AN: See? I don't take forever to write when I actually give myself time. Haha. Anyways, chapter six is here! Hooray! In this chapter, I found myself unsure of how to convey the narration. In previous chapters, it didn't seem so awkward because I had it at either the beginning or end of a chapter, but this time it was smack in the middle. I figured I'd just seperate the paragraph and it wouldn't seem so weird, but while that works in the OpenOffice Writer program, it doesn't work so well here. I don't know... I'll let you guys decide whether I should be approaching it a different way. Honestly, this is the only way I can think of making it work. I don't want to take it out of the story, but if I can't get it right I may have to.

I also put a little original dialogue in one of the scenes (which I hope doesn't take away from the actual story) so that I can explain how Tidus learns the Al Bhed language. I've decided that, instead of picking up primers and learning different parts of the cipher the long and awkward-to-write way, I'll just have Tidus carry around a translation book and study it at night or something. I can have Tidus trying to translate in his thoughts as he comes across the Al Bhed, perhaps even have him try to decipher the hidden messages around the place... I think this is a good way to incorporate the learning of Al Bhed into the narrative.

If you have any ideas about the overhead narration or how to incorporate learning Al Bhed into the story, don't hesitate to leave me some feedback comments. I usually only have myself to discuss ideas with, but I'd appreciate and value any opinions you have. Even if you just wanna leave some hate, I'd like it. :)

I'd like to thank my buddy Melt from EvThreads for talking me through my ideas about Al Bhed and the game in general. It was nice to be able to get some feedback on my direction and the choices I've made for future chapters. I'd also like to thank Zi3bi the follow. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. :)

Once again, if you're reading this you are a champion, honest and true. Thank you so much for being my audience forand giving me confidence to keep writing and sharing this with you. You have no idea how much it means to me. Now, quit reading the author's note and read the chapter already! If the world ends right now and you were too busy reading this note to read the actual chapter, how silly would you feel? :P

6

The solid throb of pain in Tidus' shoulder and the adrenaline pumping through him was all that remained of the battle. He watched as his companion straightened her gloves, glancing about the room. After a moment, her face lit up and she pointed towards a gaping hole in the chain link fence of a wall. Obviously the monster had forced its way in. With a big wave of her arm, the girl motioned for him to follow her as she swam over to the new opening. Obediently, Tidus rushed to her side and tailed her out of the structure and into the open water.

Though it was still night time, the water seemed a little lighter out here than it had before. Whatever he and his companion had done inside the structure, it had turned on the lights. Spotlights lined the outside of the flooded building, the beams of light piercing through the dark water. Still wary after the encounter inside, Tidus kept his eyes peeled as he swam. More than once, he'd grabbed for the hilt of his sword as something moved in the corner of his eye, only to realise that there were more divers out here than before.

Perhaps that had been their objective, to turn on the lights so that everyone else could see what they were doing. If that's the case, why don't they just do their treasure hunting during the day? Tidus shook his head and swam faster to catch up with the girl. They were swimming slowly up to the surface, which Tidus was happy about. He was starting to feel the familiar ache in his lungs that alerted him he'd been holding his breath too long.

As they swam, a few of the divers gave the girl a thumbs up in passing. Tidus assumed they were thanking her for the lights and felt a little overlooked. He'd done just as much work as she had. One man in a blue and yellow swimsuit pointed down to the ocean floor, grinning from ear to ear. Curious, Tidus gazed down through the water below him.

Wedged in a chasm in the ocean floor, covered in sand and rocks, there was something. It was barely visible despite the extra light, but there was definitely something. Something large, long, oddly shaped and made of metal. Tidus squinted, though his eyes were beginning to blur from the water. He could make out a large circular something-or-other attached to one end of it. There was something familiar about the shape of the whatever-it-was, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. After a moment, he gave up trying to recognise it. After all, that was obviously whatever these people were trying to salvage. He'd check to see if the girl could really understand him when they got back to the ship, and providing she could he'd ask her about their job.

Adding to the ache in his lungs, a whining pain woke up in Tidus' stomach to remind him of his hunger. Tidus thought of the ship, of how grateful his captors would be for his help, and imagined them serving him something hot and delicious to eat. With this image in mind, he kicked his legs a little harder and swam a little faster, eventually catching up to and passing his companion as he raced for the surface.

