Ch 1: Not From Around Here

As the end of FFX plays out, I find myself wishing I could be in Spira and save Yuna from the pain of losing Tidus. I turn off my lights and fall to sleep.

When I awake the next morning, I just about die of shock. I am no longer in my bed or in my house for that matter. I am somewhere in a woodsy forest near some kind of village. The village looks somewhat familiar.

Wait a minute…I stand up and walk up to a villager who's holding a strange ball. "Excuse me."

He turns and looks at me, "Ya?"

"Could you please tell me where I am?"

"Don't you know? This is the Isle of Besaid," he says laughing. I know his voice…that's Wakka! Oh no! If this isn't a dream, then I'm in a heap of trouble. But, hey, this could be fun. "Wakka, right," I say, "My name's Alice."

He looks at me skeptically, "How do you know who I am?"

Uh-oh. "Well, you play Blitz Ball, right? For the Besaid Aurochs?"

"Oh," says Wakka, "So you're a BlitzBall fan, ya?"

"Yup."

He looks at me strangely again, "Then what are you doing here?"

That's what I'd like to know. I thought. I'll tell him I'm looking for someone.

"Looking for a friend, actually. His name's Tidus, have you seen him around?"

Wakka thinks for a moment then shakes his head, "Nope, I haven't seen him."

"Oh," I say. They haven't found him yet. Which means he's probably still on the beach. "Well, I think he may have gotten too close to Sin's toxin, so he probably won't remember me. But I still have to find him. I bet he's on the beach." I turn and walk down to the path to the beach.

"Wait," calls Wakka, "I'll come with you, ya. I was headed down there anyway."

"Well, this is the beach," says Wakka, when we finally get there.

"Thanks a lot, Wakka."

"No problem, ya," says Wakka, joining his other teammates.

I scan the ocean for Tidus and eventually spot a body floating in the water. I jump in and swim over to him. The sun has just begun to rise over the horizon, bringing with it a rush of color throughout the sky.

I start dragging him back to shore when he suddenly wakes up.

He looks at me and jumps back, "Who are you," he looks back towards shore, "and where am I?"

"Listen, this is probably going to be hard for you to believe, but…"

"Let me guess," says Tidus, interrupting, "…Zanarkand was destroyed over one thousand years ago? Already been told, so tell me something I don't know."

I slap my forehead, feeling very dumb.

That's right! Rikku already told him!

We swim back to shore and sit on the sand.

"Well, there really isn't anything else."

He is beginning to become annoyed, "If that's all, then I think I'll be going…alone." He stands up and is about to walk away.

"Tidus Wait," I call. He stops and just stands there, waiting, his back facing me.

"How do you know my name…?" there is a hint of suspicion in his voice.

I walk over and stand next to him, "I'll tell you something only you know…something that no one here could possibly know."

"Really? What could that possibly be," says Tidus, sounding more annoyed than before.

"Well," I begin, "that you're from Zanarkand and that you're the star player of the Zanarkand Abes. And that your father, Jecht was a legend in BlitzBall, but also that you hated him and you still do. He was somewhat of a drunk and verbally abusive. And you were upset because you felt your mother didn't pay attention to you when he was around. But then ten years ago, he disappeared and never came back. And soon after that your mother died and Auron came to look after you. Then Sin attacked Zanarkand, destroying it…and here you are."

Tidus is in complete shock, "H-h-h-how do you know all this."

I place a hand on his shoulder, "Just like you, I'm not from around here. In fact I'm from an entirely different world."

"Well then," says Tidus, still not trusting me, "I guess you wouldn't happen to know where we are."

"As a matter-o-fact, I do," I say, crossing my arms and smirking.

"Oh really," says Tidus, glaring, "Then, where are we?"

"Besaid," I reply, proudly, "The home of the Besaid Aurochs."

Tidus continues to look at me suspiciously.

"Are you sure you're not just making that up," he says, crossing his arms.

"Would I lie to you," I say, still smirking.

"Hmph. How would I know," he says, arms still crossed, "I don't even know you."

He turns and walks away.

After many seconds of confused thinking.

"Bu-but…Wait," I shout, running after him. "I'm not lying! Hey, how do you explain how I knew all that stuff about you?"

He stops and turns back toward me. He shrugs and says, "You're psychic?" He has one of those I-don't-care looks in his eyes.

I glare at him.

"No, Tidus. I'm not psychic," I snap. "Though, that would have its possibilities. But anyway, I-"

"Alice!"

We both turn and see Wakka coming toward us with that always-goofy smile on his face.

"So this is your friend?" he asks. He looks Tidus over and nods as if approving.

"Who're you," asks Tidus, obviously irritated with Wakka still staring at him.

Wakka extends his hand out to Tidus and says, "I'm Wakka, Captain of the Besaid Aurochs."

Tidus looks at the hand and then grips it in his in what could be a friendly handshake.

A blitzball rolls over the sand and bumps the back of Tidus's shoes. He quickly turns and upon seeing the ball, his eyes light up (not literally).

"Hey, Blitzball!" he exclaims, picking up the ball and spinning it on his finger.

I suddenly remember that this is about the time he showed Wakka and the others what he could do. But he doesn't know that he's supposed to do that. And if he doesn't, the Aurochs won't stand a chance at Wakka's last game.

"Tidus," I say, inching closer to him, "Why don't you show them what you can do."

He looks at me strangely and says, "What do you mean by them?"

I point behind him and he turns to find the whole team looking at him. He turns back to me, nods and says, "Here goes nothing."

He throws the ball high in the air. He tilts his head back and closes his eyes. As the ball comes back down it stops, inches from his head. He does a back flip, kicking the ball mid-flip. The ball shoots across the water so fast that it leaves a jet-stream trailing behind it.

Wakka is very impressed, and he should be. No one on his team can do that. Not even him. He places his hand on Tidus's shoulder and says, "You have to join my team, ya?"

Hearing Wakka talk about being part of a team must have jogged the part of Tidus's memory that he was trying so hard not to think about. The part that remembers he was part of a team, but also that it doesn't exist anymore. That he was and is the only survivor of the entire city of Zanarkand.

The reason I say this, is because he is no longer smiling. There's no sign that he is happy about or willing to join Wakka's team. But then he looks up at me then at Wakka and says, "Sure."

(a/n: so, what did you think?-looks around nervously-in small voice- please review)