Author's note: Hello, and welcome to my first fanfiction! I can't promise anything wonderful, since my family loves to watch TV in the same room as the computer. I write best when it's silent. I apologize if anything's inaccurate; it's been forever since I've played this game…Anyway, this story begins as Tidus wakes up from his canon nap in Wakka's house. For those of you who don't know the game, Tidus is a whiny blonde who appeared on the beach after his city was destroyed. Wakka is an equally annoying redhead who is obsessed with a game called Blitzball. So let's get going…

Half-opened eyelids revealed the cerulean orbs beneath them. Tidus blinked a few times to confirm that he was awake. The young man lifted himself into an upright position and studied the small tent that he had slept in. Blitzballs and random pieces of furniture crowded the tiny space, and in getting up Tidus had to maneuver through the junk. He came close to tripping numerous times before finally making it out of the maze and into the sun.

Besaid Village was a tiny but homely place; unlike Tidus's hometown of Zanarkand, the town consisted of just a few houses and plenty of friendly people. He was greeted by a small brown dog, which he pet briefly. The puppy ran off to join its family, and Tidus continued down the path to the church. His family was not nearly as accessible, since his only relative disappeared years before. However, the man he met that morning was friendly and welcoming; Tidus considered him a brother, although just the day before they were total strangers. Perhaps it was jumping to conclusions, but he was admittedly a little desperate.

There was a choir amongst the churchgoers, and they sung a beautiful hymn. Tidus closed his eyes for a moment out of respect and enjoyment. After that he searched the faces of the kneeling people and found Wakka near a staircase.

"Hey," said the blonde, "what's going on?"

"We're waiting for the summoner to complete her training. Once she emerges, she will have the strength to embark on the pilgrimage."

"Pilgrimage? To where?"

"To Zanarkand."

"Really?" Tidus almost squeaked. "That's where I'm trying to go!"

"Then you'd bettah stick with us, eh, bro? Haha!" Wakka laughed, but he was careful not to upset the other people in the temple.

"Yeah…" Tidus put his hands on his hips and rocked back and forth on his feet. Having an attention span of thirty seconds or less, he soon tired of waiting. "She'll be done soon, right?"

"No idea. She's been in there for a few days. Who knows when she'll be out."

"DAYS!?" Tidus shouted.

Wakka nearly knocked the wind out of him with the slap that ensued. "Quiet down! This place is holy, man!"

"But what if something's wrong? What if she's hurt?"

"If she's the summoner meant to save the world from Sin, she'll make it back here."

"Sin…what is that?"

"A terrible creature that destroys anything made by humans."

"Did it destroy Zanarkand?"

"It's possible, man."

Tidus stared at the dark floor for a moment. "And the summoner's going to kill Sin so the world can be all okay again?"

"Sin can't be killed. Summoners can only keep it at bay for a few years."

"Well…" Again Tidus focused on the bricks. The sound of the choir vibrated faintly in his ears. People came in and out of the temple, some staying for longer than others. All of them wore an expression of sorrow and fear. Their pessimism did not help dispel the blonde's worry.

Wakka stared at the opposite wall, obviously deep in thought. The torch beside him burned steadily. Then, all of a sudden, the flame went out. Both Blitzball players stared at the depleted wick. No one else seemed to take notice.

The sudden absence of light pushed Tidus off the edge. "I can't wait any longer!" Wakka tried to hold him back, but the blonde broke through his embrace and tore up the stone staircase. He shoved the priest aside and burst through the door.

The womb of the temple was not as ornate as he had expected; an unforgiving grey floor led to some equally bland stairs. Strange writing was the only colorful thing in the room. He could not understand a bit of it, but underneath the symbols was a shiny green sphere. Unable to resist, Tidus plucked the orb from its resting place and examined it curiously. It seemed to glow in his gloved hand. Tidus looked around the room to ensure that no fiends were around to steal his new treasure. The boy held on to his radiant possession until he came upon a door. As soon as he saw the missing knob and the small alcove, he knew what had to be done.

With a feeling in his stomach not unlike that of losing a good friend, Tidus inserted his sphere into the hole. The door peeled open with a loud creak. The blonde boy stood still for a moment, and then he had a great revelation. Having already opened the door, there was no need for that beautiful orb to stay in place! He snatched the green ball from its slot and carried it happily into the next room.

How did the summoner get through all of this? he wondered as he strolled past more odd symbols. A few of them looked a bit like words he knew. Though the letters in front of and behind the little section were illegible, he was able to interpret one tiny message. Beware of Ser…Well, let's hope the summoner isn't named Ser, then. Tidus shrugged and continued on his way.

