Title: The Sound and the Fury

Author: Tarsier

Fandom: Final Fantasy – crossover of Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy X.

Genre: Friendship, Adventure

Timeframe: Post-game AU. A sequel to Love Don't Die.

Characters: Primary: Squall/Rinoa, Tidus/Yuna | Secondary: Rikku, Zell, Quistis, Library Girl (Libra), Laguna, Angelo, Ellone, Seifer, Wakka, Lulu

Summary: Squall, Rinoa, Tidus, and Yuna have been reunited on the FFVIII world. Tidus and Yuna wish to return to Spira, but fear what might happen to Tidus if they try. So Yuna, with Squall's help, returns to Spira and sets off to find the fayth and make sure it will be safe for Tidus to return. This leads to an adventure inspired by Final Fantasy X-2. Meanwhile, Tidus and Rinoa enroll in Balamb Garden. Just as they are about to drive the newly-reinstated Quistis over the edge, Laguna invites them on an adventure of their own.

Notes: Written for the Fifty Titles Challenge.

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Chapter 1​

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A pistol in each hand, Yuna fired off two shots. The shots missed the targets, which were set against the back wall of the training center, badly.

Laguna beamed in delight. “Excellent! And if you want to be really fancy, take the pistols and then turn them on their sides. Just make sure you pull the triggers really hard!”

Squall watched in silent horror. Irvine cocked his head and nervously pulled his hat off his head.

“Um…” Zell looked at Squall and Irvine in confusion. “That’s not right…is it? I mean, I know I’m not a gun specialist but…”

Abruptly, Squall strode over to Laguna. “Selphie needs to see you in the quad. Now.”

“Okay!” Laguna nodded at Squall, then turned to Yuna. “I guess that’s it for today’s lesson. Keep practicing! You’re doing great!”

“Thank you.” Yuna bowed her head to Laguna.

Laguna spun around, hurrying toward the exit of the training center, but not without pausing briefly to ruffle Squall’s hair.

Squall clenched his teeth and ducked his head away from Laguna. As soon as Laguna was out of earshot, he addressed Yuna. “Forget everything that man just told you. He’s a lunatic and has no idea what he’s talking about.

“Do not ever, under any circumstances, turn a gun on its side. And you can’t aim with the guns at chest level. You can’t…” Squall took a deep breath. “Let’s just start over. Start with one pistol, in a two-handed grip…”

“What’s going on?” Rinoa asked as she and Tidus walked up beside Irvine, watching Squall and Yuna.

“Laguna was giving Yuna some…questionable advice. Squall’s trying to set her straight,” Irvine replied.

“Squall’s teaching Yuna?” Tidus asked, sounding less than pleased.

“I’m sure it’s innocent enough,” Irvine assured Tidus. “He just doesn’t want Yuna to look foolish.”

Tidus closed the distance between himself and Squall. “You’re giving Yuna lessons? What about ‘I’m not an instructor, I can’t teach anybody anything?’ ”

Rinoa walked up beside Tidus, arms crossed. “When we’re trapped in the Void, with literally nothing else to do, we have to bully and chastise you into teaching us to use a gunblade, but you’ll help Yuna just like that?”

“Yeah.” Tidus nodded to Rinoa. “What about that?”

“Wait…” Irvine turned to Zell, “Is Tidus jealous of Squall keeping time with his girl, or is he jealous of Yuna, spending time with Squall?”

Zell ignored Irvine, bounding up to Squall. “You let them use your gunblade?!”

Squall sighed as he regarded Rinoa and Tidus. “I was just—Laguna told her to hold the pistols sideways. I was obligated to intervene.”

“Fine, then,” Rinoa replied. “I was just going to show Tidus how to use a blaster edge.”

Squall shrugged and went back to instructing Yuna.

Yuna watched Tidus and Rinoa for a moment, but then refocused on Squall’s instructions.

Rinoa dragged Tidus by the hand to the target farthest away from Squall and Yuna. She removed her weapon—a large projectile fashioned out of radial blades that resembled white wings, secured to her left wrist with black straps—and fastened it onto Tidus’s wrist.

“This is the trigger,” Rinoa explained to Tidus. “Just click it like this. The key while you’re still learning is not to move your wrist after you fire. The projectile will return to exactly where it left the wrist mount. Go ahead, try it.”

“Okay.” Uncertainly, Tidus lifted raised his wrist, with weapon attached, in front of him.

“Try to hit the target.”

Tidus clicked the trigger as Rinoa had showed. The projectile went wide of the target and circled back toward Tidus. He did his best not to move his wrist, but when the projectile was a few feet from his face, he couldn’t help but duck. The projectile flew over his head and continued to travel with substantial speed. After several feet it cut back again.