With a splash, Tidus emerged from the water and took a big gulp of air. Once his breathing began to even out, he gave himself a moment to relax. The sky was dark, darker perhaps than he'd ever seen it, but there were at least a dozen stars studded in the blackness. Stars were interesting, he decided, but he'd sooner go home to the light of Zanarkand than have more guns pointed at him under the twinkling sky.

The hulk of dark grey steel that was the ship was a little way off, so Tidus began to swim lazily over to it. Somewhere behind him, he heard another swimmer surface. It was probably the girl, but he didn't stop to look. The pains in his stomach were growing fiercer by the moment. Finally, he reached the side of the ship, and he quickly found the ladder to climb up to the deck. As he pulled himself out of the water, he felt the night air upon him like a sheet of ice. He shivered so violently that he nearly lost grip on the rungs of the ladder, but he quickly regained his composure and began to climb. He hadn't realised how much he'd adjusted to the water, nor how tall the ship actually was, and it was a long, cold climb to the deck. Eventually, his head peeked over the side and he was there.

"Fa vuiht dra airship!" said a voice from the deck as Tidus clambered up over the railing.

"Dra naluntc fana nekrd," came another voice, this one deeper. Tidus looked up to see four men standing in the centre of the deck.

"Huf, ruf du tnyk ed ib?" said a third man as the group began to walk towards the door to the ship's interior. Quickly, Tidus leapt over the railing and shook himself off. He imagined the inside of the ship, dark but warm, and rushed to follow the men.

They opened the door and began filing inside one by one. Tidus took up the rear, thinking of the warm heater, blankets and food that would be available to him inside. Just as he was about to step over the threshold, the man in front of him spun around and shoved him in the shoulder.

"Oui, uidceta!" the man barked at him, clutching his gun as he glared at Tidus. Tidus took a few steps back, confused, but quickly realised that he was being refused entry. The man gestured he move farther backwards with a shake of his gun before going inside.

"Hey, I helped out, didn't I?" Tidus said, stamping his foot to punctuate his sentence. The only reply was the sound of the door closing in his face. Tidus scoffed and looked around the deck. Perhaps he should just sit out here and wait for that girl to get back. She'd be able to tell them how he'd helped up, and then he'd be free to warm up below deck.

Resigned, Tidus walked over to the shipping container and sat down, leaning his back against the cold iron. He was still freezing from the water, so he brought his knees up to his chest, hoping to keep in whatever body heat he had. His blitzball uniform was drenched and he thought back to a proposal for next season's uniforms to be made of different material. They would be water-resistant so that blitz players wouldn't bring half of the pool into the change rooms with them. Tidus looked down at his uniform, kind of wishing that he already had the new material. The Zanarkand Abes wore black leather overalls over a yellow and white open hooded vest, complimented with black gloves, yellow boots and the Abes logo emblazoned in red on one knee. He thought back to those early days when he'd been training himself, getting ready to try out for the team, and the mess of water he'd left everywhere he went. At least then he'd been able to jump into a hot shower and towel himself off afterwards.

Tidus' teeth were barely chattering, so when a wave of drowsiness came up, he let it wash right over him. As he nodded off, he heard someone else climbing up the ladder from the water, though he was asleep before he could see who it was.

When he woke next, he was mostly dry, though it felt like only half an hour had passed. He sprawled out on the deck, looking up at the sky once more. It was cloudy now, and there wasn't a star in sight, but still he thought of them. They seemed so distant, so cold, he couldn't understand why some people in Zanarkand missed them. They didn't seem like anything special at all, really.

A loud grumbling sound met Tidus' ears, and for a moment he wondered if someone was coming out onto the deck. It didn't take long for the pang of pain in his stomach to alert him that it was just his body complaining again. The deck was uncomfortable to lie on, so Tidus tried to lie on his side instead, propping his head up with his arm, his stomach growling loudly as he did so.

"Uhh... hungry," he groaned as he tapped his foot on the deck. He thought of his fridge at home. It was packed with food all the time. If only he were there, he could be feasting right now. Provided his houseboat was still around, of course. Still a little drowsy, Tidus covered up the noise from his stomach with a loud yawn. It was cut short by a quick but light kick to his forearm.

Tidus yelped in surprise. No longer supported, his head flopped down and he rolled further onto his front. He was looking directly at a familiar pair of red and black diving boots. Quickly, he pushed himself up to see his swimming companion looking down at him with a large metal tray.

