FINAL FANTASY X- another chapter

Chapter 1

It's dark here. It's so so dark. Something in me wonders wether or not my friends are okay. Did they make it? Are they alright? Is this 1000 year fight finally over? And is Yu..... is....yu.... huuh. It hurts. Not physically, but somewhere deep in my chest, there's an ache that can never be quelled. Something's missing. Not something. Someone. I love you too. Why didn't i say it back? Why didn't i tell her what i felt? Maybe it was because i didn't want to give her false hope. I didn't want her to be sad about the things we could have had. I wanted her to go on living her life, no matter what. 'I love you too' would have tied us together. And i couldn't afford to do that knowing we'd be so far apart. It's dark. It's so so dark. Am i dying? Am i....fading? Is this...the end of my story? NO...no...it can't be. It's not. But I'm tired. And i don't think i can last much longer. My body feels like a weight. Sleep. I need to sleep. Just for a minute or two.....a nap. I'll get up again. I'll find my way back......i just need...... sleep. "Don't."

My eyes snapped open in an instant. I couldn't believe it. I almost gave up. I almost... "Who said that?" I tried to look around, but the clouds of shadow swallowed everything around me. It was a void. A dark hole.

"Don't go to sleep, Tidus." The voice repeated. Adrenaline pulsed through my body like fire. I felt like used to on zanarkand, back when i had to pump myself up for the games. Fight or flight. That's what this energy meant. I jumped to my feet, finding stable ground. No more thoughts of sleep. I'd take on whatever came at me. "How do you know my name?" I shouted. It echoed through the cavernous void. No one answered."Show yourself! Or are you too scared?" I'd defeated sin and yu yevon. I could definitely handle whatever this one could dish out too. "Heheheh........I see you haven't lost any spirit." When he laughed, the entire cavern rumbled . This one wasn't a joke. This was serious. I backed away slowly. Brotherhood-my sword-was gone and i was weaponless. Not good. I'd have to settle for an escape route instead. But it was so dark. I could never find a way out befo- "Do you think it's fair?"

"What?" I stuttered. The shadows suddenly dissipated, and a small figure was crouched on the floor, his back facing me. He was draped in purple and gold, and he hummed an all too familiar song. I calmed myself and walked over to crouch down next to him. He drew swirling patterns in the dirt with his finger. "Do you think it's fair for you to defeat Yu Yevon, only to be denied your very existence?" I watched bahumut's spirit. A light surrounded him, large enough for the two of us. The patterns he drew burned bright white, before fading back. I was a dream. A vision. Nothing but the thoughts and daydreams of a few hopeful people, turned solid. I wasn't anything. And yet..... "of course i don't think it's fair!" I yelled. "I was there. I was alive. I had friends, i fought sin-my father, i protected Yu....." i sighed. "I protected Yuna. I was there for her. And everybody! We all went through the pilgrimage together. I was there." I swallowed hard."i was there."

"Your fading." I held my hands under his light. They were translucent, almost nothing. "Soon, you wont remember anything anymore." I clenched my hands into fists. I knew that. I knew that but still....why did it have to end like this? Why did it feel like my story was over before it'd even begun? Why did i have to...."You won't remember anything," he repeated "but they will." He slowly stood up and turned to me. "You were like another brother to wakka. Lulu, too. Kimhari and Rikku will always wonder what happened to you. And Yuna...." "Enough!" I shouted. "D-don't talk about stuff like that." A fierce wind suddenly blew around us. dust flew as the patterns he made lifted from the ground and swirled in the air together. When the dust settled, a carbon copy of Yuna stared back at me. I backed away. "Stop it." It placed a hand over it's chest. "Tidus....i love you." "STOP IT!" It fell away into a pile of dirt. My breath was harsh. "She will miss you the most." He said, unfazed. "Yuna's strong. She'll be fine. She'll be fine....without me." "True. But is that what you want?" I glowered. "That's what i want."

"Your lying." He was right. Of course he was right. But there was nothing i could do. I was fading already. My time was up. And all i wanted was for her to be happy. That was enough for me. That was enough. Bahumut still played with his glowing sand. It danced around him like golden water. "I wonder......" he mumbled. "If someone loved by so many, can truly not exist?" I narrowed my eyes. Was this some cruel joke? "What'dyou mean?" He looked at me. His hood obscured most of his face. "Do you think you exist?" I stared at him. What was he getting at? I sighed. "I don't feel like a dream, if that's what you mean." I looked over my body, under bahumut's light. It was almost gone, i was almost gone. "My memories...my memories feel real to me. I don't think they were made. I don't think that i....that i never existed. i'm the same me ive always been-dream or not."

He smiled. "I thought so too." His golden sand expanded, and i was pulled into the the small current with him.

"Tidus. Would you like to go back?"

"More than anything."

"Are you willing to fight for it? You don't exist. You'll have to earn your place in this world." I nodded.

"Then I'll fight. I'll prove my existence. This is not the end of my story." The currents of sand became violent, and soon we were standing in the eye of a small golden tornado. The winds rushed around me, forcing me to shut my eyes and shield my face. I coughed. The sand was seeping into my mouth and nose. I couldn't breath. "Good. I knew you'd say that."

"W-whats happening?!" I screamed.

"If you want to exist, then fight for it. Show them your real."

"Who is them?!" I shouted. The gale was too powerful. I could feel myself being sucked off the ground.

"Prove it. Seek out valefor. Find out what makes a dream real. Don't fade, Tidus. Live!"

"Hey wai-!" I bursted upwards through the darkness. The sand forced my eyes closed and the sound rendered me deaf. "Gyaaah!" I was tossed around like a feather on the wind. I tried to fight myself out, but it was useless. I blacked out.

* * * * * * *

I was floating. Something swished in my ears. Was it sand? It didn't feel like it, though....it felt like- "Tidus. Open your eyes." I opened them and found myself deep under water. Light glittered on the surface above me. I drifted on my back. I was in my element. I was comfortable here. But i had things to do. I swam up.