BOOM! Chapter two. This story is really going to take off from this point so Please REVIEW and let me know your opinions!
This story will also have musical accompaniments to add to the effect because I'm dramatic like that. I've left links above the paragraphs for which they are to be played, but it's up to you whether or not you want to listen while you read.
Thanks and see ya next chapter!
Made a vow I was gonna be
A Blitzer like my father in front of me
Give me that one perfect moment
The blow to his head had killed him instantly, Lumina learned later. Vidina had been right to suspect the Luca's Ace of foul play. The player that had collided with him, Greer, had equipped himself with illegal, steel-tipped boots to increase the power of his kicks underwater. It had been a cheat designed to help them win the game, not to harm another player. Nonetheless, when those steel shoes had connected with Tidus head, the blow had been enough to take his life in an instant. Greer was banned from playing in any future official Bliztball matches and was sentenced to a short time in holding for his illegal actions, but the trial that had ensued hardly mattered to Lumina at all.
What mattered most to her now was that her hero was gone.
(Optional Musical Accompaniment: Stoic's Ship, HTTYD 2 Soundtrack: watch?v=eY49xEQGqMw)
Yuna was the one to perform his sending; carrying out her wondrous dance upon the beaches of Besaid as her father's body was laid out in a casket that floated upon the water. Lumina watched from the shore, clutching Lulu's skirts for comfort as she witnessed his body disintegrating into a cascade of shimmering pyreflies. The whole of Besaid had gathered to watch the ceremony as well, Wakka and Rikku at the forefront of the crowd neither one of them bothering to hide their grief as tears rolled freely down their faces. Vidina stood by Lumina's side as well, gazing solemnly at the scene that played out before them. She knew he was only acting strong though; the slight tremors than ran through his tense body betraying his misery. Lumina could not even begin to untangle the emotions she felt swirling around inside. In fact, everything was so confused and painful that it stopped her from weeping openly like the rest of them. She felt like screaming. Screaming and shouting and begging for someone to bring her father back. But the tears would not come. Instead she stood frozen on the beach, her fingers tangled in the fabric of Lulu's skirt so tightly that her knuckles were turning white; her face twisted in pain as she struggled to comprehend her own feelings.
Finally, the dance ended. In a final spectacular burst of light, the pyreflies scattered into the heavens and Tidus' body was gone. Lumina's eyes followed them as they ascended into the sky, glistening like stars against the blood, red sunset. Rikku, Wakka and Lulu (pulling Lumina in tow) all hurried to the shoreline to meet Yuna as she trudged back towards them. Rikku was the first to reach her cousin, enveloping her in an embrace so tight, Lumina wasn't sure how she could breathe.
"Yunie," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
Her mother didn't respond. It frightened Lumina to see her so despondent. Her beautiful, bi-colored eyes were dull and empty. Lulu moved closer as soon as Rikku relinquished her hold. The Black Mage said nothing, but pushed Lumina forward, placing her in front of Yuna and offering her despairing friend a hopeful smile. Yuna looked at Lumina, dropping to her knees and pulling her into an embrace, clutching her tighter than ever before as if afraid to let go for fear of losing her as well. That was when Lumina felt her tears begin to fall. She returned the hug, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck as her cries grew louder and louder, echoing across the silent beach.
That first night without him made the cabin feel dark and empty. Lumina could not rest. The image of the red water kept her awake and trembling. She lay wrapped in her mother's arms as if she were just a babe once again. The two lay very still, Yuna murmuring the occasional word of comfort; but mostly they lay in silence, their shared tears slowly dampening the mattress beneath them. It was a sleepless night; and one that Lumina would never forget.
6 years later….
The only sound was that of Lumina's breath, coming heavily but steadily as she pounded dutifully across the shoreline. The white sand appeared a sooty, gray in the dark before the sunrise, but Lumina knew that if she did not hurry, she would not make it to Gull Hill in time to see the beach reflect the first of the sun's golden rays.
