I didn't think we could come here for very long... Thank you for giving us this chance to see them." He paused a moment. "And thank you for bringing them back together."
The Fayth nodded. "It was the love they shared for each other that enabled us to make the dream a reality. For all Yuna has done for us and for Spira, she deserves it."
The three spirits smiled and nodded to each other as their forms dissipated into swirling clouds of pyreflies, spiraling into the air and descending into the depths of the lake, making their way once more to the Farplane. A cloud passed overhead and a light snow began to fall as peaceful silence settled over the woods once again.
****************
Ten Years later
The springtime sun shone brightly over the vast expanses of the Thunder Plains. It shone on the lakes and rivers that dotted the landscape, it shone on the swaths of tall green grass that covered the hills and valleys of the Plains. The great lightning towers in the Southern Plains still stood, their purpose all but defeated since the calming of the storms that had once been everlasting. Now their sides were thick with ivy and flowering plants, some of them naturally occurring, some that had been cultivated and planted by travelers and settlers of the Plains. The Travel Agency had long since been rebuilt, larger and more elegant than before, with more than enough room for vacationers and people stopping on their way to and from Bevelle. A dock setup had also been constructed alongside the river by the Agency, with landing facilities for Bevelle riverboats or airships. There were no Hovers operating in the Plains, but Chocobos were available in abundance for transportation or just for joyrides.
Just down the hill from the Agency, several children were chasing each other back and forth, passing and kicking a Blitzball between them.
"C'mon, Vidina, stop hogging the ball!" shouted one of the kids, a girl about 8 years old with short brown/blond hair and vivid blue eyes. She wore denim knee-length shorts and a leather vest over a white t-shirt, and might have been mistaken for a boy if it weren't for the ponytail that fell between her shoulders and her white sneakers with pink racing stripes. "You gonna run around with it all day or are we gonna get to play too?"
"Okay, heads up Elsa, here it comes!" the redheaded 10-year old in white trousers and a red vest replied, lobbing the ball into the air and roundhouse-kicking it towards her with surprising force for one so young. "I thought I told you to call me Ellie!!" Elsa hollered. She grabbed the ball and flung it in the direction of another 8-year old, a boy who sported the same color hair and eyes as her and was wearing long shorts, a yellow t-shirt with the Aurochs emblem on the back and black sneakers. The boy grinned and he and Elsa started playing a vicious game of Keep Away with the ball, sending Vidina scrambling to try and keep up.
"Hey, c'mon! This isn't fair, ya? Krys, why you always gotta team up with her?"
"I dunno, maybe because she can read my mind?" Krys responded with a smirk, flinging the ball over Vidina towards his twin sister. Just then an orange-yellow blur shot through the air and grabbed the ball, landed on the ground and volleyed back to Vidina. The blur skidded to a halt, revealing a 7-year old Al Bhed boy with spiked-up blond hair, orange trousers and a sleeveless red shirt. "Hey! No fair, you didn't even say you were playing, Derrik!" Krys whined.
"Didn't say I wasn't, Krys!" Derrik shot back with a goofy grin. Krys and Elsa couldn't help but snicker. I wonder if Aunt Rikku was like that when she was his age...
"Is there room for one more?" a soft female voice called out. The four of them turned to see a girl no older than six running down the hill, her silver-white hair waving in the breeze. She wore bleached denims and a pale green shirt that offset her magenta eyes nicely. "Please? I can keep up with the rest of you!"
Vidina scratched his head. "Maya, you're still kinda young for Blitz, ya? You could get banged up if you're not careful."
"Oh, give her a break, Red!" Elsa said in a teasing tone. "Maya's a lot tougher than she looks, d'you know she beats me at arm wrestling almost every time?"
"Give her a chance, huh?" Krys added. "We can tone things down a bit if it gets too rough."
A few moments passed, but finally the consensus was yes and the game started over again. Derrik grabbed the ball and bobbed and weaved like a madman, eventually spinning and tossing it to Maya, who promptly kicked it in Vidina's direction. It smacked him in the knee- she had aimed too low- but he easily caught it with his foot and lobbed it up, head-butting it back to Derrik. Derrik zoomed in to catch it but the ball was intercepted by Krys, who twisted in midair and kicked it over to Elsa. She caught the ball and volleyed to Maya, who elbowed it back in Krys' direction. There was no rhyme or reason to the game they were playing, except that 'have fun' was the primary rule. The sounds of the ball being kicked and their laughter echoed up the hill, towards a wooden picnic table where lunch was being set up.
Yuna stood atop the hill, watching the children play and smiling. She wore her hair much the same way she did when she was a Sphere Hunter, but the braid was now only waist-length. She wore a simple short-sleeved blue dress that came to her ankles, and she still wore her favorite pair of dark blue boots. Many people had told her as of late that she looked radiant, and they couldn't believe how well she had kept her figure after Krys and Elsa were born. She watched the twins as they mercilessly kept the ball away from Vidina again and couldn't help but laugh at their antics. They must get that from their father and Rikku, she thought to herself.
"Wonder if we should tell them lunch is ready?" Tidus asked as he crossed over to her from the picnic table. He wore dark slacks and black sneakers, and a long sleeved denim shirt over a white t-shirt; there was no sense in wearing his Blitz uniform before they got to Bevelle for the inaugural game of the season. It was to be Bevelle's first time participating in the games, to say nothing of their new stadium which had been completed just a few months before. The Bevelle Falcons were rumored to have a few exceptional players despite the fact they were an expansion team, and Tidus was looking forward to facing off against them with the rest of the Aurochs.