Underneath another foreign sentence Tidus saw a round hole. With a sigh he put his treasure against the grey wall, and suddenly part of the chamber was lifted into the ceiling. He almost cried, but then he saw something on the other side of the secret room…A few cautious steps closer made it clear that the object was another sphere! Instinct and the little words at the bottom of the screen told him that it was a Destruction Sphere. Tidus grabbed the appealing ball from its pedestal and shoved it into his pocket. This could come in handy later.

He returned to the main room, where he had to push a few pedestals around. After breaking into a sweat, he was finally allowed to enter the Chamber of the Fayth.

It was tiny and well-lit, much like Tidus's apartment in good old Zanarkand. However, his home did not have the almost-creepy ambiance of this little room. The choir could somehow be heard from their place in the temple foyer.

A few other people occupied the cramped space; the first that Tidus noticed, for obvious reasons, was a woman with a dress made of belts and hardly any shirt. The shiny necklaces that snaked across her chest held his attention for a few awkward minutes. "Excuse me," she hissed. "Can I help you with something?"

Tidus looked into her eyes – oh my goodness, they were red! He took a few steps backward, almost reentering the Cloister of Trials, and began to whimper nonsense. "I'm so sorry! I was just…looking at the um, scenery."

The other living thing in the room, a frightening blue lion with feathers on his back and snow-white hair, did nothing but growl and glare at the boy. He had piercing yellow eyes and a very angry expression.

"You're disturbing Yuna's prayers," snarled the woman. If her voice had been transplanted into the lion's body, they would have created a monster whom Tidus would have nightmares about for the rest of his life.

"Yuna? Is that the summoner's name?" Tidus inquired quietly.

"Yes, it is. Now shut up," retorted the woman. The lion crossed his arms over his chest and nodded with contempt.

On the other side of the miniature room stood a shut door. All three of the chamber's occupants looked towards it when they heard footsteps that were not their own. The door slid open, and Tidus caught his first glimpse of the summoner. She was younger and a thousand times more beautiful than he had expected. Her hair did not pass her frail shoulders, and she had a delicate face. Her blue-black dress was embroidered with a small line of stars. She was absolutely divine…and also passing out.

The blue feline, having inhuman reflexes, was at her side before her head could hit the marble steps. The woman showed a brief look of concern, but when she regarded Tidus it turned back into a glare. She leaned over the other guardian and whispered something into his ear. He responded with something quieter than a growl to assure her that the summoner was still breathing. Tidus stood helplessly beside the wall, afraid to approach anyone because there was a very high possibility that they would either stab him or crush him with their massive…attitude.

The pair carried the summoner through the cold, grey Cloister of Trials, with Tidus close behind. Wakka met them at the bottom of the foyer's brown staircase. Tidus noted that the torch had still not been lit again. Did that mean anything? He shrugged and returned his attention to the group.

"Is she okay, Lulu?"

"I don't know," said the woman in a harsh, husky voice. "Kimahri said that she'll be fine."

"I'd trust him, then. He and Yuna have some kinda bond, I'll tell ya," said Wakka with a bit of confidence. Tidus then cleared his throat. "Oh! Right! Everyone meet my new bud. I found him washed up on the beach just the other day. He says he's from Zanarkand. He wants to come along with us on the pilgrimage."

Kimahri and Lulu exchanged glances of disapproval, but the almost inaudible moans of a person waking up stopped them from protesting. Yuna opened her blue and green eyes; the first one she saw was none other than Tidus. "Who are you?" she asked with a light, breathy voice.

"He wants to come along with us on the pilgrimage," Lulu growled.

"Well." Yuna dragged out the word to indicate a moment of deep thought. "What's wrong with having another guardian?"

"He destroyed the sanctity of the temple!"

"He was concerned for Yuna's health!"

Tidus covered his ears. "Stop fighting!"

Yuna got to her feet and dusted off her dark skirt. "He's right. Let's not disturb the other worshippers…" When she looked around, she realized that they had all left. Only one priest remained inside, and he was occupied with the task of making Tidus feel as unwelcome as possible.

"Um…can we get out of here?" asked the blonde, painfully aware of the old man's angry harrumphs.

"Yes! They're expecting me outside!" Yuna stumbled after taking her first step, and Kimahri immediately steadied her. His massive blue hands could have probably snapped her thin arms in half with ease, but he used them instead to keep her from harm. The girl then walked out of the temple with her guardians trailing behind.

Author's Note: Well, there you go. That's the first chapter. I bet you want to know where Serya is. I was going to have her stalk Tidus on his way into the temple, but then I realized that her entrance could be sooooooooo much better. I promise she'll appear next chapter. Now, I hate being typical, but like everyone else on this site I'd really like some reviews. Well, see you next chapter!