“Give me it back!” Rinoa tried to help Tidus remove the black straps from his arm, and they both fumbled with it as the projectile returned. As it got closer, Rinoa dropped to the ground, pulling Tidus down with her.

It would be a long time before the spinning blade lost momentum, and the more times it circled back, the harder it would be to predict. As the blade circled back once more, forcing Rinoa and Tidus to duck for a third time, Tidus managed to remove the wrist mount from his forearm and hand it to Rinoa.

Just as Rinoa stood and straightened the wrist mount on her forearm, a loud crack rang out and the projectile fell from the sky. Quistis stood nearby, whip drawn.

Quistis narrowed her eyes at Rinoa as she coiled her whip. “And that is why the blaster edge is not a SeeD weapon.”

Rinoa stared at the ground. “Um, yeah…uh, sorry.”

“I guess I’m not quite ready for that weapon,” Tidus offered.

Quistis frowned in response, then turned to the others gathered. “Squall, Zell, Irvine: You’re needed in the Headmaster’s Office.” She left and those summoned, plus Rinoa, followed, leaving Tidus and Yuna alone in the training center.

Once the others were gone, Yuna and Tidus found a quiet patch of grass and sat down.

“Are you alright?” Yuna asked.

“Yeah. Sometimes I forget that Rinoa’s so…Rinoa. I should probably think I little more before just doing what she tells me.”

“Are you saying she’s a bad influence on you?” Yuna asked with a laugh.

“Yes! She’s dangerous!” Tidus replied with a grin.

“Really, though,” Yuna began, much more seriously, “I hope you didn’t mind me working with Squall. I just really want to learn how to use my pistols well.”

“I know. At first I was just messing with Squall. And then Rinoa…”

Yuna reached for Tidus’s hand and interlaced her fingers with his. “We should probably talk.”

“About what?” Tidus asked, though he already knew the answer.

“About Spira.” Yuna was careful not to call it home. Her home was with Tidus, of that she was certain. But still, there was much she missed from the place she came from.

Tidus took a deep breath and finally just said it. “I’m scared.”

Yuna squeezed his hand tighter. “I’m scared too.”

“So…what are we going to do?”

“I don’t know. Rinoa said we could stay as long as we want…”

“…But you want to go back to Spira, don’t you?”

“…Yes. I miss everyone. And I feel like I need to let them know I’m okay. I owe them that much, at least.”

“Do you think… If I go back, will I…disappear?”

“I don’t know.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Yuna continued, “Maybe just I can go back. For a few days. Just to see everyone one last time. Then I’ll come back here with you.”

Tidus nodded slowly, his eyes downcast.

“Or maybe…maybe you can come after all. I’ll find a way. I can ask the fayth. Make sure it is safe for you to come.”

Tidus brightened. “Really? You think it would work? Don’t get me wrong, I like it here. Hanging out with Squall and Rinoa and everyone. But I want to see everyone in Spira too.”

“…And you want to play blitzball?”

“Well, yeah! I’d like to play blitzball again too.”

“Okay, then it’s decided. I’ll go back to Spira, see everyone again, and make sure it will be safe for you to return. If you can’t come, I’ll come back here, and we’ll stay here.”

“Alright. But how are you going to get to Spira? And back again?”

“I thought I would ask Squall. I think Griever might be willing to take us.”

“And then…you’ll need Squall and Griever to get back here again…so, will Squall stay with you in Spira?”

“I guess he would probably have to…is that okay?”

“Of course. I’ll feel better, knowing you aren’t alone. I guess the only question is, will Squall go along with it?”

“I think he will. I mean, he’s probably ready to get us out of his hair. If nothing else…he’s a mercenary, right? I’ll hire him.”

 

This is just to say that I was here, but I have some serious catching up to do -- the only thing I know about this fandom is a short piece you wrote for the Dare component of the FF Olympics, and I haven't read Love Don't Die . I'll be back as soon as I've done my homework!

 

Mira_Jade Thanks so much for reading! I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

Chyntuck Thanks for stopping by! Please don't feel obligated to read Love Don't Die - it's nearly 50,000 words! I will try to put a summary of Love Don't Die at the beginning of this story, but I'm hoping this story will be able to stand alone. I know there are a lot of characters in the first chapter, but it's mostly just random silliness. All you (or anyone else who might be reading) really need to take from the first chapter is in the last few lines - Yuna is going to ask Squall to go to Spira with her, to make sure it will be safe for Tidus to return. I will do my best to fill in the background as the story progresses.