AN: This chapter took a little longer than I thought it would and it ended up a little longer than I thought it would. The place where I thought it would end initially didn't feel like a strong enough chapter ending, and so I wrote a little more until it felt like there would be a natural break. The hardest thing about this chapter was writing the moment that Tidus and Yuna meet properly. I've been trying to write Tidus' character as honestly as I can, even giving him the slightly pervy characteristics that the camera angles suggest he has, but I wanted it to be different with Yuna because I imagine it would have been. The dialogue in that first meeting was kind of awkward and forced, as with their next few conversations, and so I tried to emphasise the grace of her character and make that the reason for his stilted responses.

Okay, I should probably let you guys know that I am nearly literally falling asleep at my laptop right now, so if I'm a bit spacy in this note, that's why. Lol. Anywho...

I'd like to thank The Black Widow1 for the fave, follow and review. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Likewise with everyone who has favourited, followed or left a comment/review on the story so far. I'm so thankful for your support and enthusiasm. Even if you haven't done any of these things and you've been following along anyway, thank you. Without readers, I'm just spamming the internet and senselessly infringing copyrights. :P

If you're reading this right now, then I want to thank you from the bottom of my sleepy heart. You are a boss and deserve to find fifty dollars in the street. Now, I'm going to go and have a shower and go to bed because it's stupid o'clock and I really shouldn't be up this late. I hope you enjoy the chapter. :)

10

The guardians helped the girl back through the Cloister of Trials, leaving Tidus feeling awkward as he brought up the rear. The big blue guy managed to open the chest he'd found with the destruction sphere. Inside was a staff that Wakka said would be useful for the summoner's journey. Back at the beginning, the doors that had closed behind Tidus were now wide open, and the girl took a deep breath before leading her guardians out into the main hall.

All of the villagers in the temple crowded around the base of the staircase as the summoner walked out onto the platform. Her purple linen skirt billowed around her legs as she stopped at the top of the stairs and performed the prayer. Below, the nuns and priests spoke in hushed voices as the girl descended the staircase. Tidus had a feeling they were speaking about him. But this girl was a summoner now. No matter what punishment they had in mind for him, it would have to wait.

Man, was I surprised. And here I was thinking summoners were all old geezers.

Wakka and the other guardians followed the girl, standing behind her as the villagers quietly prayed and congratulated her. Tidus stayed atop the stairs, feeling more like an outsider than he had in a while. After a few quiet words, the priest ushered everyone out of the temple. The summoner and her guardians followed, and Tidus supposed that he should leave as well.

As he passed the priest, the man grunted to get his attention. "Putting your transgression aside for now, let us celebrate the birth of a summoner!" he said, his face still stern though there was excitement in his voice. "Quickly, to the village square! Share in our joy!"

Tidus did as he was told, gladly leaving the temple behind and stepping out into the fresh air. As he walked across the flagstones towards the village, he heard Wakka's voice call out to him.

"Hey, over here!" Wakka stood at the back of a grown of people that had gathered in the centre of the village. When Tidus reached him, Wakka quickly grabbed him around his chest and dragged him further into the crowd.

"What? Ow!" Tidus cried, but Wakka only chuckled as he forced people aside.

"Wait till you see this!" he said excitedly, still holding Tidus.

At this angle, Tidus was forced to stare up at the sky. "I can't see anything!" he grumbled as he struggled out of Wakka's grip. The islander shrugged as he escaped, and Tidus rubbed the side of his head, wearing of Wakka's manhandling already.

Now free, Tidus could see what was going on. The crowd formed a sort of semi-circle around the summoner, giving her plenty of space to stand. She had her back to them, clutching a staff as she stared off into the distance.

"Ready!" Wakka said to her, stepping forward to make sure she heard.

The summoner looked around at the crowd. "Okay," she replied, her voice timid. She turned back and began to take slow steps away from everyone. Tidus wondered what exactly was supposed to happen as he watched her spread her arms, staff in one hand, and hold them above her head. She then brought the staff down and held it against her chest, still facing away from the crowd. Is this some sort of dance, or...?

