As they stepped off of the boat, Tidus looked around at the small island town. He had arrived under more favorable circumstances than before. The first time, Sin had just attacked the village, and it was in shambles. The survivors had been dejected, and wept over their lost loved ones.
Things were different in Kilika this time. It was peaceful, calm, and the citizens were in high spirits. A number of them had come to greet the team. "Welcome to Kilika! I hope you enjoy your stay here!" a man, who had apparently been appointed the spokesperson, greeted.
As the Besaid Aurochs spoke to the villagers cheerfully, Tidus admired the beautiful view. The sunset had filled the sky with a mix of scarlet, yellow, and orange, and the magnificent colors reflected upon the top of the water. As they crowd dispersed, the blitzball team turned to face the two of them. "You gonna come to the temple with us?" Letty invited.
Gatta shot a questioning glance at the guardian. "Do you think we should?"
Tidus shrugged. "Sure, why not? We can't go anywhere until the boat's ready for Luca anyway," he stated.
"You're right. Let's go."
They began to head toward the woods that led to Kilika Temple. They walked until Tidus passed a familiar place. He stopped, looking out at the sea. This was the place where he had first seen Yuna perform the sending. He had found it strange to watch her dance in the face of death and despair.
The pyreflies had lifted from the corpses and littered the sky about the summoner. She had danced on the water while he watched from the wooden planks, mesmerized, and the residents cried. He had thought it was horrifying to witness, as she had to do something usually reserved for a joyous occasion during a tragic time.
Tidus shuddered at the thought of it now. The others turned around and went back to him when they realized he was no longer with them. "Hey, what's the hold up? Somethin' wrong?" Datto asked.
"Huh?" he said, confused, his train of thought broken. "Oh, yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about it."
"Well, let's get going then, ya?" Letty said.
Then they continued on their way to the temple. As they journeyed through the forest, Tidus and Gatta defeated any fiends they encountered. After the group exited the woods, they came to the stairway leading up to the temple.
The Aurochs stretched and looked at the former blitzball star with wide grins. "Oh, you wanna race, huh? Okay, but you won't get off easy like last time," he accepted.
Then he began to stretch to get warmed up as well. "Ready when you are."
"Keepa, if you will…" Botta said with a mock bow.
"Why me?" the goalie protested.
"Because we all know you won't win!" Letty joked, laughing. The others joined him as well while Keepa hung his head. "Hey, you know I'm just kidding, ya?"
"I'll do it," Gatta volunteered. He stood at the base of the steps, and the participants lined up for the race. He raised his arm up into the air. "Get ready…Get set…Go!" Then the Crusader brought his arm down and the others dashed up the stairs.
Tidus jumped two steps at a time, but Jassu matched his strides. Letty, Botta, Datto, and Keepa followed, respectively. The two continued neck and neck most of the way up. As they approached the top, the guardian dove forward across the final four steps and won the race.
Then he hopped up with his arms raised triumphantly as the others reached the finish. "Yeah!"
"Good race, ya? Congratulations," Jassu said with sportsmanship.
"Thanks, but you did good, too. You almost won."
"Come on. Let's head inside," Datto said, breathing heavily.
"Tired already?" Botta said.
"Oh shut up."
Then the seven of them entered the Temple of Kilika. Inside, the Besaid Aurochs gathered around the large statue of Lord Ohalland and began praying. Gatta joined them, but Tidus opted to hang back. Gazing around the temple where they had acquired the aeon Ifrit, he spotted a figure he recognized.
The guardian of the summoner Dona, Barthello, stood on the other side of the room, with his back to them. However, the scantily clad woman was not present with the muscular man. Tidus remembered that this was where he had first met him, when the musclehead had forced him into the Cloister of Trials.
He wasn't sure why, but he decided to go speak with him. He tapped him on the shoulder, and Barthello slowly turned around. He squinted as he stared at him, as usual. "Oh, it's you. Where have you been these past two years? No one has heard anything about you," he said in his low tone.
"Oh, you know…Around," he answered ambiguously.
"What about Sir Auron? Do you know anything about him? I'd like to meet him again," Barthello commented.
Tidus hesitated briefly. "…Can't say that I've seen him. By the way, where's Dona? Did you ever find her?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, but…She was very angry. Called me an idiot and a lousy guardian for not being able to protect her. Then she left," he explained.
"That's rough, big guy. So why are you here anyway?"
"No reason. I just wander Spira now. Nowhere to go, nowhere to stay."
Then Tidus started thinking. (This guy could be really helpful. I mean, he's not that bright, but he's powerful. I wonder if he'd go along with us?)
The only way to find out was to ask, so he did. "Hey Barthello, we're on our way to Zanarkand. You wanna come?" he inquired.
"You want me…to come…with you? I'd be honored to go with the guardian who helped defeat Sin for good," he accepted.
"All right!" Tidus exclaimed.
Barthello wouldn't be much of a problem, he figured. He was generally a man of few words, and very businesslike. They wouldn't have to worry about his loyalty. He'd do whatever the one whom he followed ordered, whether it was right or wrong. He had no regard for that. He just supported the cause of whomever he was with.
Gatta had finished praying and approached them. "Who's this? A friend of yours?"
"This is Barthello. He's gonna come with us to Zanarkand."
The Crusader examined the muscular man. "If you want him to come along, it's fine by me. It's your decision."
As the Besaid Aurochs rose to their feet and prepared to leave, their rivals, the Luca Goers, entered. They still possessed that arrogant air about them that Tidus remembered and despised.
"Ah, come to pray that you'll be good enough to beat us this year, boys? It's hopeless because you know you never will," Bickson, their star player, taunted egocentrically.
The Aurochs growled angrily. "What? Nothing to say?" Abus added.
"Hey, that's enough!" Tidus interjected.
"Look, it's the self-proclaimed star player of that supposed team from Zanarkand," Graav mocked. "What was your name again?"
"Tidus."
They appeared to be surprised for a moment, but then resumed insulting the blitzball team. "Weren't you gonna say anything to us? Or can't ya talk? Is it too hard to admit that you're still way outclassed?" Bickson continued.
Then Barthello stepped in front of them and glared down at them, expressionless and remaining still. The Goers took a step backward, obviously intimidated. "Uhh…We better be going. The, uhh…boat's about to leave soon," Graav said nervously and they made a hasty retreat.
"I just don't know if we'll be able to stay on the same boat with those guys again," Letty said frustratingly.
"I got a feeling we won't make it all the way to Luca without some fighting, ya?" Jassu said.
"They need to be taught a lesson," Datto stated.
"And we'll teach it to them in the tournament. We're takin' the cup for sure this year. Count me in, guys," Tidus said.
Then the Aurochs began to cheer noisily. When they settled down, they headed back to the village to catch the S.S. Winno.
"So you think we'll have time?" Gatta inquired along the way.
"We'll make time. I can't stand them. I have to beat them!" Tidus resolved.
Barthello followed at the rear wordlessly.
When they returned to Kilika, they scampered onto the boat. It was nearly time for departure as night began to fall. They spread out along the S.S. Winno, each spending some time by themselves. Many of the Aurochs had already decided to head down into the cabin to rest.
As the ship set sail, Tidus looked overboard down at the water, and his reflection upon its clear blue surface. His blue eyes seemed pensive and gloomy. He was well aware that once they reached Luca, he would only have five days to make it to Zanarkand. He wondered if they'd be able to make it before Yuna made the commitment of a lifetime. Then he frowned, raised his head back up, and turned away.
Author's Notes: So what'd you guys think? Let me know in a review, along with some constructive criticism. It'll help me improve as a writer, and I need all the help I can get.