Faster, faster, faster, she chanted as her bare feet pounded the sand, ignoring the tiny grains that caught between her toes. Rivulets of sweat trailed down her temples, dampening strands of her short brown hair and sticking them to her face. The light, sleeveless shirt she wore was also dark with perspiration; the result of an hour long morning sprint. Her legs screamed in protest as she leapt up the steps that led to the top of the hill, taking them two at a time. She could remember how much of a struggle it had been to ascend only one of those steep steps years ago when she first ran with her father. By the time she reached the top of Gull Hill, her legs were trembling with exhaustion and her chest heaved in-and-out as she struggled to catch her breath. But she had made it in time. The sun was just beginning to peek over the edge of the sea, its rays turning the billowy clouds a soft, rosy color. Lumina sat on the edge of the cliff, letting her feet dangle over, as she watched the sun rise higher and higher. The silver, chain necklace she wore around her neck glinted in the light, catching her attention and subtly reminding her who was absent from this perfect scene. Not that she needed reminding. It hadn't been long after her father's death that she decided to dedicate herself to become what he had been. For years she had run the same route along the beach, always before dawn so that she could catch the sunrise that he had adored so much. She even trained with the Aurochs, even though she had not been inducted as an official team member as of yet. In a few short years, she had become a worthy athlete. Her tan arms and legs were strong and toned, the rest of her body hard and lean. She wasn't very tall, being built in a more compact frame, like her father had been. But she was a capable swimmer as well, training to become better every day that she could. She loved to test her mettle against the undertows and hidden currents that lay out past the docks. Of course if her mother knew that that was where she chose to practice, she would have a fit. So Lumina kept her personal morning swims to herself, choosing to share only stories of the practices she attended with the Aurochs.
As the sun rose high enough for the sky to turn a light, lilac, Lumina took a deep breath and launched herself off of Gull Hill into the surf that crashed below. The moment she hit the water (and after adjusting to the cold shock that threatened to take her breath away) she stretched out her arms and propelled herself deeper. Tiny schools of fish swum around in fantastic formations, scattering in all directions as she propelled herself through them. The clear water flowed around her, guiding her limbs and pushing her through the currents. The sense of weightlessness, was one she could not get enough of, it made her feel as if she could fly. As she swam, she counted. Blitzers had to be able to hold their breath underwater for the entire length of the quarter; as of now the official time required was five minutes. Lumina could only manage three-and-a-half. She knew that today, however, was the day she would make five minutes. She had to or else she would not be made an official member of the Aurochs this year. Today was the day that an official Qualifier from the NBBL, or National Bliztball League, would be coming to scout for talented players all across Spira, as well as to assist Vidina (the Aurochs newest captain) in choosing the team members he would need to maintain the Auroch's national status. Like her father before, and then Raff for a brief stint after him, Vidina worked incredibly hard to train the Aurochs to the best of his abilities; intending for them to win the National Championship that had been left unrewarded the year Lumina's father died during the match.
She felt her lungs beginning to burn for air, but refused to surface just yet, choosing to wait until black spots clouded her vision before bursting through the water, gasping for breath. Four minutes….Not good enough. But at this point, she didn't have any more time to train. Tryouts would begin in a few short hours and she needed to get home to grab breakfast and restore her energy before losing it all again to the demanding tests the recruiter would doubtlessly make her perform. She paddled back to shore, dashing across the sand as soon as she reached it, running as fast as she could in an attempt to dry herself before she reached the cabin.
She could hear the sounds of clinging dishware inside the cabin as she approached it, signaling that her mother had awoken not long ago. She pushed aside the ornate, carpeted entrance and stepped inside, greeted by the warm, enticing smells of food simmering over a fire. Yuna stood over their tiny stove machina donated to them by her Aunt Rikku when her parents had first gotten married.
"Morning!" she shouted hurrying over to the stove, embracing her mother quickly and snatching a slice of bread from the counter before attempting to scurry away to her room. Yuna caught her before she could, her expression a confused combination of both amusement and disgust. It was then that Lumina caught a whiff of herself, a pungent odor surrounded her, courtesy of her intense morning workout.
"You are planning on cleaning up before you go anywhere else today, aren't you?" she suggested forcefully. Lumina rolled her eyes and groaned, "Mom…I'm training with the Aurochs in an hour! I'm just gonna get dirty again!"