The girl swept her staff back with her right hand and suddenly there was light everywhere. Wisps of green, purple and white light seemed to float upon the air, spinning around her like magic. Tidus gasped as he watched the light form circles on the ground, and one by one a ball of light was shot up through the air and high above the village. He looked up, watching them ascend, and felt the thrill of the unknown as they collided with one another in the sky.

A metallic sound rang out through the air as the lights exploded overhead, and suddenly something was speeding down towards the ground. Tidus squinted, trying to make out what it was, but there was no mistaking it. A monster was falling from the heavens, likely to land right on top of them. He wanted to run, but no one around him moved. They all gasped and murmured to each other, but they stayed perfectly still as the monster plummeted.

As it drew closer, the creature opened its large wings and soared over their heads. With a heavy beat of its wings, it stopped itself from crashing into the crowd, instead gliding over their heads and hovering above the ground in front of the summoner. She faced it, her arms outstretched almost as if they were her own wings. The beast growled at her, tail flicking through the air like that of an annoyed cat, but she stood calmly before it.

Tidus could barely believe his eyes. He stared at the creature, noting its fierce beaked face, the crimson feathers around its head and neck, and the broad wings edged with spines and wondered how the girl could be so brave. He was still fighting the urge to run for his life.

The monster seemed to respect how serene she was and it slowly lowered itself to the ground before her. The earth shook as it landed, and it arched its long neck towards the summoner. She took small steps towards it, reaching out with one hand to stroke the side of its face. The villagers were silent as they watched. Tidus held his breath. The beast leaned into her hand, letting her gently scratch its cheek, and the crowd let out a heavy sigh of relief.

The more the summoner pet the creature, the more relaxed the villagers seemed to be. Tidus was confused, but he soon let himself relax as well. After a few moments, the summoner turned back tot he crowd, beaming as they began to quietly cheer for her. Tidus looked around and saw that some of them had been praying throughout the whole ordeal.

Wakka, who had been quietly watching at Tidus' side, sprang forward as the summoner started to walk towards him. He joined the woman guardian as they fawned over the girl, hugging her and praising her for her bravery. Tidus realised then that this wasn't just a monster. The girl had summoned the beast. She'd swung her staff and called it to meet her. He gazed at her in awe.

Behind her, the beast seemed calm, standing on clawed feet as it watched the summoner and her guardians. Tidus wondered where it had come from, what it thought about being called down here, and remembered what the priest had said earlier that day. Summoners are people who call forth entities of great power: the aeons. Blessings of Yevon, he'd called them. Tidus chanced another look at the aeon, still a little nervous. Perhaps there was something to this religion of theirs after all.

I had never seen anything like it in my life. Sure, it was a little scary, but still... I could feel a strange kind of gentleness from it.

After some time, the aeon decided to leave. It flexed its wings and with one strong motion, it pushed itself up off of the ground and into the air. Slowly, it gained altitude before flying back off into the heavens. Tidus watched as it soared through the sky, disappearing into the clouds.

I remember... That night, we talked for the first time. I didn't know it then, but after that night, everything changed. For everyone... for me...

The village hummed with life that evening. As the sun went down, people built a large bonfire in the village square. Everyone crowded around it, parents and children, even the people who worked in the temple had come to join in the revelry. Wakka kept close by Tidus in the beginning, and as the blitzball players returned from the beach, he was quick to gather them and share the good news.

"Let me introduce you to the team," Wakka said to Tidus as the sun went down. He brought the young blitzer before the Aurochs, grinning like a kid with a new toy.

"This guy here wants into the tournament so bad, I let him on the team." He gave Tidus a push forward before resting his arm around his shoulders. The Aurochs, all still wearing their sunny yellow uniforms, seemed pleased with the news. And let's face it, Tidus thought to himself, who wouldn't be after that demonstration I gave them on the beach.

"His memory's a little fuzzy," Wakka reminded them, "so don't mind him if he says anything odd!" With that, he turned to Tidus again. "Come on, say hi," he urged, giving Tidus another shove towards the team.

