The Truth Beyond the Dream (A Final Fantasy X/X-2 Fan Fiction)

Chapter 1: The Dream

Tidus stood by the window of his room at the Luca Inn, gazing out at the full-moon. The sound of waves crashing in the distance only heightened his anxiety as he thought about the events surrounding his return. It had been ten hours now since he'd reappeared in the waters of Besaid with still no idea of where he had been in the time before.

He had been gone two years—a harsh reality he was still struggling to accept. Upon reaching Zanarkand on Yuna's pilgrimage, he had resigned himself to his fate, knowing once they defeated Yu Yevon he would fade. Only he'd thought that meant residing in the Farplane with his father and Auron, which proved to be an inaccurate assumption on his part. After his brief reunion with them, the darkness came. Far worse, he'd been conscious of it. Alone and trapped in what he'd considered to be some type of eternal abyss. It was as though he had ceased to exist, but only to the outside world. His memory was still a bit foggy, but one thing was clear—the years he'd spent in that dark void felt more like a few days, if anything, he was grateful for the absence of time, but it hadn't made it any less disturbing.

Feeling more anxious by the minute, he retreated over to the queen-size bed in the middle of the room and sat on the edge, fidgeting with the blue comforter. At this rate, he was certain his sanity would be gone within the hour if he continued to dwell on what he couldn't change.

Exhaling heavily, he forced himself to take in his surroundings, something he had neglected to do earlier. The aqua-painted walls and beige, shaggy-carpet gave the room a seaside feel with just the right touch of warmth added from the dim light of the lamp on the nightstand. Oddly enough, the décor reminded him of his best friend, Trin. He hadn't thought of her in a long time. She had a strange obsession with seashells. And every piece of furniture in the room seemed to pay homage to it, from the leather sofa against the wall near the bathroom, to the wooden nightstands guarding the bed. Even the mahogany dresser to the left of the door was no exception, complete with a mirror in the shape of a seashell. He smiled. This was definitely something Yuna would appreciate more than him.

Just as his muscles relaxed, his mind drifted to the other thoughts which plagued him since his return—Yuna's adventure. Hearing all about her search for him and being lured into a twisted plot involving Shuyin made him uneasy. It troubled him even more that the blitzball star from a thousand years ago looked exactly like him. Did the fayth mold him from the image of Shuyin? Was he really just a dream returned to Yuna because she destroyed Vegnagun? All these questions swirled in his mind making him nauseous.

The sound of the door opening snapped Tidus out of his gloomy reverie. Holding a cardboard tray of the lattes he'd requested, the love of his life stepped into the room, and shut the door behind with a swing of her boot. The moment her eyes met with his, her cheerful expression changed into one of concern.

"You look upset. Are you okay?" Yuna asked, setting the tray of lattes on the dresser.

Hoping to convince her otherwise, Tidus flashed his best grin. "I'm fine."

The wide smile she gave in return led him to believe she had bought his lie. He felt awful for not being honest with her. But the last thing he wanted was to worry Yuna, especially after all she had been through. This was his burden and his alone.

With the lattes in hand, she sat next to him on the bed and handed him one of the cups. He took the styrofoam container from her and rested it on his knee, studying her as she sipped on her latte. She sure had changed while he was gone. Her mocha-colored hair was shorter and cut in a layered style, which he thought suited the shape of her face. All the new muscle tones on her legs and arms were a clear result of the time she had spent fighting fiends on her latest adventure. Aside from the physical changes, what really surprised him was her shift in attitude. She was much more confident and outgoing than before. It was evident just from her choice in attire that she had embraced a more carefree persona.