"Trust me," Yuna said, turning her around and pushing her towards the outdoor shower behind the cabin. "Your friends will thank you for showing up and smelling like a human, not a fiend."
"Mooom," Lumina tried again even as she obliged and headed towards the back entrance. "Vidina always smells like old boots anyway and no one complains to him!"
"That's because he's twice your size and a man," Yuna retorted, turning back to the stove to end their discussion.
"Ugh, fine. But I'm filing a complaint with the management!"
Yuna laughed, causing Lumina to smile even as she sighed, finally exiting the cabin and stepping into their curtained shower area. She stripped bare and quickly scrubbed herself roughly with a heavy lather of soap, turning on the spout to fill the bucket that lay nearby with water (cold water) and dumping it over her own head. Repeating the dousing process a few more times, she threw back on her filthy clothes and hurried back into the house, swerving away from the kitchen and pushing aside the flap to her own room. It was a small, cozy place, added onto her parent's original cabin when she had become old enough to sleep on her own. A comfortable, downy bed covered in a messy wad of quilts lay against the far side, underneath the circular window that let in the sun. Posters of famous Biltzers from all over Spira decorated the walls, but the one directly above her bed, displayed the proud image of her father. She knelt on her bed and stared up at the poster, clutching the silver necklace as she spoke.
"Today's the day, dad." She blinked at the image, a small part of her hopeful that it would respond. "I'm going to become an Auroch today. Their Ace player, someday. I'm gonna win that Championship for you."
The grinning face of her father stared out at her, his thumb raised encouragingly. Closing her eyes to compose herself, she took a steadying breath before leaping off of her bed and scrambling to her dresser, scrounging for another outfit suitable for Blitzball practice. After settling on a yellow sleeveless, skin fit top and black and silver swim pants, she hurried back out to the kitchen where her mother had just finished setting her breakfast on the table.
"Thanks," she mumbled before shoveling the food into her mouth as fast as she could, barely even tasting the delicious concoction as it passed down her throat. Yuna blinked at her dumbfounded from where she sat at the table across from Lumina.
"Why are you in such a rush to train this morning?" She asked, causing Lumina to choke on her current mouthful. Yuna did not know that Lumina planned to try out for the recruiter today. She did not know that Lumina planned to become an official player for the Aurochs. She did not know, because after what had happened to Tidus, she had forbidden it. Yuna was never rough with Lumina, or openly severe, it just wasn't in her personality… except when it came to the possibility of her daughter competing in the official game. Tidus death had shaken everyone, but Yuna most of all. Her faith in the sport had been shattered and Lumina knew that she was right to fear it. Bliztball was an intense sport and players were injured in almost every competitive match. Few deaths had ever been recorded, but after her father's had been added to that short list, Lumina knew that she would never get her mother's approval to join an official team. Of course, she allowed Lumina to "play" with the Aurochs at practices, aware of her daughter's desire to engage in the sport. But those practices were just "for fun". Vidina was always present and Yuna trusted him to protect Lumina from harm. Even so, she would never give her consent for Lumina to become an actual teammate. And so she had decided not to ask for permission. If the recruiter made her membership official with the League, her mother could protest of course, but there would be a new team of people on Lumina's side, hopefully influental enough to convince Yuna that they needed her daughter to become a certified player.
"Oh, uh," Lumina coughed down her food, struggling to find an excuse as she swallowed. "Well, Vidina said he's demonstrating some new moves today and I want to get there early so I can get warmed up."
Lame. Bad excuse. She won't believe it.
"Oh," Yuna responded amiably, seeming content with the answer.
Score.
"Well, just remember to be safe when you're out there," she reminded Lumina unnecessarily as the girl picked up her empty dishes and hurried towards the sink.
"I know, mom," she grumbled dumping her dishes and dashing through the door calling, "I'll be back in a few hours, with me luck!"
Yuna watched her daughter disappear with a melancholy smile, memories of Tidus running through her head. The two were incredibly alike.
"She really is your daughter," she mumbled quietly to herself, feeling the familiar ache of loss clawing at her heart. Six years had not been enough to dull the pain and she wasn't sure how long it would be before the memories did not hurt to recall.
