Title: FRAGMENTS FROM THE BLAND STARS
Pairings/Characters: Tidus / Yuna
Genre: Romance / Mystery
Summary: Tidus tries to help Yuna find her way back home 1000 years into the future, but as they try to unlock what brought Yuna to Zanarkand in the first place, they encounter a mystery that they never should have know about.
Warnings: This novel takes place one year before the events of Final Fantasy X, but it is not a direct prequel to the canon story.
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy X is owned by Square Enix. No copyright infringement intended.
Note: This story was written purely to mix a bit of a thriller's journey into uncovering mysteries and secrets of Zanarkand. Not much was shown of Zanarkand in the original game, so I had to invent a lot of the places that weren't mentioned. I tried writing it from the perspective of Tidus.
I don't try to remember how long it has been since my old man left me.
More like, I try to stay as numb to it as possible.
I guess I deliberately lost track of time because I didn't want to count the exact years since he left me and mum.
Ever since mum died of depression of losing my old man, the hatred was even more unbearable for me to admit.
So here I am, as a sixteen-year-old boy, finally realizing that, it has been nine years since he disappeared from the shores of Zanarkand.
Jecht, the legendary Blitzball Superstar who disappeared without a word, without a trace and without goodbyes.
What little I remember of him, he hardly gave too much attention to me and mum in the first place.
I sigh as the old scar emerges within my grasp, the pain that I have taught myself over and over for years to avoid like the plague.
Unlike the other sixteen-year-old boys, I had my own sixteenth birthday party with just my team mates, the Zanarkand Abes.
Not that I didn't enjoy the party or dislike my team members or anything, it is just that today of all days, I envy the kids who blow out their birthday cakes with their parents.
The clock tells me its two am at midnight as I breathe out my exhaustion from getting back from a wild and feverish birthday party in the city.
Today I find my circular and sleek flat more empty than usual, despite the fact that the hall size was perfectly sized for an average teenage boy to live solo.
When mum passed away, my old man's financial inheritance was passed down to me.
Even though a lot of people gave me skeptical looks when I told them that I would live alone, no one stopped the fourteen-year-old boy from moving into a smaller residency.
Since I had no close relatives to rely on, I was legally able to sell the house that we used to live with my old man.
I wanted to get out of that gigantic and grandiose mansion that I used to call home.
It was too big and posh for me.
It reminded me too much of the type of person whom I resented.
All of the expensive tiles and tall walls matched every bit of his arrogance and ego.
So I purposefully sought a small and modest home that was shaped like a yacht, although its location was top-notch.
It overlooked the city lights and shore view of Zarnakand.
From my window, I always found a rush of excitement and tranquility from the city that never sleeps.
No matter how late or dark the night fell, there was always bright night life in Zarnakand.
It made me feel less lonely to think that many more were up at night other than me.
After I had a shower and dressed into my pajamas, I lay on my bed and looked up at the city lights as usual.
I usually laid my eyes to rest on the illumination from the buildings than the stars that seemed bland in comparison.
But tonight I felt like looking at the stars.
Was I the only one out here?
Was I truly born to live all by myself, without true love or meaning to my life?
Some days I wished that I was never Tidus, the young and new rising Blitzball phenomenon of the Zanarkand Abes.
Some days I wished for a more generic life; two parents, school and a girlfriend on the side.
But despite wishing such dreams, I still couldn't resist my natural urge and love of Blitzball.
It was the only thing that I ever got excited about from the bottom of my heart.
At least, that's what it was like these days…
Despite having an exhausting day of Blitzball training and an all out birthday party, emotional thoughts kept me well awake.
I then began to address a question that shocked even me.
What was the point of celebrating a birthday if I had no one to truly celebrate it with?
The people who gave me life weren't here to celebrate it, and even I didn't fully embrace the gratitude of my own birthday.
Oh what the heck.
I'm not cut out for this philosophical moaning anyway.
I lay my thoughts and eyes to rest.
It was better that way.
To avoid thinking about how lonely I really am.