Hello! Welcome to chapter TWO of my story, RIGHT ALONG WITH CHAPTER ONE! OH YEAH! ^^; Sorry 'bout that. Now you know I don't own any of this except for the plot. So read on, and enjoy! ^^

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It was the same as always...

Lonely, empty...

At least to -him-.

Everyone else seemed perfectly happy. Now that they had 'found each other'. Blah, blah, blah, that's all he'd heard ever since he'd stepped foot into the Farplane! Maybe it was like that for -them-, but for him there was definitely a difference. Definitely something missing...

And he knew exactly what--or who, for that matter--that someone was...

Already he felt a hard force hit him on the shoulder. He stumbled from the unexpected hit, and spun himself around to see who was responsible. "What's the big idea?!" He immediately yelled in frustration.

Of course, it was his old man. A man he was okay with now. A man which he had made truce with a while back. But still... the man who he had hated all of his existence. "What? Gonna cry about that too?!" Jecht, his father, laughed. "Now, Tidus, haven't I taught you anything?!" Jecht continued to laugh. Tidus just rolled his eyes. He turned back around to stare out into the cloudiness.

Sometimes he wondered if his old man meant what he said nowadays. Tidus remembered the first day he came into the Farplane. The conversation was a heated one with his father... at least for Tidus. All he could remember was yelling to Jecht about Yuna, and how all he wanted to do was have her near; be with her always. And it was like he didn't even care. Tidus remembered him saying "You'll see her soon enough!" but what did that mean?!

"When she dies...?" He whispered aloud. He probably wouldn't even see her -then-, since he was just like any other image... -dream-...

"Huh? What'd you say, boy?" Jecht broke his chain of thought. "Nothing." Tidus replied. "Agh... as if I care what you gotta say anyway. I'm goin' back to your mom! Ah, I can hear her yellin' already!" Jecht laughed, walking away.

-What the hell?-

Was he doing that on purpose just to piss him off?

Tidus shook his head, and blew a strand of his bangs from his eye. He wondered if Yuna was yelling for him. That's when he remembered...

"Hey watch!"

He remembered the first day Yuna had learned to whistle like him. It tore him apart to think that he really wasn't interested that she had learned that at the time. And it was all because of Jecht, of course! But then again, he couldn't blame it all on his old man... he had some advantages anyway. Like helping Yuna's father...

But he had to blame it on somebody! And that somebody had to be Auron!

Yes, Auron!

If -he- hadn't of told Tidus that his father was Sin that day, then everything would've been fine. -Then- he would have noticed Yuna's simple hidden talent she worked so hard at.

But really...

Why was he blaming everyone else?

It was his fault. His actions...

He sighed, and fell backwards onto the floating clouds.

"Man..." He whispered. He hated this "afterlife". It was nothing. He thought of Yuna everyday, and it killed him inside. Knowing that there was no possible way back to Yuna, it made his stomach churn with fear and worry. He had little hope, although that's what Yuna would -want- him to have.

But a little hope was better than nothing, he thought.

His eyelids met peacefully as he let the whitish multicolored clouds drift him along the Farplane. He thought about a lot of things, then. About Yuna, of course. But he also anticipated on what life was like in Spira now. He wondered and hoped that Yuna was happy. With the little hope he'd had left in him, that's what he spent it most on.

Tidus opened his eyes and noticed he was in -their- part of the Farplane. Meaning him, his father and his mother. Their place was right next to the leader of the Farplane's castle. He was known as The Farplane Maester. No one actually knew his real name. No one really bothered to try and figure it out from what Tidus had heard.

Tidus yawned and then jumped off of the clouds, and onto another platform of clouds. Clouds, clouds, clouds... eh, they got boring after a while...

Suddenly a signal sounded. It was a choir mixed with the sounds of French horns and trumpets. "Ooohh what is it -now-?!" This usually meant that something was up with the Farplane. Only one in his two years of being up here has the news been about the world below. It also meant that everyone in the Farplane had to be at The Farplane Maester's castle pronto. Luckily for Tidus though, he was right next to it. So all he had to do was walk up the holy steps of hell and get this over with without so much of a crowd!

~

"Everyone please be seated!" The Farplane Maester said, standing behind a pedestal in front of a very large audience of... dead people...

Everyone seated themselves accordingly. And since Tidus had been one of the first in, he got to sit at the front where all of the Farplane's "respected ones" could see him. It was usually the opposite. The first in would usually sit at the very back, and could easily fall asleep without getting noticed if they wanted to. So this was kind of a disappointment to Tidus.