"Knock, knock," came a familiar voice as the flap to the cabin was pushed open. Lulu appeared in the entrance, ducking to avoid brushing the doorframe with her elaborate, black-hair style.
"Good morning, Lulu," Yuna greeted her old friend and crossed towards the sink to begin cleaning the dishes Lumina had left behind. "What brings you here so early?"
"I'm interested in how Lumina is doing lately," Lulu stated calmly, seating herself at the small dining table and peering at Yuna with her intense ruby eyes.
"Oh, she's doing fine," Yuna chuckled. "Playing with the boys constantly, of course."
"She does take after her father that way," Lulu mused. Yuna nodded once, but did not verbally respond. The Black Mage caught the immediate change in her demeanor and quickly changed the subject, "Vidina's new…sweetheart…is coming in from Luca today, you know?"
"I had heard rumors that he was seeing someone from another team," Yuna said, finishing with the dishes and coming to sit across from the ruby-eyed woman at the table.
"Yes," Lulu drawled, sounding unimpressed. "They met during the preliminary match in Luca a few months ago. They've been keeping it their little secret. Vidina's told me he's afraid of drawing prejudice from his teammates if they knew he was interested in someone from their biggest rival."
"So what brings her here today?" Yuna asked curiously. "Have they finally decided to reveal everything to the team?"
"Not quite," Lulu mumbled. "She's currently a representative for the NBBL. According to Vidina she's coming here to help him conduct tryouts for the team he's going to take to the National Cup this year."
A cold dread filled Yuna as she registered Lulu's words, "Tryouts?"
"Yes," Lulu sighed, obviously aggravated. "She'll be arriving by airship soon and sitting in on their practice. Vidina was quite a bundle of nerves this morning; could barely finish the breakfast I made for him."
Lulu stopped speaking and gazed at Yuna concernedly. The other woman's face had turned paler than usual, her eyes wide and fearful.
She stood abruptly, her chair screeching loudly across the wood paneled floor as she did, "I need to find Lumina."
By the time Lumina reached the beach, she again covered in a thin sheen of sweat; not that it bothered her much. As she stepped onto the sand she registered three other figures standing near the docks whereupon rested two compact airships. The figure with a crest of magnificent fiery hair, she recognized immediately as Vidina. But it took her up until she came within shouting distance that she acknowledged the short, blonde girl who stood talking to him.
"Calli!" Lumina called out as she registered the perky, green-eyed girl who was her cousin, or in reality her second-cousin if she was choosing to get technical.
"Lumina!" the little Al Bhed squealed, abandoning her conversation with Vidina and racing towards Lumina at top speed. Lumina braced herself, laughing as the impact of Calli's embrace sent them toppling onto the sand. "I haven't seen you in forever!"
"It's only been a few months," Lumina corrected as she struggled to sit up. Calli always did have a tendency to dramatize things, the way her pouty bottom lip quivered with barely restrained emotion was proof enough of that. "Are your parents here too?"
"Nope!" Calli squeaked, puffing out her chest with obvious pride. "Sussy (Momma in Al Bhed, Lumina knew) says I'm old enough to travel on my own now that I'm thirteen, I'm practically an adult, you know! Plus…"
She leapt to her feet and whirled around to point at the tiny, red, one seated airship that sat perched on the dock, "Bubby (Poppa) gave me that for my birthday!"
Lumina's jaw practically hit the ground, "They gave you an airship?!"
Calli looked practically ready to burst with joy, her blonde hair bouncing around her head and she hopped up-and-down excitedly.
"You're let me give it a test drive, right?!"
"Of course!"
Before she could set a time, Vidina approached the two young girls, stretching out one of his massive hands and helping Lumina to her feet, "Bout time you got here."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lumina growled. "Nobody else is here! I'm way ahead of schedule."
"Yeah," Vidina yielded, his voice carrying a hint of uncharacteristic anxiety. "But I wanted you to meet Eva before the rest of the boys get here."
