Eternal Love (Final Fantasy X/X-2)

Chapter 14: Revelations

There was rarely a simple answer for anything in life. Yuna's unusual dreams were a testament to that, leading her to question the very fabric of reality, which up until recently was something she'd considered to be tangible. Now, she wasn't so sure.

With every new truth she discovered, the lie it replaced would wither and die, but not before crying out in the back of her mind as a painful reminder of how she'd been manipulated. The illusion had begun to crumble. She was seeing things clearer than she'd ever had. Buried secrets and hidden truths lay locked away for a thousand years, guarded by the very beings she'd revered and trusted with her life—an undesirable reality, but one she could no longer deny to be possible. Still, it wasn't easy to accept.

Day by day it was eating away at her; consuming her every thought. Each time she closed her eyes, her mind would race with possibilities, offering more questions than answers in their wake—an exhausting marathon, leaving her even more drained when she woke than when she'd fallen asleep. She needed to know the truth. But for now, she'd settle on an explanation as to how she'd gotten into the rave building where Rikku's True Love's day party had been held.

It was dark inside the wide-open space, except for the slow, spinning lights of the disco ball hanging above her head, bathing the area in a multitude of glowing orbs. No one appeared to be around and it was deathly quiet.

A cold breeze swept through the ex-summoner's body, chilling her to the bone. Yuna shivered and hugged her arms, finding herself in the same black mini-dress she'd worn that fateful night. This had to be a dream. There was no other explanation...right?

The melody of a soft ballad suddenly penetrated the eerie silence, and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

That song...

Behind Love's Swirling Gaze—the sad, love song from the party began to play. The song Quill had asked her to dance to. The song she'd technically died to that night in Tidus' arms.

"May I have this dance?" came a smooth voice from behind.

Goosebumps popped up all over her arms accompanied by their skin-crawling sensation. She knew who that voice belonged to. And she couldn't help feeling a well of resentment rising inside at the sound of it. Turing to confront the man who'd given her the deadly drink, Yuna dropped her hands to her sides and clenched them into tight fists, struggling to control her emotions from spilling over.

Quill stood in the middle of the dance floor, wearing the same sharp-looking blazer from that night, and extended a hand out to her, lips pulled into a regretful smile. "I don't deserve your forgiveness, but please allow me to explain."

His clean-cut appearance reverberated with a refined masculinity, strangely abating her anger and sudden trepidation. Was this really happening? Rationalizing her experience was irrelevant at the moment. She wanted answers. And in some odd way, she could sense their meeting was genuine.

Still hesitant to accept his invitation, Yuna asked the one question that'd been nagging at her for well over a week now, "Was it your intent to kill me that night?"

"No." His answer may have been simple, but the sincerity in his hazel eyes spoke volumes. "Your death wasn't supposed to happen. It'll make more sense if you'll allow me to explain. It's imperative that I do. I'll only have one shot at this, Yuna. I won't be able to contact you again."

Cautiously approaching the handsome scholar, Yuna accepted his hand and settled into position, resting the other on one of his broad shoulders. Quill offered up a soothing smile, earning a faint one in return by maintaining her level of comfort. Once his free hand had securely slipped around her waist, he began to slowly sway their bodies to the somber tune of the song, which given the circumstances, seemed only fitting.