"Tidus.... Welcome." a voice echoed through the endless shimmering blue of water. "D....Dad...?" Tidus answered, looking around. "You're here....... That's good." Jecht's voice rang. "Where... are you?" he said, spinning around, looking in all possible directions. "I'm.... here." Jecht slowly came into view. "Where..... are we, Dad?" Tidus asked, confused. "I don't know... You got any idea? I was hoping you'd know." Jecht said, doing his trademark neckcrack. "Dad.... There's something I need to tell you.... It's about us... And Zanarkand." Tidus said, carefully pronoucing each word carefully. "We're not.... It's not, real. It's all a dream. A dream of the fayth. When we defeated Yu Yevon... The fayth awoke, and we......" Tidus trailed off. "Stopped existing." Jecht finshed. "Wish I would have known that before. But why are we here? If we don't exist anymore?" Tidus stared at his father, eyes filled with sorrow. "I.... I don't know." And he looked away.

"Maybe.... maybe we'll come back when the fayth start dreaming again? Like we're in their mind or something." Jecht proposed. Tidus couldn't answer. "Yeah. Maybe." he said, letting himself do a limp backflip.

"Where's Yuna?" Wakka asked. His voice bounced around the antechamber before the Chamber of the Fayth. "Shhh, Wakka. She's praying." Lulu whispered, pointing to the door to the chamber. "Praying? Aren't the fayth gone and all?" Wakka asked, shrugging his shoulders. "They are. But she won't give up on trying to communicate with them...." Lulu whispered, turning away. "This isn't still about....?" Wakka asked. "Don't even say it." Lulu cut him off. Wakka took a step back. He knew well enough not to anger her. He took a place next to a torch that danced shadows across the antechamber. "Ha-ha! Look! A chocobo!" He laughed making a shadow puppet chocobo. "Very good Wakka!" Yuna laughed, exiting the Chamber of the Fayth. "Any luck?" Lulu asked. Yuna looked away and shook her head. "Hey, don't feel bad. They're gone now, ya? I don't think we can do anything to bring them back." Wakka attempted to comfort her. Yuna, jerk away, and looked even more hurt than before. She hurried out of the room, her footsteps close together. Lulu glared at Wakka scornfully. "Guess I said something wrong." He shurgged.

Yuna left the Besaid Temple, still half running. She hurried by the children, the remains of the Crusaders, and to the beach. The sun had barely risen, sending light over the village. People carried out their everyday chores, children were playing, and the Crusaders stood guard.... Waiting for the Sin that may never come back. Wakka walked down the stairs, after Yuna. "You really did it this time Wakka." Lulu said, her voice tinted with anger. "What? What did I say?" He almost shouted. "I don't think there's anything we can do to bring them back... You know what that did to her? Everytime she hears that, it slowly crushes what little hope she has left." Lulu answered, crossing her arms.

She sat at the edge of the beach, looking onto the ocean. The Aurochs practiced behind her, but they slowed down when they saw Yuna so depressed. Letty's hand touched her small shoulder. "I know it's hard. But there's always hope... ya?" he encouraged. Yuna had to blink a few times to keep the tears from reaching her eyes. "Yes.... It's always there..." she said, still looking out to the ocean. Wakka ran, kicking up sand as he came. He slowed down as he approched Yuna. "This.. is where we first met him..." Wakka said quietly. "I know....." Yuna's now meager voice replied, barely audible. "What.... How did you meet him...?" she asked. "We lost our blitzball out there. And out of nowhere, he just surfaced..... And returned our ball." he answered. Yuna looked up at Lulu to her left. She only nodded. Datto, who had the blitzball they were training with, came to the shore. "Worth a shot." he said, heaving the ball with all his might. It flew into the distance, and came to rest on the surface of the ocean. It bobbed up and down, then stopped. Yuna looked hopefully to the blitzball, hoping that maybe...... by some chance he would show.

Moments passed, with no response. Wakka waded into the water, and swam for the ball. Getting a hand on it, he delivered a Sphere Shot to return it. Just as Tidus did. The ball skimmed the surface of the water, before it began floating slowing to shore. Yuna reached for the small, blue decorated ball, and picked it up. "I'm sorry..." she whispered. "It's alright... We were hoping it would work too." Botta replied.

How long.... how long had it been? The blue never ended...... A light glimmered faintly from.... somewhere.... And vainshed.