"Who's-?" Suddenly Lumina remembered the second airship and the third vague figure that had been standing with the others. She peered around Vidina's burly shoulders and came face to face with a tall, lanky girl with heavy black eyes. She had long red hair that curled around her shoulders and face. She was beautiful, there was no denying that; but her very appearance seemed somehow dangerous to Lumina.
"Hey," she said, offering her hand for Eva to shake. "Name's Lumina."
The girl's black, slanted eyes flicked to Lumina's hand, then quickly back to her face as if analyzing her before making a move. Finally, she offered a curved smile with pale, pink lips and took Lumina's hand in her own. Her grip was weak and she held Lumina's hand for only a moment before withdrawing and stepping back, slipping her thin arm around Vidina's thick, waist.
"I know who you are," Eva chirped in a cheery voice that contrasted her sharp appearance. "Vidina's told me a lot about you. Plus, I knew your father."
Lumina was so dumbfounded by this unexpected display of affection that she barely registered the last part of Eva's sentence. Finding her voice she blurted, "You knew my father?"
Eva nodded, her dusky eyes flashing briefly, "Mhmm. The last match he played in was against my father, Greer."
Slowly the pieces came together in Lumina's mind. This girl was Greer's daughter. Greer had killed her father. Vidina was dating the girl whose father had killed her own. And worst of all, neither one of them seemed to care.
"Vidina, you-But she—I-My dad-," Lumina stopped to swallow and compose herself. "Vidina how could you!?"
Vidina's face was now more anxious than before, however at the same time a heavy, darkness was settling in his eyes, "Lumina…You know I cared about Tidus. But this isn't about that. Eva is not her father."
Lumina felt her face beginning to burn with rage. She wanted to scream words of hate in his face. Traitor, Sheep, Bastard.
"Please don't fight," Eva interjected, her voice sounded sickeningly sweet to Lumina's ears. "Lumina, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I regret what happened in the past….But Vidina's right. This is between me and him. We don't live our parent's lives."
Lumina was ready to leap on this new girl, claws unleashed, when Calli put a gentle hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Lumina don't….She's a Qualifier."
Lumina blanched. Calli was well aware of her decision to join the Aurochs since the two sent tele-sphere's to each other practically every other day; and so far, the usually loud-mouthed Al Bhed had done a phenomenal job of keeping the secret from both of their parents.
However, this new information only served to fuel the fire within her. If this girl was the one who was going to decide her destiny, then it seemed that fate was doing its best to slow her down.
"You're the Qualifier?" she questioned through clenched teeth. Eva nodded, her red hair swaying hypnotically, "That's right. Besaid is my first stop. It's my job to make sure the Blitzball Captains of Spira take their best recruits to the Qualifying rounds. It's up to them to give the rest of the world a good show. After this I'll stop in Kilika, then Luca…hmm let's see, then there's Home, and finally ."
"What about Zanarkand?" Calli piped up curiously. Eva's sweet demeanor disappeared for a brief instant as she shot the young Al Bhed a look of disdain, apparently disgusted by her lack of Bliztball knowledge. Lumina knew that the city in which her father had been born had just recently begun to rebuild itself into its former splendor, after having faced destruction at the claws of a terrible beast called Sin almost a millennium ago. But that was another story.
At the moment, Zanarkand did not support an official League Bliztball team. Calli had no way of knowing that though, she was not as dedicated to the sport as Lumina was. She felt her hackles rise defensively as Eva dark glare continued to bore into Calli. The red-haired woman spoke in a sardonic tone that went unnoticed by Vidina, "Zanarkand doesn't have a team, sweetie."
"Look, we know what your job is," Lumina grumbled rescuing Calli from further confrontation. She was annoyed that Eva had left out the fact that Qualifiers only had the power to strongly suggest which recruits should be made a part of the team and the final decision was left to the Captain. However, a Qualifier's opinion was a highly valued one, considering they were only given the job if they were masters of Blitzball technique and statistics themselves. Eva gave her that slanted smile again, "Are you trying out today?"
"You bet she is!" Calli squeaked, unable to contain herself in the background any longer.
"Lumina," Vidina grumbled, giving her a hard stare. "You know you're ma won't let me pick you for the team."
