AN: Howdy! This one-shot short story focuses on the brothers Wakka and Chappu about a year and a half before the events of FFX. It was a pleasure to write, and I hope it's just as nice for you to read. :)
For those of you following my FFX novelisation, you might have seen a request in the reviews (from the lovely blackdragonhuntress, no less) for a bonus chapter that describes the characters as they pass time outside of the linear storyline. Now, when I first read that request, I was very keen for it. One of my favourite authors here has written a bunch of FF novelisations and she would insert original scenes to piece together the plot of the game more seamlessly, and so I was very open to the idea. The more I wrote, however, the more I realised that there aren't very many chances to actually do that with FFX. So, I considered writing tidbits of the characters' lives from before the beginning of Yuna's pilgrimage. I figured that I could probably figure out more of their personalities that way. That thought brought me here. In the middle of the night while I was trying to get to sleep, no less. :P
Like I mentioned before, I really hope that you guys enjoy this. It's not much, but I wanted to document some of the relationship between Wakka and Chappu considering Tidus' likeness to Chappu is one of the reasons Wakka is so friendly to him. So you may see some allusions to Wakka's treatment of Tidus in this one-shot. Those are deliberate. Lol. Do let me know if they seem hokey and far-fetched, though. Actually, feel free to bash the whole story if you like. I don't mind. You can leave nice comments, though, if you reeeally have to. :P
Thank you so much for reading this. It really means a lot to me that people actually seem to enjoy reading the crappy things I write. So I hope you're all happy and healthy and that you get to see some rainbows and kittens and stuff. You deserve it. :)
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Wakka's large hands skipped across the surface of the salty seawater as he splashed his brother. Chappu cried out in protest, but laughed as he returned the spray. It was a balmy day on Besaid Island, and the brothers made their way through the cool turquoise waves, headed towards the beach. There was a comfortable ache in Wakka's legs, one he'd earned as he trained for the beginning of the next blitzball season – despite the few weeks that had passed since the end of the last one. Wakka liked to keep on top of some things, his fitness being one of them.
As they reached the sun-bleached sand on the shore, Wakka ran his fingers through his bright orange hair. "That sure was a good training session," he sighed, and he stopped walking. Ankle-deep in the shallows, he leaned his head back to look at the sky. The great fathomless blue stretched endlessly before him, not a wisp of a cloud in sight.
"Sure woke up my appetite," Chappu chuckled. "Come on, let's hurry back. I'm starved, ya?"
Wakka rolled his eyes. "You gotta learn to appreciate taking your time, little brudda," he replied, smiling.
"I'd appreciate it more if it fed me," Chappu remarked. Wakka chortled and continued walking. He made a good point.
Chappu led Wakka across the warm sand to the opening in the cliffs. Beyond, the sand changed to dirt and grass, and the air cooled under the canopy of the trees. Besaid Island was covered in a temperate jungle, and Wakka could already hear the birds from halfway across the beach. It was a comforting cacophony of sound if ever there was one.
"Are we taking the shortcut?" Chappu asked as he pushed on through the branches of a rebellious fern. The path from the beach split just beyond the cliffs; the left trail winding around the island until it crested on the mountains and spilled down to the village, while the right trail led to a lagoon and a hidden tunnel through the hills.
"You're in a hurry," Wakka mused, waving his hand to the right.
Chappu shrugged. "Like I said, I'm hungry."
"Hungry for some black mage, ya?" Chappu shot a dirty look back at his older brother, causing Wakka to snicker. "What? You pretending you don't like her now?" he laughed.
"No," Chappu insisted, "I just don't know if things'll be the same as they were before, you know?"
Wakka let his laughter subside and gave his brother a pat on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm sure everything will work out just fine," he reassured. "It's Lulu we're talking about here. She doesn't change her mind very often."
Lulu was stubborn, all right. The black mage was known throughout the village for her determination and sturdy nature, but sometimes she seemed like she was just being difficult. Wakka thought back to when she'd first decided to become a guardian, and how she and Chappu had argued that night. It wasn't like there was anything wrong with being a guardian – hey, he might even be a guardian himself one day, if he wasn't too busy with blitzball – but she hadn't considered Chappu's feelings at all. She knew what she wanted to do, and she wouldn't change her mind for anybody.
"I hope so," Chappu said solemnly.
Wakka knew it was more than just the time apart that was bothering Chappu. Lulu had returned to the island via ferry early this morning, but she was weeks earlier than had been planned. Wakka had heard someone talking about Lulu losing her summoner as he left for the beach, and while he couldn't imagine Lulu failing like that, the Calm certainly hadn't arrived. Whatever had happened on that pilgrimage, it was bound to have affected her, and it could easily have affected how she felt about Chappu.