Yuna arose the next morning, aboard a cabin. "Where am I....?" she asked herself. "Oh yes... We should almost be there now...." she said, getting out of bed, and preparing herself for the day. Last night they had board a ship to Kilika, so she may pray at the Kilkia Temple. A knocking pounded through the door. "Hey? Yuna? You up yet?" a voice asked. It must have been Wakka, because of his accent. "Yes... I'll be top deck soon...." She said, hurrying with her hair. "Well, we're almost there." his voice disappeared.

"Man, Yuna never gives up, ya?" Wakka commented. They waited in the antechamber yet again, as Yuna prayed in the Chmaber. "Yes.... And that, that is what makes her strong." Lulu echoed. "She does know though..... He ain't coming back." Wakka asked. "I.... I don't think she does. She really does believe she can do it. I want to tell her it's pointless..... But when I see that glimmer in her eyes, I can't bring myself to say it." Lulu said, shaking her head in self-disappointment. "Even you can't tell her? Man, then no one could...." He commented. "And what does that mean, Wakka?" she said, standing up straight. "Um, nothing! Nothing at all!" he said, shaking his hands. "Hm.."

Yuna, yet again, came out from the chamber, shaking her head. "There's just no answer...." she said, coming down the stairs."Don't worry bout it." Wakka consuled. Yuna left the room, and before Wakka could follow, Lulu nodded with approval.

"How long has it been....? I lost track a while ago.... Wait! There it is! That light again! It's brighter than before! Did you see it?"

"Yeah......... But what does it mean?"

"I don't know... But... it's gone now."

"Sorry sir. There are no more tickets available for tonight's ship. I could book you for tomorrow morning however." The clerk said. "Ahhhh, alright, Gimme dat ticket." Wakka complained firecely, handing over some gil for a ticket to Luca. "Wakka... It's alright. It gives us sometime to relax." Yuna said. "Well, you wanted to get to the temples as soon as possible right?" he said. "Yes, but if it's not possible, we shouldn't rush things." she replied. "Alright, you got it. We'll take a break for today. I'm gonna go brush up on the pier with the team." Wakka said, leaving the agency. "So, Yuna. What shall we do?" Lulu asked gentley. Yuna had a puzzled look cross her face. "I'm not sure. What do you want to do?" Yuna asked, turning to Lulu. "Well, I don't know... That's why I asked you!" Lulu laughed. Yuna couldn't resist either. "Well then, let's go watch Wakka." she said, leaving.

The Aurochs kicked, punched, and passed the Blitzball. "Hey, Wakka!" Yuna waved. Wakka, took his head away from practice for a second, and didn't see the ball coming at him. It whacked him straight in the head. "Yow.." he muttered, picking up the ball. "Sorry!" Yuna aplogized. "Ha-ha! That's okay." he said, kicking the ball to Datto. The team had really improved. Datta leaped into the air caught it, and passed it to Letty. Letty, instead of catching kicked it at Keepa. Keepa made a dive, getting a hand on the ball, deflecting it towards Botta. Practice carried on for hours on end.....

"All aboard who's coming aboard." The captain shouted. Yuna rushed out of her room, and out of the agency. "Hurry up!" Wakka shouted, running for the ship. Lulu was already waiting at the ramp, and she brushed Yuna aboard, entering right after.

"Yuna, you've been sleeping in late recently....." Lulu commented. "Something wrong?" Yuna just grinned. "No..... It's pretty nice really." The water crashed upon the hull the ship, making a slight creaking noise. The ship was pretty much quiet, mostly because most Luca bound passagers had left last night. "What makes it so pleasent you'd risk missing the last ship for 3 days?" Lulu thought aloud. "I.... see him....." she whispered. Lulu's stomache dropped. "That's alright... I'll try not to wake from now on..." Lulu offered. "Thank you...." Yuna said, looking out to the ocean, and smiling.

"Here we go! It's the first game for the Besaid Aurochs since they defeated the Luca Goers in a once-in-lifetime match last season. Today's game, The Besaid AUROCHES vs. Al Bhed Psyches!" the announcer boomed. The Sphere Pool was filled, and ready for action as the teams took the pool. "And it's the BLITZ-OFF!" Another annoucer shouted. The ball shot up....... An Al Bhed Psyche dove for it, but Wakka was too fast, and he began to double back, leaving the center forward of the psyches to deal with his Midfield defences.

"YUNIE, YUNIE, YUNIE!" Rikku's high-pitched voice shouted. Rikku ran through the stand to where Yuna and Lulu sat around the sphere pool. "Rikku! Oh, how have you been?" Yuna asked, hugging her. "People are accepting machina now.... But not completely, they're still afraid of Sin." Rikku said, taking a seat next to Yuna. "Go Brother!" Rikku shouted, standing up. "Brother is in there?" Lulu asked. "Yeah! He's the center midfielder for the Psyches!" she said, hopping up and down. "And Brother takes a double tackle!" the announcer shouted as the Auroches defence collided. "And he's STILL going!" the announcer shouted in amazment. "Yeah!" Rikku screamed with the crowd, jumping to her feet again.