Tidus scratched his head as he tried to think of something to say. The Aurochs looked happy but expectant, and his thoughts weren't as coherent as he'd have liked. "Uh... Hi, guys," he said meekly.

The Aurochs nodded their heads in greeting, grunting hellos. Tidus remembered his conversation with Wakka as they'd overlooked the village, and suddenly he knew exactly what to say.

"So, what's our goal?" he asked the team.

The blitzers all leaned forward, clenching their fists as they shouted: "To do our best!" Tidus scoffed. He wondered just how he was going to shape these guys into a team in time for the tournament. They all seemed to get along alright, but they didn't seem to have the competitive nature that Tidus was used to.

"Nope, we got a new goal now!" Wakka told them. "Our new goal.. is victory!" He thrust his fist in the air and grinned at his team mates. "To win every match, defeat every opposing team! To bring the Crystal Cup back to our island! That's all we need to do to win! Easy, ya?" Tidus could tell that Wakka enjoyed saying those words.

Slowly, the Aurochs seemed to get it. They murmured the word amongst themselves, but eventually their voices rose in volume and they began to chant in unison. Soon, their enthusiasm was abound in their voices as they cried out into the night. "Victory! Victory! Victory! Victory!"

Wakka laughed as they cheered. "We sure got the boys worked up, huh?"

The team stayed to chat amongst themselves as Wakka ducked back over to the summoner. Tidus watched as he returned to his seat by her side. The girl had cleaned herself up a little since the temple, though she looked just as lovely when she was covered in sweat as she did now. Her pale skin glowed in the light of the fire. The white cotton wrap of her bodice was clean and pressed, and he noticed just how it accentuated the fullness of her figure. Strangely, it was her eyes that really caught his attention. There was something interesting about her eyes, and he gazed at her from across the square.

To Tidus' surprise, the girl looked up from her conversation and directly at him. She smiled as she watched him, and after a moment turned back to her guardians. Tidus felt his stomach twist at the thought of her eyes on him, but perhaps she had only looked because Wakka was talking about the Aurochs' new goal. Perhaps she wasn't looking at Tidus at all, but the men who were excitedly talking about what it would be like to actually win a game.

One of the villagers had brought out an acoustic guitar and was jamming while everyone had fun. All of this was in celebration of the summoner acquiring her first aeon. Tidus spent most of the evening eating with the Aurochs, filling up on barbecued meat and bread as the guys filled in his 'patchy memory' and told him about Spira. One of the questions that Tidus had been burning to ask was about the vaporous lights that came from the monsters he'd defeated. Keepa, an unusually round man for a blitzball player, explained that these were called pyreflies. He told Tidus that they were like the life force of creatures, and that even human souls became pyreflies. Tidus also wanted to ask about the Al Bhed, but Jassu, the defender with extremely blond hair despite his dark skin and eyes, warned him to stay away from the subject.

The team was very welcoming, even with Tidus' incessant questions. Datto, perhaps the palest member of the team, was eager to let Tidus know that he'd hoped he would join the team all along. Jassu was a voice of reason among the Aurochs, reminding them that they hadn't won the tournament yet, but said he didn't blame them for being excited. According to the Aurochs, Tidus was their lucky break, and it felt good being lucky for a change.

There was something about Besaid after dark, something quite breathtaking. Tidus looked up at the sky and felt minuscule as he counted the thousands of stars. They were the same stars he'd observed on Rikku's ship, yet they felt different here. They didn't feel so unnecessary, didn't make him feel so alienated. The air was thick with the sound of crickets and the odd call from a night bird hunting in the jungle, and the fire was constantly crackling, causing sparks and laughter whenever someone fed it more wood. The village was peaceful, and it made Tidus feel a little more welcome than before.