"Since when did you become such a pushover, Vidina, huh?!" Lumina challenged, her anger flaring once again. "You're twenty-one now! My mom doesn't control you and she doesn't control me either."
Before Vidina could retaliate for the blow she had sent to his ego, Lumina lowered her voice and continued in a more pleading tone, "Please, just let me show you what I can do. I train with you guys every day! I'm just as good as anyone else who's going to try out today….Better!"
The two stared each other down, the tension in the air becoming palpable.
"Hon, let her try," Eva finally interjected, standing on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Vidina's cheek. The moment she did, his face lightened considerably and he regarded her inquisitively as waiting for further instruction.
You're wrapped around her little finger, Vidina. Lumina thought bitingly. Contrary to his massive frame, he was quite submissive around powerful women; he took after his father in that manner.
"Besides," Eva continued, staring at Lumina with those endlessly black eyes. "I'm interested to see what this little one can do."
Before the standoff could continue any further, they were interrupted by the booming voices of the rest of the Aurochs as they all came running onto the beach. Lumina hung back as Vidina introduced the players to Eva, as the Qualifier, not as his girlfriend; although the way she continued to hang on his arm made their relationship obvious. The public affection, as well as Eva herself, drew plenty of stares and murmurs from the men on the team, but none of them seemed as openly aggressive as Lumina had been when she learned of the girl's identity. In fact, most of them just seemed infatuated with her looks.
"Alright boys!" Vidina finally shouted, clapping his hands to draw their attention away from the red-haired vixen. "It's time to show me watcha got! Our National team is gonna be decided here today, so give it your all!"
A cheer went up from the assembled men. However craven Vidina sometimes might be, Lumina had to admit that he was a good captain. He began the assessments by ordering a short relay. There were currently fifteen members on the Aurochs, but National matches only allowed teams of seven. Vidina had them split into three groups of five in order to complete the relay on the beach, the players with the best time would have points added to their score; the score that would qualify them as an official League player. Eva stood on the sidelines, her thin arms crossed over her chest, her slanted eyes gleaming hungrily at the men spread out before her. Lumina grimaced, so distracted by the red-haired woman that she missed the whistle signaling the start of the race.
Snapping back to reality she focused on the southern end of the beach where Jassu was pounding away at the sand, lugging the heavy blitzball that was their baton to pass. Letty was next, then Botta, and finally Keepa, the slowest of them all due to his substantial gut. Lumina was last, her sprint was powerful and she knew she could make up anytime lost by her teammates. She began bouncing on her toes as Keepa drew closer, reaching out for the ball to minimize the time she would have to wait before she ran. She didn't expect Keepa to lob the ball towards her at max power after he gotten so close. The ball hit her square in the chest, knocking the breath from her lungs as she collided with the sand. Gasping, she rolled over her shoulder and leapt to her feet, charging forward, head low and legs pumping as she struggled to make up for the stumble. The beach was a blur beneath her feet, the docks that served as the finish line growing closer and closer with every step. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heart and the air passing in and out of her lungs. A loud whistle sounded as she touched the first panels of the dock's surface and turned on her heel to observe the competition. The other three finishers were just coming up behind her, faces red and sweaty.
Lumina shot a satisfied look at Vidina, who gave her a solemn nod in response, clearly unhappy with her accomplishment. That didn't phase her, she would do so well that there was no possible way her could deny her membership. The next test was a Passing trial. Lumina was teamed up with Botta who beamed encouragingly at her even when her first throw struck him right in his already bulbous nose. Vidina had them pass only with their hands, then only with their feet, then their heads, etc. Lumina succeeded in each test, failing only when he had them pass using their belly buttons. Keepa, on the other hand, was exceedingly proficient with that particular technique.
The final test was a mock game between Lumina, Keepa, Letty, Gobba, Tella and Jassu against Vidina, Botta, Beclem, Dotta, Kamm, and Raff. The rules were official match rules, except for the fact that game was played above the water's surface for the sake of their judge, Eva. It was quite a close match, Lumina team pulling ahead at the very last minute due to a choreographed team shot carried out by Lumina, Letty, and Jassu. The teams sloshed back to shore, exchanging high fives and shouts of encouragement, but Lumina kept her eyes trained on Eva. If she had impressed the Qualifier, in spite of her suspicious intentions, Vidina would not have the nerve to contest her. The Aurochs formed a loose circle around Eva, joined by her boyfriend who announced, "Alright, everyone did a great job today! We'll need while to decide on the results. So just go ahead and take a break for-"
"No need," Eva interrupted her dark eyes flashing as she peered at the crowd of exhausted players before her. "I've already made my choices."