"Thank you, thank you..." The Farplane Maester said. The whispering chatter that filled the room immediately died down. "Now... I know some new fellows have arrived in the Farplane, and you are all very welcome here. You will receive a certificate for your presence shortly, after we announce the news." The Farplane Maester explained.

Yep... Tidus had gotten one of those certificates. He ripped it up right when he took it "home" too. That day he was in no mood to have a certificate for being dead and lonely.

"All right... Today, we have terrible news, I'm afraid..." The Farplane Maester began. "It is... of the outside world..." He explained. Immediately Tidus was all ears. He wanted to know every detail about the "outside world" which was, indeed, Spira. He sat up straight and leaned over so he'd be sure he didn't miss anything.

"After a year of destruction in Spira, the Farplane has just now gotten the message. A new Maester by the name of Widel has now, Spira, in his hands. This evil man played the citizens of Spira for fools, and tricked them into voting for him as Maester." The Farplane Maester explained. Tidus was confused, so he listened on.

"Maester Widel leads, now, a communist country. He has turned Spira into a hell on earth. Citizens are being executed for crimes such as speaking improper language." Tidus looked around to see everyone's expression. But all he saw was impassion. No one cared?!

"We also have news that cities smaller than Luca are to be destroyed in a week's time. I am saying: this man must be stopped! The Farplane is a much stronger land than Spira... at least for the time being..." The Farplane Maester went on. "Maester Widel... he is also attempting to resurrect Yu Yevon! We mustn't let this happen..." He then looked around at the audience, and ducked his head into the microphone. "We... the councilmen of the Farplane have decided... we are going to choose a citizen- -preferably a man--to return to Spira and stop this chaos! We cannot all go at the moment, for the increase in population would get Maester Widel suspicious. I am merely asking of one of you to lure Maester Widel... Lure him into wherever the Farplane may be located throughout Spira, and the rest of us will take him from there..." Tidus's eyes gleamed.

This was it! A chance to see Yuna! This was when all of his hope swelled together to create hope... hope of being chosen to be the man to send Maester Widel to his doom! The chosen one to see and help Yuna. This was what he had been longing for, for two long years. Wait... what was he saying? He'd hoped for this? Destruction and terror in Spira... where his beautiful love lived her life, and worked so hard to create peace there? No... he did hope for something to come up... but not in this way...

"First, before I must force one of you to complete this task... I am going to ask... for volunteers." Tidus's eyes lit up at this. Immediately he raised his hand high. He stood up, and yelled, "Sir! I would be happy to help out the Farplane by luring Maester Widel into the Farplane!" His words were quick and stern, although he did stutter a bit on the word 'I'. The Farplane Maester seemed surprised. Probably at the fact that he had volunteered at all. He squinted at Tidus for a few moments before actually responding.

"You, sir... would risk your being to help us?" Tidus guessed he was making sure. Tidus nodded. "Of course!" He replied. The Farplane Maester signaled him to approach the pedestal. Tidus--with no hesitation--ran up to the pedestal.

He seemed to study Tidus carefully. "You have quite the bones, my boy." Tidus didn't know whether he was taunting him, or meaning that he had "quite the bones". Tidus stood with an impassioned expression. He needed to -look- like a soldier to become one.

"You seem confident enough... and you're really the only one that volunteered... eh, anymore volunteers?!" The Farplane Maester asked the audience. Tidus hoped to anyone that no one else stronger-looking than he would raise their hand. He closed his eyes in slight prayer, but quickly opened them.

No one raised their hand.

Yes!

"Sir... I am confident I can do this." Just then he heard Auron's voice. "Let him go. I have seen his strengths as a mortal and they are far from weak. Tidus has the skill of a hawk swooping down to catch it's prey." Tidus smirked at Auron's compliment. He heard no other voice though. Not even his father's...

Of course, though... why would his old man support -him- at anything?

He really doesn't want me to go back...? Tidus asked himself.

The Farplane Maester studied Tidus a bit more and finally gave in. "All right, Sir Tidus. I trust that you need no training and are ready to go against Maester Widel." He said. Maybe this Maester guy knew the legend of Auron, and his skills? Maybe he thought Auron knew everything there was to know...

