June 8, 2011

Summary: Wakka gives the boys of Spira some great advice. Life is not learned by war, books, or sports, but the nine months in between waiting for a baby to be born.

The Great Islander Wisdom

Prologue: The Principles of Manhood

Wakka sauntered with his hands resting behind his head, the hardened sand crunching under his feet. A lone seagull calling to its flock overhead was a reminder that the Eternal Calm was finally here. The retired blitz ball player lazily cracked an eye open to peer over his shoulder discreetly. Tidus, Gippal, and Baralai were laughing ostentatiously at something one of them had said.

The trio of young men caught up to Wakka; Tidus lightly tapping his old friend on the shoulder. "It must feel nice – well, better, now that Lulu had the baby."

Wakka rested his arms to settle over his chest as he thought about the Zanarkand native's question. The quartet could see the stone wall and archway that guarded the village up ahead. Besaid had not changed much. The village had not become any more popular; although, some wealthy Albhed did combine several huts into a plush inn, which now housed some famous sphere hunters and political leaders while on their vacation.

At first, Wakka was leery of the inn opening on the small, quaint island, but a year later, and the inhabitants were still in the majority. The former guardian reveled in the simplistic ways he and his village kept and didn't want to see it ruined.

Vidina was soon turning one year-old and for the small family, a lot had changed. There were many positives, such as: he could hold his son, and Lulu was able to sleep soundly (or as soundly as Vidina would allow), Wakka was able to hear his son laugh, see him smile, and touch his son. None of those things were feasible while Lulu was pregnant.

"Actually, I miss Lulu being pregnant." Immediately Wakka could see the skepticism. "It's not like I would want Lulu to go through the discomfort of carrying a child for nine months . . . but it was fun."

The gentlemen were just passing under the archway when Tidus blurted out, "You're kidding, right?"

"No," Wakka replied, simply.

"What about the mood swings?" Gippal chuckled, nudging Wakka in jest.

"Or, the insistent complaints and demands of constant attention," Tidus chimed in. The four men were slowly enclosing onto the main campfire in the center of the village. A celebration had commenced in honor of Spira's freedom, and the birth of the Eternal Calm. There, not far away, sat their loves: Lulu, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine.

"Their mood swings are worst than voyaging in a storm by the Omega ruins. Up and down, up and down," Gippal continued, making large hand gestures to show tsunami-like waves.

"Plus, the things they eat. Those weird, disgusting cravings," Baralai said in his soft voice, his face wrinkling in disgust.

"You know what I think, guys? Wakka's mind is fried from playing blitzball with us too long. The sun cooked his brain like a chocobo egg," Gippal teased as they continued their way through the bustling village.

"Or, from Lulu hitting him with too many firaga spells," Tidus joked, receiving an uproarious laughter from Gippal and a noticeable snicker from Baralai.

"That's what happens when you get old," Gippal sang, receiving a snort from Wakka. Baralai's stifled chortling turned into a laughing-coughing fit, resulting in Tidus and Gippal bubbling with even more ungraceful laughter. Before they were completely at the large campfire where the women were sitting, eating, and chatting, Wakka turned about-face to address his younger counterparts.

"You laugh now, but wait. You'll see why it's so special – the three principles of Manhood." When the others stared blankly, Wakka tried to clarify. "You know, like the principles a man lives by."

"What?" Tidus piped up, his laughter dying. His disbelief was evident on his face.

"Learn the principles of life that a man lives by from a pregnant woman?" Gippal mocked, tucking a finger under his eye patch to clear away any tears that may have collected from laughing so hard.

"The principles of life a man lives by come from studying the past," Baralai shared, his position retaining one of a sophisticated scholar.

"The principles of life a man lives by come from working hard with your hands," Gippal added, showing his island friend his hands for emphasis.

"The principles of life a man lives by come from traveling and having adventures," Tidus finished. Somewhat frustrated with Wakka's stubbornness to conform to their thought, Tidus crossed his arms over his chest and addressed his older comrade, "Okay, what are these tokens of wisdom, oh, great one?" the young blitzer snorted.

"I'll tell you when you're older. Right now, you're just boys," Wakka jabbed. Gippal, Tidus, and Baralai stood dumbfounded, watching Wakka strut toward the women and take a seat beside his wife and son.

All three men quickly sprinted after Wakka. Being the fastest of the three, Tidus skidded to a most undignified halt. Having retained so much speed, Tidus almost collided into his girlfriend, Yuna. "What do you mean 'boys'?" Tidus spat. "How come you can't tell us, now?"

Yuna corked an eyebrow, silently asking Lulu, Paine, and Rikku for some type of indication as to what was going on. The High Summoner's expression mirrored her friends' who were just as confused as she.

"You're too young," Wakka laughed, slapping his knee in joviality.

Soon a splutter of questions and demands spilled from the three young men snowballing into incomprehensible noise. Finally, Yuna intervened. "Hold on, what's going on?" she questioned, raising her hands to stop the commotion.

"Nothing," Wakka soothed, finding their reactions rather amusing. The former guardian picked up his son from Lulu's lap; the small toddler gnawing on a soft piece of cooked fruit. "They're just throwing a tantrum," Wakka cooed to his son, who grunted a response back to his father.

Before Tidus, Gippal, or Baralai could start up again, Yuna cut them off. "Why don't you get some food?" she suggested. "Perhaps you'll all think more rationally after you've eaten something."

Grumbling and muttering under their breaths the blitz ball player, Albhed, and praetor obeyed. The night had risen and the stars twinkled in fits of small chuckles as they flickered in the night sky.

"Oh, maybe that was a bad idea," Rikku whined, seeing the men near the area where they were serving liquor. "Gippal gets really stupid when he's drunk."

"As appose to . . ."

"Crid ib," (Shut up) Rikku interrupted, glowering at Paine.

"Wakka," Lulu pressed, playing with the last of her vegetables on her plate.

"It's nothing, really," he urged, bouncing his son on his lap. Looking at the other women, he added with a big, warm smile, "They'll get over it, once they learn it."

"Why do I get the feeling I don't want to know?" Paine dead-panned, eyeing the other three women for input.

"But, I do," Rikku pouted. "I want to know."

"Don't be nosey, ya? It's a guy thing, anyway," Wakka responded. "Just relax, enjoy the festivities, and make sure your boyfriend doesn't do something stupid." Wakka nodded in the direction of the Machine Faction leader, who was guzzling his drink at an excessive rate.

Yuna eyed Wakka carefully, the glow of the fire playing on his bright orange hair. He was her guardian as both a summoner and as a brother. He had never steered her wrong, so far; yet, something made the sphere hunter nervous. Yuna, along with Rikku and Paine, stood and went to retrieve their boyfriends before Tidus, Gippal, and Baralai became too enamored with the freely distributed alcoholic beverages.

Wakka held his son, enjoying each giggle and gesture Vidina made as he played with him. Lulu leaned in close, holding on to Wakka, smiling down at their son. The former Auroch captain's mind wandered; the slow rocking of his son a dream-like passage to lingering thoughts.

I'll let them in on the secrets . . . when they're ready. Wakka chuckled, knowing of the obstacles the trio of young men never knew existed and were so not prepared to face.

~ End Prologue

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