Vidina blinked, obviously taken aback, but nonetheless gestured for her to announce the names.
"In order of highest score to the lowest," Eva began, "Here is the Besaid Aurochs Offical League Team. Vidina, Jassu, Letty, Beclem, Dotta, Gobba, and Keepa."
Lumina's heart began to pound anxiously as she realized that her name had not been called and seven players had been chosen. A few murmurs were exchanged among the men before they began to congratulate those who had been called out. Lumina, on the other hand, charged forward approaching Eva with fire in her eyes.
"Wait! What about me?" she shouted, stopping mere inches from Eva's pale white face. "I know I had some of the best times out there! Were you even watching for real talent or are you just too distracted all the muscular, meat-heads?"
A couple of offended objections sounded behind Lumina and she cringed, aware that her anger with the results had just earned her a couple of enemies on her own team. Eva's slanted smile appeared on her pink lips once again, "Honestly, Lumina, your times aren't as impressive as you think they are. Maybe you're a better player than the rest of the tiny, fifteen-year-old girls out there, but you definitely don't have the number to be a League Blitzer. It's unfortunate really. I expected a lot more from the daughter of an Ace player."
Lumina was dumbfounded, mouth agape as she struggled to find some way to respond.
"Besides," Eva continued sweetly, looping her arm through Vidina's once more. "Vidina here tells me your mommy won't let you play. I can't very well go against a loving parent's wishes with a clear conscious; especially when she's been here watching the whole time."
Eva gestured with her pointed chin towards the far end of the beach. Lumina followed her gaze to see her mother, accompanied by Lulu and a sheepish looking Calli, approaching the team angrily. Lumina whipped her head around to again focus on Eva, but the woman had already moved on from their argument, meeting instead with the players whom she had called and detailing the process they would now have to go through to compete in the National League. Desperately, she looked to Vidina begging him for a second opinion, but his heavy eyes gave her his answer when they met her own. I told you so. Betrayed, by her own friend. Her big brother in every aspect of the title except by blood.
Lumina's gaze fell to the sand, blue eyes flickering back and forth rapidly as she tried to comprehend what had just occurred. It was over. Her dream would not come true. Even after giving it everything she had, it had not been not enough. So lost was she in her own thoughts, that it startled her when her mother's voice sounded from directly in front of her. Yuna's tone was unnaturally heated but when Lumina looked up at her face, she saw only pain not fury, in her bi-colored eyes, "Lumina. I can't bel-"
She interrupted before Yuna could continue; she did not need scolding, she already knew what wrong had been done.
"I know," she groaned, looking at her feet once again. "I'm in deep trouble. I lied to you. I'm grounded for, like, ever. It doesn't matter. I didn't even get in anyway."
Without waiting for her mother's response, she pushed past them and began trudging slowly back to the cabin. Yuna followed quickly, placing a guiding hand on her shoulder, though not for comfort Lumina knew, rather control.
Calli watched her cousin walk away feebly, her usual spunk dissipated like a cloud of pyreflies. She heard Lulu sigh heavily next to her and looked up at the Black Mage to see disappointment etched on her face.
"She is so much like her father," Lulu murmured almost to herself. Calli blinked, shoulders drooping as she looked back at Lumina disappearing into the woods that led out of the beach. She felt the weight of her cousin's distress covering her own heart as she did.
Lumina stood sat obediently on her bed, legs crossed and eyes lowered as her mother berated her.
"Lumina, I can't believe that you would spend all this time lying to me," she began. "You know I don't want you competing Nationally. Isn't it enough that I let you play with the Aurochs during their practices?"
Lumina said nothing, her eyes narrowing as tears pooled at the corners. Yuna waited for a response, but when none was forthcoming, she sighed and knelt beside the bed, cupping Lumina's chin and raising it to look her in the face.