Wakka spent most of the night with the summoner and her other guardians. The cat guy had disappeared sometime after the sun, which made Tidus feel a little uneasy, but he resolved not to worry about it. As the night progressed, the guardian woman in the dark grey dress also left, which prompted Wakka to leave the summoner with the devout and come back to his team members. Tidus was intrigued by the girl, however. He asked Keepa about her, but the man simply told him to go and find out for himself. Now that Wakka was caught up with the Aurochs, Tidus decided he would do just that.

More than half of the villagers had retired to their huts, which Tidus was glad for. He didn't have to push past well-wishers who insisted on praying for his release from Sin's toxin. It was apparent that he still had to face the consequences of breaking the temple rules, however. The older couple that sat with the summoner definitely weren't going to wish him well.

"You heathen!" the old man growled in his papery voice as Tidus approached.

"Stay away from the summoner!" the woman added.

Even the little girl that had been playing with the summoner's hair had something to say. "You're a bad man!" she declared. Tidus didn't feel very welcome at all, and was about to turn back when the summoner stood up to meet him.

"Lady Yuna! Be careful!" the old man warned her. She shook her head as if she were shaking away his words.

"But it was really my fault to begin with," she told him. The old man groaned the way all old men groan when their warnings aren't heeded, and the summoner walked up to Tidus.

He was a little stunned at how gracefully she moved, and her face was beautiful with a peaceful smile as she looked at him. "I'm Yuna," she said in her soft voice. For a moment, Tidus almost forgot to tell her his.

"Thank you so much for your help earlier," she said, bowing her head. Strands of her light brown hair fell in her eyes and he was mesmerised by her hands as she brushed them away.

Suddenly, he realised she'd spoken, and he rushed to find a response. "I'm sorry about that," he said quickly. "Wasn't that... Wasn't I not supposed to..." He sighed heavily. "Guess I... kind of overreacted."

Yuna shook her head, the blue beads threaded in her hair clicking as she moved. "Oh, no. I was... overconfident," she told him.

The air was thick with their silence as Tidus struggled for something to say. He'd never felt this speechless before. "Um, I saw that aeon thing," he began, feeling that praise was a good place to start. "That's amazing!"

Yuna gasped, grinning at him. "Really? Do you think I can become high summoner?"

Tidus remembered the statues in the temple. He couldn't think of a reason why she couldn't become a high summoner. After all, she was already a regular summoner. How much summoning did she need to do to progress? He nodded in response and Yuna's face lit up.

Just as he thought of something new to talk about, the little girl tugged at Yuna's skirt. "Lady Yuna," she said in her sweet little voice, "come play with me some more!"

Yuna crouched down and nodded to the girl before looking back at Tidus. "So, tomorrow, then," she said.

"Tomorrow?"

"We're going on the same boat, aren't we?"

Tidus remembered the Aurochs talking about how they were leaving for the tournament in the morning. He hadn't realised this involved travelling by boat. "Oh, really?" he replied.

"We can talk more," she told him. He gave a small cheer and raised his hand as though expecting a high five. Suddenly, he couldn't remember why he'd done so, and he self-consciously put his hand down.

Yuna chuckled. "You can tell me all about Zanarkand!" She gave Tidus one last smile before turning away and going back to the little girl and the grumpy grown-ups.

She wants me to tell her about Zanarkand? Tidus thought as he watched her walk away. He supposed that everybody knew about where he came from – or where he thought he came from, anyway. Well, if Yuna wanted to hear about Zanarkand, he'd be happy to oblige.

Tidus heard heavy footsteps come up behind him, and Wakka's familiar chortle met his ears. "She's cute, ya?" he said, nudging Tidus with his elbow.

Oh yes she is. "She's not my type," Tidus lied, opting to keep it cool with Wakka. He might already have his eyes on this girl, and who was he to charm her out from under him?

"Then we're cool," Wakka said. Tidus congratulated himself on picking the right answer.

"Hey, but what if she, like, comes on to me?" he jokingly asked the older blitzer.

There was a protective tone to Wakka's voice. "That's not going to happen," he answered.

It'll probably happen, Tidus thought with a smirk. He'd never had trouble getting girls to like him in Zanarkand.