She chuckled, her voice like bells as she smiled down at him. After a moment, she lowered the tray, placing it on the ground right in front of him. Tidus inhaled sharply, his eyes widening as he looked down at the steaming food. The tray was sectioned, with one large section filled with some sort of mince meat mixed with peas, carrot and a white vegetable he'd forgotten the name of. There was also a large lump of butter and a few slices of bread on the side of the tray. For a moment, Tidus just stared at the food, unsure of whether it was even real. At this point, he was so hungry that he might be hallucinating the whole thing.

Should I thank her? he wondered. Would she even understand me? With one forceful grumble, his stomach urged him to get on with it. Suddenly, it was ludicrous that he wasn't eating the food already. What better way to say thank you than to eat up?

Tidus pushed himself up and quickly crossed his legs to sit upright. "Whoa! Right on!" he said cheerfully as he breathed in the scent of the meat. It was a little spicy, but smelled quite tasty. He looked up at the girl and gave her a wide smile, then, without hesitation, Tidus grabbed the tray. There was a clatter as cutlery fell to the ground, but it didn't slow him down. With one gloved hand, Tidus grabbed a handful of the mince and shoved it into his mouth. It was a little hot for his tongue, so he chewed quickly with his mouth open to let out the heat before swallowing. He chased it with another hasty handful, then another, barely chewing as he gorged himself. It felt almost as if he'd never eaten before, as if every meal he'd ever had was a dream and he was tasting food for the very first time.

He was barely aware of the girl watching him. With one hand on her hip and an amused smirk, she observed as he stuffed the meat into his mouth. He didn't care. Though the food barely touched his tongue long enough, this was probably the best thing he'd ever tasted. And then, almost as if to spite him, he shoved a particularly warm piece of meat in his mouth and swallowed without chewing at all. The chunk of mince burned his throat all the way down and suddenly Tidus' insides were on fire. He sat the tray back down on the ground and grunted as he tried to cool his throat by swallowing saliva. It didn't work, and he pushed on his chest, trying to relieve the burning inside his throat.

He panted for a second, hoping the air would cool his throat, when he breathed back a bit of meat from his half-full mouth. Luckily, he swallowed in time for it to miss his air pipe, but it didn't go down his throat. Instead, it stuck, and then he was choking. Tidus cried out, his voice gargling and strained as he began to rock from side to side, trying as hard as he could to swallow.

"Hey," the girl said, getting his attention. He looked up to see her offering him a canteen of some sort. With a strangled cry, he snatched it from her hand and yanked off the lid. Before he knew it, the opening was pressed against his lips and the sweet, cool water was pouring into his mouth. He gulped it down with gusto as it washed away the food and cooled down his scorched throat. With each swallow, the water soothed him more.

After drinking more than half of the canteen, Tidus stopped to breathe. He sighed loudly as he leaned forward on his knees, holding the canteen delicately as he silently thanked it.

"It's 'cause you eat too fast!" the girl explained, crouching down to his eye level.

Well, duh, he thought, though he grunted in agreement. Still gazing at the canteen, he wondered how close he'd been to dying just then. It would be terrible if, after everything he'd been through, he died from choking on a chunk of carrot stuck in his throat. He vowed to be more careful next time.

Tidus glanced at the tray of food and decided that perhaps he should save some for later, just in case they decided not to feed him again. Instead, he clambered to his feet, deliberately vocalising the struggle before realising how ridiculous he sounded and laughing to himself. Patting his stomach awkwardly, he took a few steps away from the girl before stretching his arms behind his back and groaning loudly.

"Hey!" said the girl again, a note of displeasure in her voice.

Tidus wondered if she was still waiting for a thank you, then remembered that she might not understand him. Quickly, he spun around to face her. With his most gentle smile, Tidus looked into her eyes. "Hello there. What is your name?" he asked politely.

The girl cocked her head to the side and put her hands on her hips. For a moment, Tidus didn't think she'd reply. She probably doesn't understand, he thought, she just knows a few sentences to boss around captives.

"Rikku," she replied after a moment. Her words sent a rush of excitement through Tidus' chest and he gleefully grabbed her by the hands.

"Whoa! You really do understand!" he cried, jumping a little as he swung her hands about. She quickly freed them from his grasp, but it couldn't stop his relief. He started laughing, stumbling around the deck as he did so, clapping his hands and shrugging as if it were the most wonderful thing ever.

"Why didn't you say so before?" he asked, turning back to her.