Tidus had to keep himself from leaping for joy. "You will be sent on your mission first thing tomorrow. By then you should be prepared and ready. Oh yes... I might as well give you your powers now..." The Farplane Maester said. "Powers?" Tidus asked. "Yes. You will become a Farplane Warrior with powers greater than Maester Widel's. That is the only way to defeat him and bring peace and serenity back to Spira." Just then The Farplane Maester lifted his arms, and Tidus felt a sudden warmth spread over his whole body.

He also felt quite dizzy. He heard whispers in his mind. But they were impossible to make out. He couldn't even tell what they were saying... it sounded like some sort of chant. Only in a different language...

When Tidus felt his original body temperature return he opened his eyes from where he had closed them before. He saw two brown serious eyes looking into his. "Everyone is dismissed, with the exception of Sir Tidus!" Tidus didn't bother to turn around to watch everyone leave, he just heard the shuffling of chairs and feet on the linoleum.

He breathed in deep and put his full attention to The Farplane Maester.

"Now..." The Farplane Maester began. "This is a very sudden decision, I realize this, Sir Tidus. But there are a few requirements you need to follow before I send you back to the land of Spira." The Farplane Maester explained. Tidus slighty nodded for him to go on and blinked a few times. His heart was racing, and his palms were dripping with sweat beads.

"Requirement number one... Your powers are only used when going against Maester Widel. I have complete control over them. So if you attempt to use them on anything else, you will not be enabled to." He began. Tidus nodded. "Requirement number two... your name is not to be mentioned to anyone. If someone finds out what your actual name is, they will know something is fishy and will report it to Maester Widel sooner than you could imagine! And that is because of how famous you are. You were Lady Yuna's most trusted guardian. Her love, were you not?" The Farplane Maester said. Tidus swallowed hard and slightly nodded.

"Oh yes, and about Lady Yuna... if you come across with her on your journey--this will be requirement number three--do not get caught up with her. You must avoid her. And I am not saying this for my own pleasure to watch you suffer, I am simply saying this because I am afraid she will be a bit of a distraction to your mission. And you must focus on nothing else but the mission." The Farplane Maester explained. Tidus was about to explode...

Of course it was his pleasure to do this to him! He thought Jecht had to be in on this, but he didn't know where to start! Why couldn't he journey -with- Yuna? Wouldn't it be the same? "But Sir... if Yuna and her former guardians journeyed with me we would have a better chance of defeating him!" Tidus practically growled, already frustrated with these damned "requirements". "Now that is where you have passed the limit!" The Farplane Maester pointed his bony slender finger at him.

This guy sort of reminded him of Mika...

-Past the limit?-

"You are to lead Maester Windel to the Farplane! Not attempt to defeat him on your own! And if Yuna and her former guardians journeyed with you on this quest they would surely die and our whole plan would go to waste! Maester Windel is definitely not slow in the head. He catches onto things quite quickly." The Farplane Maester explained. How did he know that anyway?!

The Farplane Maester put his hands behind his back and went on. "Maester Windel would definitely get suspicious if Yuna and her guardians were with you, and you, Yuna, and her guardians would probably all be sentenced to death or a lifetime in prison. I am telling this for your and Lady Yuna's safety..." The Farplane Maester explained.

Tidus sighed. He guessed he understood.

But that didn't mean he would actually -avoid- Yuna...

No matter what, he was going to hold her in his arms again...

-No matter what...-

"Anything else?" Tidus asked plainly. The Farplane Maester smiled. "I think that will be it." He replied. "How do I use my powers anyway?" Tidus asked. "Oh, no need to worry about that, Sir Tidus. You will only need to use them -if- absolutely needed. But if you do this task correctly all that will happen is a little trip with Maester Widel to the Farplane. No battles, no controversy, no nothing." He smiled. "But... if you do need to use your powers, just lift your hand in front of you and I'll be responsible for the rest." He added. "O-okay..." Tidus stammered, not really sure of what he was saying.

Tidus smiled, then looked up at The Farplane Maester. "Thank you, Sir." He slightly bowed, and turned to leave the castle. "Um, Sir Tidus!" The Farplane Maester called out. Tidus turned. "We will meet at the front gate tomorrow. I will give you your disguise there." He explained.

-Disguise? Why?-

Oh yeah, Tidus remembered. He wasn't allowed to be noticed.

Tidus slighty nodded, and exited the castle.

There was no way he was going to get -any- sleep tonight...

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Ahh, I have SUCH a plan for this story. Ain't I somethin' putting chapter one with chapter two?! (lol!) So tell me what you think! Expect chapter three in a day or two! ^^