"Nice game Wa-ka." Brother said, holding his hand out for a handshake. Wakka took it. "Ya, not bad! You gave us a better game than those Luca Goers, ya?" Wakka laughed. While Brother's english was still.... sketchy, he could get enough of it to laugh. Rikku was still hopping around, even though her team had lost. "Well, we gotta get going to the Djose Temple.." Wakka said, catching up with Yuna. "Wait! Why you going there?" Rikku asked. "Well... you know how he's gone now that the fayth are gone, ya?" Wakka stated. Rikku nodded. "Well, she thinks if that if she prays hard enough at each temple...... He'll come back." Wakka finshed. "I..... hope he comes back too..... I wanna tell him something..... Can..... I come along?" Rikku asked. "I guess so. I think you might be able to cheer Yuna up." He said, catching up with Yuna finally.

"I hope she really can, you know?" Rikku said, bending up in anticpation. "Too bad it can't happen though......" Wakka said, shaking his head.Rikku jumped, "Don't you ever say that! It can happen!" she shouted, almost angry. "Aw, c'mon be realistic, ya? Lulu, back me up here." Wakka asked. "Don't look at me. I'm hoping too." Lulu said. "I am too, but I know it can't happen...." he said, shrigging his shoulders. ".....I know...... But I don't want to believe it." Lulu said. "And until I'm proven it can't happen... I'll pray with her."

Yuna left the chamber, even more desparate looking than before. "...Nothing..." Yuna said, closing her eyes and shaking her head softly. Rikku, even with all her energy, let her shoulders drop. Even Wakka seemed to droop a bit....

"I saw it that time!"

"See? It's there, but brighter than before!"

"What is that?"

"I don't know..... but there it goes again..."

They left the Djose Temple, depressed. "I was really hoping it would work too..." Rikku sighed. "We all did." Wakka said. "But we're not done yet, ya? There's still the Guado Temple and Bevelle temple." Yuna let a grin cross her face, with a new glimmer of hope, "Yes.. We still have that."

A few days later, they arrived in Guadoslam, silently. The city remained quiet, as the small group advanced. "We need..... To use the Macalania Temple..." Yuna uttered to the Guado Guard. "No one's stopping you. The temples are worthless now anyways...." the Guado Guard uttered. A short time later, they arrived in the Antechamber. Yuna, entered the Chamber of Fayth, and wouldn't come out for sometime, as usual. Wakka, Lulu, and Rikku stood near the door, waiting.....

"Is it just me, or does Yuna seem a little more depressed?" Wakka asked. "Yeah.....Y unie's lost alot of energy lately." Rikku said, looking down. "As have you." Lulu commented. Rikku gave a faint smile and shrugged with a single shoulder. "Man, I wish she's stop this thing...." Wakka noted. Rikku, glanced at him, with rage in her eyes. "It's not that I don't want him back, ya.... It's that, I don't wanna see her get hurt anymore. I mean, what happens when she discovers the fayth aren't coming back? She's gonna be crushed." Wakka concluded. Even the usually snappy Lulu had nothing to say. "True.... It will hurt her, but not as much as never doing it, not knowing if she could have brought him back or not....." Lulu trailed off. "And if she can bring him back.. Maybe....." Wakka said, also trailing off. "No, Wakka.... She couldn't. Tidus is different. There's a reason he vanished when Yu Yevon died.... Too bad he never told us." Lulu remarked.

A short time later, Yuna came stumbling out of the chamber. Everyone lurched upright, and glanced at her. Yuna look strange somehow. Miserable. She came down to the center of chamber, and faced her friends. "N...Nothing... We only have one more hope...." Yuna's weak voice bounced around the chamber. Yuna left, and Wakka trailed behind, leaving Lulu and Rikku alone for a second. "Was she... crying?" Rikku asked, concerned. "......Yes.... On the inside. She's losing hope..." Lulu sighed, exiting the chamber.

"There it is again!"

"Damn, is that bright! Why doesn't it seem like other light...?"

"I don't.... know. It's almost like a solid sheet...."

"It's fading again."