"I didn't get a chance to!" she responded. "Everyone thought oui were a fiend." There was a moment of silence as Rikku quickly drew her finger across her neck as though they'd been planning on killing him. Tidus already knew they weren't concerned with his life, however. He'd seen the guns. What he was hung up on was her word choice.

"Uh... 'we'?"

"Oh, 'oui' means 'you.'" Rikku shrugged and began to walk over to the railing, leaving Tidus still confused.

"Who are you guys, anyway?" he asked, turning as she passed him.

Rikku leaned on the railing and looked out over the dark ocean. "We're Al Bhed," she said as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Can't you tell?" She paused, turned around and leaned on the rail again. "Wait. You're not an Al Bhed-hater, are you?" she asked him, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"I don't even know what an Al Bhed is," he confessed, taking a couple of awkward steps.

"Where are you from?" Rikku asked.

"Zanarkand," he replied, glancing over at her. He noticed the curve of her hip in that tight wetsuit and couldn't help but switch his charm on a little. "I'm a blitzball player," he continued, holding an imaginary blitzball and dropping it onto his foot for an imaginary kick. "Star player of the Zanarkand Abes!"

Rikku gave him an odd look. "Did you hit your head or something?" she asked as she moved closer, abandoning the rail.

"Um, you guys hit me," Tidus reminded her.

There was a flash of guilt in her green eyes and she went back to the railing. "Oh, right... Do you remember anything before that?" Rikku turned her head, looking at him expectantly.

What does she mean? he wondered. He cautiously walked over and joined her at the railing. There was an uneasy feeling in his gut, but he attributed that to the fact he was still running on a mostly empty stomach. Had something happened in Zanarkand while he was out cold? Maybe she knew something that he didn't. Maybe she didn't know anything at all.

So I told her everything there was to tell about Zanarkand... About life there, blitzball, and Sin's attack... and about how Auron and I were engulfed in this light. I just said things as they came to mind. But then I started to wonder.

"Did I say something funny?" Tidus asked after an awkward moment of silence.

Rikku took a second to answer. "You were near Sin," she said.

Tidus grunted affirmative and looked back out over the water. Obviously she did know about the attack, then.

"Don't worry," she said as she turned to him, "you'll be better in no time. They say your head gets funny when Sin is near. Maybe you just had some kind of dream?"

Tidus frowned. A dream? What does she think I dreamt? "You mean I'm sick?"

"Because of Sin's toxin, yeah."

"You sure?" he asked, still confused.

Rikku nodded. "Yeah, there is no Zanarkand anymore. Sin destroyed it a thousand years ago. So... no one plays blitzball there." She casually pushed herself away from the railing and began to walk off.

A thousand years ago? Tidus heard what she said, but he couldn't comprehend it. "What do you mean, a thousand years ago? But I saw Sin attack Zanarkand! You're saying that happened a thousand years ago? No way!"

He watched her face closely as her bright green eyes fell to her feet. She didn't respond to him which made the knot in his stomach tighten. He'd watched Sin blow up buildings and poison the city with monsters. He'd watched Sin destroy Zanarkand with his own two eyes. She couldn't be telling the truth, it wasn't possible. There was no way he'd been knocked out for a millennium. But then again... Tidus thought back to the white light that had swallowed Auron and himself. He remembered swimming through the air, staring at a younger version of himself, and that sounded impossible as well. Perhaps she was right. Maybe it had been a thousand years. Did that mean that Sin had brought him through time? How was he supposed to know?

Tidus moved back to the railing and looked out over the water. Before, he thought he'd just washed up somewhere, like the survivor of a shipwreck. He'd thought that somewhere beyond that horizon, his beloved hometown was still alive and bustling. Perhaps they were rebuilding the cityscape, perhaps it was an abandoned pile of rubble, but it had been there. If Rikku was right and it really was a thousand years in the future, there was no home for him to return to.

Sometime in his musing, Rikku had returned to his side. She didn't say anything for a while, but her voice eventually pulled Tidus from his reverie.

"Here, I have something for you." She handed him a thick book with a dirty cover. Tidus could make out the word 'dictionary' despite the darkness. "It's so you can understand what the crew is saying," she explained. "After all, you're going to be with us for a little while. I can't translate for you all the time."

Tidus managed a half-smile and looked back out over the ocean. The silence returned for a moment, but Rikku was determined to drive it away.

"You said... you play blitzball?"

He nodded in response, using his thumbnail to flick the pages of the closed book.

"You know," she continued, "you should go to Luca. Someone might know who you are, or you might find someone you recognise."