"Lumina…I'm just trying to keep you safe. I don't want you to…to get hurt."
Lumina's crystal, blue eyes flicked upwards to meet her mother's briefly before she jerked her chin away pettily. Yuna closed her own eyes, speaking slowly, her voice heavy, "You won't be able to play with the Aurochs anymore. You understand that, right?"
"Yeah," Lumina said tersely. Eva had made sure of that.
Yuna studied her daughter for a few moments more, finally standing and turning towards the door. Before she left she stopped in the doorway and added what Lumina knew had been coming all along, "You will stay here in the cabin until I say otherwise."
With that she left and Lumina collapsed onto her bed, screwing up her face in an attempt to fight that tears that were forthcoming. She looked up at the poster of her father through a veil of water. His bright, encouraging smile stared down at her mockingly. In fact, suddenly all of the poster of her heroes seemed to now gaze at her contemptuously.
"I'm sorry," she squeaked feebly as the tears finally fell. "I'm so sorry. I failed."
She lay curled in a ball on her bed until night had fallen and even then she lay still until even the crickets outside had ceased their chirping. A small tapping noise coming from her window finally made her raise her head curiously. She got onto her knees and peered out the window frame, coming face to face with the swirling, green eyes of her cousin.
"Calli?" she hissed, keeping her voice down so as not to wake her mother. "I thought you went home? What are you doing here?"
"I'm breaking you out! C'mon!" With that she dropped down from whatever had propped up her four-foot-nine frame against the window and disappeared into the darkness.
"Calli!" she called again, glancing nervously at the doorway before slowly raising the windowpane and squirming her way through the tiny entrance. The drop wasn't far, but it was enough to knock the wind out of her as she hit the ground. Rising to her feet and dusting herself off and peered anxiously into the darkness, searching for the bright, golden hair of her cousin. She spotted the tiny, Al Bhed dashing through the collection of dark cabins, heading towards the beach. Lumina followed as quickly as her sore legs would allow. By the time she caught up with Calli, her they were burning painfully; but she forgot the ache as soon as she realized that her cousin had brought her to Gull Hill. Calli had no way of knowing what the significance of this place was to Lumina, but that did not matter; the impact was the same. She felt her heart begin to ache as she imagined her father here with them, his disappointment in her failure twisting his usually enthusiastic features.
"Why did you bring me here?" Lumina murmured, plopping down to dangle her feet off the edge of the cliff. Calli joined her, leaning against the older girl's shoulder comfortingly.
"Eva was wrong you know." she said quietly, watching Lumina as she picked quietly at the grass that blanketed the hill. "I was watching too. You blew those old guys out of the water! You're a good player."
Lumina shrugged, "Apparently not good enough."
"C'mon Lumina!" Calli argued, shoving her shoulder into Lumina's gently. "You know better than that! Don't let whatever that strange lady said about you make you lose faith in yourself! She's creepy and I don't trust her anyway."
Lumina couldn't help but smile as Calli stuck out her small pink tongue in response.
"Ok," she began slowly. "Let's say she was lying about my numbers for some reason. It doesn't matter anyway. Vidina doesn't want me either and half the team is angry that I called them meatheads."
"Well, can you blame them?" Calli half-smiled, looking up at the stars. "It'd be cool if you could start your own team ya know? Create Lumina city and raise up a team of mini Lumina's! You'd be unstoppable."
Calli's statement was an obvious jest, nonetheless, it sparked an idea in Lumina's brain and slowly her wheels began to turn.
"Maybe I don't need a Lumina city…" she began. "Calli, can your airship fit two people?"
"Maybe," Calli responded, tapping her chin in thought. "If we squish together really close. Why?"
Lumina stood up, raising her fist enthusiastically and shouting, "Because we are going to start our own team!"
Calli looked dumfounded, blinking in confusion as the excitement built in her cousins voice.
"Calli! It's time to take destiny into our own hands! Get the airship ready, we're going to Zanarkand!"
(Optional End Theme: Gurren Lagann Theme: watch?v=C_t47BVtPuE)
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