"It's a long way to Bevelle... I'll just have Dad take us there." Rikku offered. Yuna just nodded, and looked away. They sat inside of the Lake Macalania Travel Agency, warming up from the cold out of outdoors. Rikku reached around the back of her waist and pulled out a strange looking radio. "Hey? Dad? We need to get Bevelle..... We're Rin's near Lake Macalania." She spoke into it. "I'll be there a few mintues. I need to drop some supplies off to Bevelle anyways." Cid's gruff voice cracked back. "Alright, our ride will be here soon!" Rikku exclaimed, putting the radio back in her pocket. "Aw, c'mon Yunie. Don't look so down. I mean, we still have Bevelle... And maybe you need to pray at all of them for it to work?" She suggested. "I know... but...... It's so hard sometimes to go on.... Because... everytime... everytime there's no answer...... The chance of it working... is less.. and less.... And if they don't answer this time.... then...." She trailed, fighting tears. "C'mon Yuna, you've had tougher things happen, ya? Like Sin, you knew you were going to die, oe thought you were, when started this whole summoner thing, right? That was hard, and you did anyways." Wakka pointed out.

"But this is... this is different. This isn't about just me anymore... It's about someone else... That I..." Yuna's voice choked on her there. As if by cue, a rumbling was hear in the distance, growing louder each second. "He's here!" Rikku shouted. Yuna and Rikku wasted no time heading outside to a lowfloating airship. "I don't think I've ever seen her so choked up about something, ya?" Wakka commented. "She hasn't cared about anyone that much since her father. Not even for us." Lulu mentioned, leaving.

"Bevelle, eh?" Cid said in his gruff voice, "You never were one to give up so easy. Stay that way." Yuna only nodded. Speaking was challange, due to a large knot in her throat. They all stood in the helm, waiting as the water passed under them. "Rao, Brother, ruf'c dra english kuehk? (Hey, Brother, how's the english going?)" Wakka stumbled, tapping Brother on the shoulder. Brother nearly fell out of his seat in surprise. "You.... learning to speak Al Bhed?" Brother fumbled. "Rao! Fydlr frana fa'na vmoehk! (Hey! Watch where we're flying!)" Cid shouted. "Cunno. (Sorry.)" Brother responded, returning to what was in front of him. "Oayr, sekrd, yc fanm sa oui eh settma, ya?" Wakka laughed. He couldn't change his accent, Since "Oy" insead of "Ya" seemed strange. "We will be there sho-short..." Brother stumbled. "Shortly?" Wakka suggested. "Ya." Brother grinned.

Once they arrived in the Bevelle Temple, Yuna wasted no time heading for the Chamber of the Fayth. "Slow down there, ya?" Wakka asked, being pulled along by Rikku who frantically tried keeping up with Yuna as they rushed down the crowded halls. Lulu seemed to have no problem, gliding along without even moving her upper-body the slightest bit. "Ah, Lady Yuna... Have you decided to take up our offer for the council?" Shelinda asked. "I'm afraid I cannot....." Yuna said, shaking her head. "But... thank you for the offer." The council was a new board devised by Shelinda herself to rule Spira. People would be elected into posistion, and the counsil, consisting of 5 people, would oversee Spira. Once elected, a member could not be removed, unless dismissed by the public. "Then you have for the temple...?" Shelinda questioned. "Yes...." Yuna said, still unable to look anyone in the eye. "That's alright, I've already had it set up for you. You can go straight there. No trials to put up with. Just board the lift and it will take you there." Shelinda finshed. "Thank you...." Said Yuna meekly.

"Man, if this doesn't work, I don't know what it'll do to her." Wakka moaned. They awaited in the Antechamber..... For Yuna to come out. "I know.... I really hope it works......." Rikku said, letting her shoulders slump. "We all do." Lulu confirmed, standing strong. Hours passed, but it seemed like years. "Yuna's been in there quite a while...." Wakak complained. "Perhaps we should check on her." Lulu suggested. Wakka agreeded, and entered the Chamber.

And there sat Yuna. Not standing, or lying down. She sat on her knees, her hands clasping over to the back of her head, letting her arms cover her face. "Yu....na?" Wakka said, quietly. Lulu sat silent near the entrance of the Chamber, and Rikku was slowly and silently approching Yuna. Her figure jerked sharply. Her breathing was loud, and raspy. "I..... I....... tried....." she uttered so quietly, it was barely audible. Rikku sat down next to her and looked over to Yuna's also tear stricken face. Even the hyper Rikku couldn't fend this off, letting tears fall. "Damn..... DAMN." Wakka shouted louder, kicking the wall, and stumbling back. Lulu could only shake her head in shame, as if she herself had sometime that cause Yuna to fail.

"God, where is that light coming from?"

"I don't know.... Let's find out."

"I don't think we need to look."

"Why?"

"Cause here it comes!"