"Luca?" Tidus repeated, wondering if he should cross-reference in the dictionary to see what she meant.

Rikku smiled and shook her head, groaning as she realised he didn't understand. Tidus scoffed at himself and returned his eyes to the ocean, embarrassed. Should he know what that was? Maybe he was sick. Rikku was determined, though. She left the railing and began to pace the deck, fiddling with her hands as she tried to think. After a moment, she stopped, then raced back to his side. She gave him a soft tap on the shoulder and grinned.

"Okay, leave it to me! I'll get you to Luca, promise!" She looked so enthusiastic, but it didn't comfort him this time. He watched as her eyes surveyed his face.

After a moment, she realised he wasn't buying it. She scoffed. "You'd rather stay here?" she asked incredulously. Tidus thought of the guns and the blows he'd taken from the crew and shook his head violently. Rikku smirked.

"Okay. I'll go tell the others. Wait here." With that, she walked off in the direction of the door. After a few steps, she stopped and looked back. "Oh, and one thing. Don't tell anyone you're from Zanarkand, okay? Yevon says it's a holy place. You might upset someone."

"Oh," Tidus stared blankly at her. She took that as understanding and made a beeline for the door once again. Unsure of what to do next, Tidus leaned against the rail. The air was still, but the soft whisper of the ocean was still there. It was the only comforting thing about this place, he decided. Everything else was alien, but the ocean was the same.

There was a nervous quake in Tidus' body. The longer he looked out over the ocean, the stronger it became. He tried to stretch but he couldn't release the energy in his muscles. He wandered around the deck before leaning against the shipping container, still alone with his thoughts.

My Zanarkand, some kind of holy place? Yeah right, I thought. Since when? Yevon? Sin? Luca? I thought Sin had just taken me to some faraway place, that I could go back in a day or two. But a thousand years into the future?

Tidus stood straight, the energy inside him bubbling. It couldn't be possible, it simply couldn't. There was no way that he could have travelled through time. This must be some sort of ruse. Rikku and the crew had to be lying to him, planning to keep him here instead of taking him home. He clenched his fists, pacing forward.

"No way!" he shouted at no one in particular before turning back to kick the shipping container.

Suddenly, a loud rumble erupted from somewhere below deck. The ship began to rock violently as one side rose up out of the water. Bewildered, Tidus lost his balance and fell backwards, tumbling across the deck until the ship was level again. For a moment, it was as if nothing had happened. The ship was quiet, the sea was quiet, and Tidus began to wonder if he'd imagined it.

A little way from the ship, the ocean seemed to explode. As if a bomb had gone off under the surface, a ship-sized portion of the ocean splashed up to meet the stars. The ship began to shudder again, rocking with the change in the water. Tidus tried to hold himself as close to the deck as he could, and watched as three of the Al Bhed men raced out of the ship's hold only to be thrown across the deck as he had.

Tidus glanced back over to the water and gasped. The water was still exploding, like an enormous geyser on the ocean floor had decided to erupt. The only difference was that it was speeding toward the ship.

One of the men found his feet and moved to the railing. Clutching his gun to his chest, he screamed. "Sin!"

Tidus and the other men raced to join him. "Sin ec lusa!" cried the man in the gas mask. The geyser continued to approach the ship.

"Ihtan ic! Ihtan ic!" shouted the last of them.

For a moment the water seemed to dissipate, but it came back with twice the anger. The geyser began to circle the ship, almost as if it had cornered its prey. Despite the sickening grip fear had on his insides, Tidus was determined to stand his ground. He braced himself as the geyser moved just under the bow of the ship. Water rushed over the deck, forcefully knocking Tidus off of his feet. He tried to stand again, but the water carried him off as the ship began to tip. As he reached the edge, he grabbed for the railing, for the edge of the ship, for the ladder, for anything. Desperately, he tried to cling to the deck, but his hands found nothing. Hopelessly, Tidus fell from the ship and into the raging sea. Above him, the Al Bhed stood at the railing, Rikku amongst them as they watched.

He barely had enough time to take a breathe before he was plunged into the icy water. Even then the oxygen wasn't enough. The water whipped him around, and as he tried to surface and take another breath, the ocean tried to claim him. He swallowed more water than air as he struggled, but there was no stopping it. His eyes began to dim as his lungs screamed for oxygen, and before he could stop it, he was sinking.

The last thing he saw was one of the Al Bhed guns moving slowly down into the depths.