The brothers continued along the right path until they broke through the trees. Suddenly, the lagoon stretched out before them, crisp and clear, dancing with the reflections of the foliage that topped the surrounding cliffs. The two of them stood in a small grassy clearing at the top of a much smaller cliff, with a perfect view of the gentle water below. Wakka avoided treading on the tiny wildflowers that dotted the grass as he walked to the edge of the cliff. He yawned theatrically, stretching his arms in a wide circle, and plonked down on the ground. Chappu sighed as his brother dangled his legs over the edge, but joined Wakka regardless, and the two of them leaned back on the grass together, just as they had a thousand times before.
"Do you think Lady Ginnem died?" Chappu asked after a moment.
Wakka shrugged, his eyes watching the tops of the trees as they swayed gently in the wind. "The way I see it, it doesn't matter what happened to the summoner. Lulu is home now and we should thank Yevon that she's safe."
Chappu shook his head. "It does matter. What if Lady Ginnem quit her pilgrimage to get married? Would Lulu want to get married then? Would she want to marry me?"
Wakka's mouth hung ajar, but he didn't speak. Chappu was eighteen and a man by all means, but even though he was only a year younger, Wakka couldn't help but see him as a little kid. Sometimes it was hard to see him as anything other than the eleven year-old kid chasing little Yuna around the temple while the priest yelled after him, cursing him as some sort of fiend. Sometimes, Wakka could still see that cheeky sparkle in Chappu's blue eyes.
"You're too young to get married," he said bluntly. "So it doesn't matter whether Lulu wants to or not, 'cause it's not gonna happen."
"But what if I want to marry her?" Chappu protested. Wakka's mind raced, trying to figure out why his little brother was so keen on marriage all of a sudden. All he could think was that it had to have something to do with Lulu being gone so long.
"Nope. Not gonna happen."
Chappu looked disheartened for a second, then smirked. "I guess I'll have to wait until the Aurochs win a tournament before I can propose, ya?"
"Hey!" Wakka exclaimed, giving Chappu a soft shove in the shoulder. "We're gonna win next year, I can feel it!"
They laughed together for a moment, letting their chuckles fade into the peaceful quiet of the afternoon. Wakka smiled and looked out over the tranquil water of the lagoon, thankful to live in such a beautiful place. If for some reason he could never leave Besaid again, he would happily give up the rest of Spira just for this paradise.
"You know, the Crusaders are planning an attack on Sin for around the same time as the next Crystal Cup tournament," Chappu said, interrupting Wakka's pleasant thoughts.
"Then Luzzu had better win," Wakka quickly replied. "With Sin dead as well as the Aurochs taking home the cup, we can have an even bigger party, ya?"
It hadn't been long since Luzzu had joined up with the Crusaders, but he was proving to be as dedicated a soldier as he was a friend. The thought of losing him to Sin wasn't one Wakka liked, so he pushed it aside. Chappu seemed restless, however, and it was starting to ruin Wakka's calm. He understood why his little brother was so preoccupied, why his thoughts kept straying to the dangers outside of their island home. He also understood that there was only one way to set Chappu's mind at ease.
The young blitzer sighed as he lifted his legs from the edge of the cliff and pushed himself back across the grass. "Come on, let's go see your girlfriend," Wakka teased as he stood up. He offered Chappu his hand.
Chappu climbed to his feet, using Wakka's weight to keep him from falling forwards into the lagoon, and they both stood at the edge of the cliff. Wakka peered down into the inviting water, smiling at their shortcut to the village. It was a one-way trip to Besaid, as the only way into the lagoon was by diving from the cliff, and there was no way to climb back up.
"You wanna go first?" Wakka asked Chappu, turning his head to look at his brother. Chappu wasn't standing by his side anymore, though, and when Wakka realised why it was already too late.
"After you, brudda," Chappu laughed. With one short shove, Chappu pushed Wakka off the edge of the cliff.
Wakka barely had time to take a breath before he splashed into the cool lagoon. The skin on his left side stung from the surface tension of the water, and he quickly kicked back up to the surface. Breaking through, he gasped for air, and then scanned the cliff above for Chappu's smirking face. For a moment, the air seemed alive with birdsong, but Wakka quickly realised it was just Chappu's laughter echoing off of the tall cliffs surrounding the lagoon.
"Hey! I'm gonna get you for that!" Wakka called up to the cliff. He tried to sound angry, he really did, but Chappu's merriment was infectious and he soon found himself chuckling as well.
"I'd like to see you try," Chappu replied jovially. Without any further ado, Chappu dived off of the cliff to join Wakka in the lagoon. He surfaced a moment later, met with a splash of water to the face that served as Wakka's revenge, and together the two of them swam home through the crystal waters, just as they had a thousand times before.