"Might as well, we don't want them to be too tired from playing to eat," Yuna replied with a giggle. Tidus nodded and put his fingers to his lips, unleashing a long whistle. The kids immediately stopped tossing the ball and looked up the hill. "Lunchtime!!" Krys and Elsa shouted in unison before scrambling as fast as they could up the slope. The other kids followed suit, and soon four respective families had gathered around the picnic table, eating, joking and reminiscing about the 'good old days'.
Everyone was up to something new since the formal disbanding of the Gullwings; Rikku and Gippal, with the help of the Machine Faction, had begun experimental work towards the exploration of the stars. Of course, their primary interest was developing new machina for everyday use- and of course, taking care of their son Derrik. Paine had finally carried through with her dream to pilot an airship of her own, a sleek steel-gray vessel named Excalibur which was the first of Spira's line of light scouting and transport airships. She and Baralai would often fly together on official Council business or just to get away from it all; the ship had enough cabin space for the two of them and for Maya, and a few special guests. Wakka had packed on a few more pounds over the years, but he was still in decent enough shape to act as a coach for the Junior Blitz league; Vidina had already set his sights on joining the league once he turned 12. Nooj and LeBlanc had eventually married and kept busy much of the time with Council affairs, just as Kimahri remained occupied with the cares and concerns of the Ronso.
As for Yuna, semi-retirement suited her quite well. She and Tidus had decided to stay on Besaid, where they had built a cozy cottage down by the beach. It wasn't too large, but it was far from being cramped- the perfect place to raise the twins. Sphere Hunting had taken a back seat now- though she still loved to get out and adventure once in a while, and had even held an occasional concert for fun or to lift people's spirits. Tidus had kept fairly busy ever since becoming Captain of the Aurochs; under his leadership and motivation, the Aurochs had become one of the most dominant Blitz teams in all of Spira. Yet even with all these distractions, they both made sure that Krys and Elsa- or as she preferred, 'Ellie'- came first. They were alongside them almost everywhere they went, every Blitz game, every concert, even when Yuna was invited by the Council to act as a neutral mediator when certain things came up.
It really has arrived, Yuna thought to herself as she looked across the lush green expanses of the Thunder Plains. The Eternal Calm is well and truly here; we can finally relax. She glanced at their son and daughter, who were arguing with Vidina over who the best Blitzer in Spira was; he was certain it was Wakka, while they, of course, insisted their dad was the best. Tidus and Wakka laughed and started poking fun at each other's weak points, playing along and starting a mock-argument that got everybody at the table laughing.
I wonder what the future will hold for our two angels? she wondered to herself, and smiled.
The End
[Final Author's Notes: I hope you've enjoyed this chronicle as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I probably won't be doing any fanfic writing on this site for a while; it'd take me quite a while to come up with another plotline after the one I just cranked out. ^_^
I had a few other ideas for Dressphere designs when I decided to incorporate Tidus into the Gullwings, but obviously not all of them showed up in this fanfic. Here then are some of the ideas that didn't make it, and a few whose inspiration sources are now revealed:
Warrior Dressphere: Well, obviously that's just him in his normal Blitz clothing. No further design necessary.
Thief: I didn't have the heart to put him in an outfit like Rikku's. Ugh. Closest I could come up with was a black ninja gi- black pants, sleeveless shirt, scarf over the face, pair of silver daggers. It never came up in the storyline; unused.
Gunner: Inspired by Squall of Final Fantasy 8, but also by the character of El Mariachi from Once Upon A Time In Mexico. I liked the style of the slacks and short jacket, and decided to adapt them.
Gun Mage: I couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't look like a Yevonite robe, so I discarded this one.
Black Mage: I envisioned him in a black longcoat covered in purple runes, the token wide-brimmed hat and a spear-like staff, but never really saw him as a magic user. Unused.
White Mage: Similar to the standard White Mage attire, but with white trousers and a robe that resembled a longcoat rather than the dress the others wore. Didn't see him using it much; unused.
Alchemist: This one was kinda fun, just a few variants on the standard outfit. I figured a trenchcoat suited him better than a bodysuit.
Samurai: Based this one off of Auron's attire, obviously. Figured it made sense.
Dark Knight: It was impossible to come up with anything highly original on this one, except maybe silver highlights on a suit of black spiked armor. Envisioned Paine using it more than him; unused.
Berserker: I didn't like the look of the claw gloves so for Tidus I changed them to claw bracers. There's a bit of Native American in the design, too.
Songstress: Forget it. Incompatible with male users. ^_^
Lady Luck: Thought about putting him in a sharp gray tuxedo with a red vest for this one, sort of a James Bond design. Decided it wasn't going to come into play; not one of my preferred spheres in the game. Unused.
Trainer: Couldn't come up with either a design or an animal- although I came close to pairing him with a black panther named Kuroneko. (Black Cat- bad play on Japanese, I know) Eventually gave up.
Mascot: Gimme a break! All the good critter costumes were taken! Well, I could've dressed him up as the Onion Knight, Lulu's ultimate weapon, but decided not to go there.
Ultimate Dressphere: In all honesty, I never used the ultimate forms in the game that much, and felt it wouldn't have done much for the story, so I decided not to give him one. If I had, though, it might've been Celestial Templar: a form in which he emerges clad in a full suit of silver armor sporting white angel wings, each of which has offensive or defensive capabilities. It never came up; unused.
Anyway, that's what was left on the cutting room floor. It's been a long, wild ride, and I hope you liked this story. This book is closed, but another one may open before you know it! -Neon Ronin]