"If you get tired, let me know," Wakka told him before he joined Yuna again. "I had a bed made for you."

Tidus stayed up a while longer to chat with the Aurochs, but after a while even they began to retire. They explained that they should all get a good night's rest as the boat was leaving in the morning. Apparently it would be roughly half a day of travel to get to Kilika Port, wherever that was. So Wakka showed Tidus to his room. Really, it was the back room of the Crusaders Lodge, which doubled as the village inn with several beds lining the walls. Tidus thanked Wakka for the hospitality and sat down, kicking off his shoes before lying back on the bed.

The mattress was a little lumpy, but this was far better than the damp temple floor or the cold deck of the Al Bhed ship, and with a full stomach and dry clothes, Tidus couldn't think of anything better than this. On the bedside table, Tidus noticed a small but thick book. The lamp on the table cast a warm glow around the room, and as he sat up, he read the words 'Al Bhed Dictionary' scrawled on the plain grey cover in black ink.

Tidus thought back to Rikku and remembered the copy that she'd given him. It would be lost in the ocean now, thrown from his hands as he was thrown from the boat. He decided to keep the book, and pushed it under his pillow before trying to get to sleep. After two others walked into the room and claimed beds for themselves, Tidus found himself lying awake and listening to their snoring rather than resting. Eventually, he drifted off into a restless slumber.

In his dreams, Tidus found himself sitting on the pier at the beach, staring out at the endless blue of the ocean. It was soothing, listening to the calm whispering waves. After a little while, Tidus remembered that he was supposed to be catching a boat, but there wasn't one anywhere in sight. He got up and looked further along the dock. Yuna stood at the end, watching the horizon as the sea breeze swept her hair from her fae. Something inside Tidus urged him to approach her. As he ran across the wooden planks, he found himself tiring out faster than ever before. He was panting by the time he reached her.

"Where's the boat?" he asked, leaning on his legs as he struggled to catch his breath.

Yuna's face was troubled. "Everyone will find us if it doesn't come soon," she said.

Tidus didn't wonder why he was running away with Yuna. He didn't even wonder where they were going. "You really sure this is okay?" he asked, remembering her duties as a summoner.

"Would you take me to Zanarkand?" Yuna asked him, carefully watching his reaction.

"Hey!" came a voice from further down the dock. Tidus turned to see Rikku running towards them in her wetsuit. Suddenly, he was running on the spot as if that could help him escape.

"You said you'd go with me!" Rikku exclaimed as she reached them, pointing an accusatory finger at Tidus.

He turned to face her, pulling his best innocent face. "Oh, hey..." he began, but he couldn't think of an excuse. "I, uh..."

Rikku shook her head as he stopped jogging. "I thought Wakka told you not to get any ideas?" she said, jerking her thumb in Yuna's direction.

Yuna looked upset for a moment and turned back to the sea. "He did?" Tidus scratched the back of his head, unsure how to respond.

"Yeah, so you're coming with me!" Rikku added.

Suddenly, like a ton of gravel had just been dropped on top of him, his father's voice rang out over the water. "Hey! Stop dreaming!" Jecht yelled. Tidus flinched at the voice and turned to see Jecht standing on the beach, looking just as he had the day he disappeared. Tanned skin, dark medium-length hair swept back from his face by a red bandanna and the Zanarkand Abes logo tattooed on his muscular chest.

"You, with a woman?" Jecht continued, his voice as harsh as ever. "You can't even catch a ball!"

Tidus was small. He was so, so small, now donning the clothes of his childhood as he ducked his head away from his father's verbal blows. Tears stung in his eyes as he hid his face. He was seven again and he couldn't escape.

"Oh, what's the matter?" teased Jecht. "Gonna cry again?"

He looked up to see that both Yuna and Rikku now stood by Jecht and he couldn't stop the tears from spilling down his face.

"Cry, cry. That's the only thin you're good for!"

Tidus spoke, and though his voice was childlike, it was full of venom. "I hate you."

