Chapter 1

I stared down at the blonde headed man as he walked throughout these abandoned ruins. He wielded a red sword in his right hand and I watched as he stumbled through the darkness, obviously exhausted and the smell of sea salt heavily radiating from his body. I slowly reached behind my back and drew my dagger as he came to a halt right below me. He didn't seem like an Al Bhed but I knew I couldn't take any chances.

I leapt from the stone ledge and tackled the boy before he could react. His sword immediately left his hands and I placed the blade of my dagger to his neck. Fear swelled his eyes and his breathing elevated dramatically. From his reaction I could tell that he had never stared true danger in the eyes.

"Zny ehi ayo? Zna ehi ayo nihi," I asked him loudly. He didn't respond. "Yhcfan sa un e femm gemm oui. Fru yna oui? Yna oui y drnayd? Fryd ehdahdeuhc tu ryja uh paehk rana?"

"What the heck are you saying," questioned the boy completely confused. "I can't understand you at all."

I immediately removed my dagger and stepped back allowing him to rise to his feet. "You're not an Al Bhed?" When he shook his head I smiled with relief and sheathed my dagger. "Good for you. I was ready to kill you. But why are you here?"

The boy held his head as if trying to remember. There was something strange about him. Something seemed so foreign about him. "I don't know myself. I remember playing Blitz ball, then Zanarkand being attacked by this huge monster, then there's notihng."

I gazed at him, his reply was the furthest thing I'd expect. "Did you just say…Zanarkand?"

The boy nodded his head and smiled. "That's right. I'm Tidus, star player for the Zanarkand Abes! Maybe you've heard of me."

"Nope, never have," I replied with a fanged smile. "Apparently you're not as big a star as you think."

Tidus shook his head, "Man you got to be kidding me." He then looked away and began to stare at our surroundings. "Where are we anyway?"

I shrugged my shoulders and began to walk away, I motioned for him to follow me and he complied. "I don't know myself. Got washed up here after my ship was attacked by this giant freakish fish thing. Swam here and barely made it with my hide."

"That's the exact same thing that happened to me," said Tidus, "well minus the whole ship thing. So what do we do now?"

"We die." I then erupted with laughter as Tidus's smile instantly vanished. "I'm just messing with you, man. I got a camp up ahead a little bit. You can dry off and get warm there.:

Tidus and I sat around the fire in complete silence. His mind was obviously occupied by something, but I didn't pay much mind either to him. I had my own problems. Without a ship I had no way of getting back to my home, Besaid. Which meant I couldn't see their smiling faces again.

"Hey," said Tidus as he brought me out of my trance. "I never got your name."

"It's Shi'ari, pleased to meet you Tidus, star player for the Zanarkand Abes."

Tidus laughed quietly to himself for a moment until he spoke again. "Shi'ari, it sounds so exotic. Where are you from?"

"Don't worry about," I answered. I didn't feel like sharing that part of my life with this stranger. "You said you were from Zanarkand, right?"

Tidus nodded his head, "Yeah, have you ever been there before?"

"No, I'm not a summoner nor a guardian, so why would I go to Zanarkand?"

"Huh," asked Tidus with a shocked expression. "What are you talking about?"

I groaned and began to scratch my head. "Geez, your not the fastest one are you? Zanarkand is a holy place for people who believe in Yevon. Its ruins, destroyed thousands of years ago by Sin…You do know what Sin is, right?"

Tidus then gasped and leapt to his feet. "That's the monster that attacked Zanarkand. That's the monster that wiped out everything there."

"Oh I see what's going on here." I then rose to my feet and dusted myself off. "You musta got too close to Sin and got some of that toxin in ya. That's why you're talking like you don't have any sense, right?"

"Uh….yeah right. I must have got some of that toxin stuff in me," answered Tidus.

I nodded my head, but at the same time I sensed that he didn't completely believe that himself. But he had to infected with the toxins. Even a lunatic would know that Zanarkand is just a bunch of Fiend infested rubble, right? "Well that's a mystery solved. Listen we should get some rest, tomorrow we need to find a way out of this cavern."

"Sounds like a plan, Shi'ari."

My smile then vanished as an ominious scent filled my nostrils. Something was here in the room with us. And this something was friendly. I quickly drew my dagger and began to stare about the room. "Tidus, get your sword."

"Why," asked Tidus, "what's wrong?"

"Something's here with us, you need to get your sword now."

Tidus obeyed and retrieved his sword before returning to me. "What now?"

"No, we be careful."

Ironic that I would say that. Suddenly a monstrous enormous lizard leapt from behind the rubble and headed towards Tidus. I tackled him to the ground and we both narely escaped the blow. "Fiend," I exclaimed.

"Fiends," replied Tidus as more of the fearsome creatures emerged from the shadows. "What do we do now?"

"Back to back" He nodded and we both stared the our future murderers. "Never thought it end like this, killed in a cavern by a bunch of fiends with the star player of the Zanarkand Abes by my side."

"We're not gonna die," said Tidus. "We can't just give up right?"

"Oui dfu kad tufh huf," exclaimed a female's voice from nowhere.

"What did she say," asked Tidus as he looked around for the source.

I grabbed him and yanked him hard to the ground, "She told us to get down!"

The next thing I remember hearing was the loud explosion and the Fiends fleeing for their empty lives. A thick cloud of smoke had rolled in and we both shielded our eyes as a silhouette began to approach us. As she came into view only one thing came to my mind.

"Al Bhed."

"Fru yna oui dfu? Fryd picehacc tu oui ryja rana," demanded the girl as he came closer.

Before I could reply Tidus left my side and approached the girl. I didn't dare move as I watched more Al Bhed enter the room.

"Thanks for the help," said Tidus unaware of the danger. "You really save our hides."

The girl hastily grabbed him and struck across the back of his head. Tidus's body immediately became limp and he collapsed. "Tu oui fecr du pa haqd," asked the girl.

"Mecdah fa'na zicd cdnyhtat rana, drana'c hu haat vun jeumahla, fa tu hud ehdaht uh nacecdehk," I said hoping she would believe me. Al Bhed weren't known for their merciful ways.

"...Yht oui femm ryht ujan YMM uv ouin faybuhc yht lusbmo po uin nimac," she asked as she crossed her arms."

I smiled and bowed my head formally. "Oac uv luinca, yc muhk yc e lyh kad ouin hysa."

She then removed her helmet and I was able to see a beautiful face. Her hair was long and blonde and she had a beautiful smile, like I have never seen before. "Rikku…My name is Rikku."

"Nice to meet you Rikku, my name is Shi'ari."

She then placed the her helmet back on and began to walk away as the other Al Bhed surrounded me and aimed their weapons at me. "Pnehk dras du dra creb, yht hu uha ec du rind dras."

I bowed my head once again. "Dryhg oui, Rikku."