Jecht cupped his ear with his hand. "Huh?" What'd you say?"

Fear tore through Tidus' chest and he refused to speak again. He was appalled at how stupid he had been. Why did he say that out loud? Why?

Yuna's voice cut through the clamour in his head. "You have to speak loudly," she said, soothing him with that ever-present kindness. Her words seemed to give him strength, and his anger boiled up past his fear.

"I hate you!" he shouted at the visage of his father.

"Eh?" Jecht seemed confused by Tidus' words.

"That's the spirit!" Rikku cheered.

Yuna nodded. "You can do it!" she encouraged.

Though they stood next to his father, they really stood with Tidus, and he wasn't afraid knowing that they were behind him. Clenching his small fists, he glared at Jecht and mustered up all of the animosity that he had.

"I hate you!" Tidus yelled, his anger so great that he shed the dream and sat up in his bed, shouting at the ghost that haunted him.

It took a moment for Tidus to calm down and realise that he'd only been dreaming. His hands hurt from how hard he'd been clenching his fists and he was trembling with adrenaline. He flopped back on the bed, concentrating on the rise and fall of his chest as he stared at the ceiling of the tent.

Eventually, he was calm again, though it seemed he wouldn't be getting back to sleep any time soon. He quietly left his bed and wandered into the first room of the lodge. There were no clocks in here, so he had no idea what time it was, though he couldn't have been asleep all that long. Outside, it was still dark, though the bonfire was still casting its dark orange glow over the village square. Tidus was about to sit at the table when he heard voices coming from outside the tent.

"He's dead, okay? Dead!" came a woman's voice. Curious, he pulled back the cloth door and peered outside.

The village was deserted but for Wakka and Yuna's female guardian. She stood with her arms crossed beneath her bosom, looking up at Wakka with a scowl. Wakka couldn't meet her eyes, and Tidus wasn't sure whether he should be listening, but he couldn't bring himself to stop.

"He does look a lot like Chappu. I was surprised, too, the first time I saw him. But no matter what he looks like, he isn't Chappu," she said scathingly. "You shouldn't have brought him here in the first place."

Tidus winced as he realised that she was probably talking about him. Wakka, still looking at his feet, sighed. "Yeah, but... he needed our help!"

The woman stepped forward. "Excuses again?" she asked incredulously, moving her hands to her hips.

"Yeah, but..." Wakka trailed off. Tidus was a little disappointed that the blitzer wasn't defending himself. It had been incredibly kind of Wakka to bring him to the village.

"That's it," the woman said, shaking her head. "No more. Enough, Wakka!" And with that, she turned and stalked away from the village square, leaving Wakka looking like a scolded child.

Dejectedly, Wakka looked around the village. As his gaze passed over the Crusaders Lodge, Tidus quickly let go of the cloth. It was too late, however, as Wakka was now walking over to the tent. Tidus backed away from the door, unsure of how Wakka would react to the eavesdropping. As he entered the tent, however, he groaned in a way that suggested he didn't mind.

"Scary!" Tidus offered awkwardly, leaning against the counter with his arms folded. Wakka didn't respond, but moved to sit at the table.

"So, who's Chappu?" Tidus asked carefully.

Wakka stopped and sighed. "My little brother, Chappu," he said flatly. "He looked like you."

Tidus felt a little uncomfortable now as Wakka looked at him. "He's dead?" he asked, even though he'd heard their conversation quite clearly. I look like his dead brother?

Wakka walked into the back room and sat down on the bed beside Tidus'. "He was with the Crusaders when they fought Sin last year," he began as Tidus sat down, staring at his hands. "He didn't make it. I first heard on the day of the tournament."

Remembering their conversation as they'd walked to the village, Tidus felt the pieces falling into place. "Oh, so that's why." That's why your head wasn't in the game. Your brother had just died and I made fun of you not being able to concentrate. Guilt seethed in the back of his mind.

Wakka took a deep breath and looked up. "I became a guardian to fight Sin, ya?"

"Revenge, then?"

"That was the idea," Wakka said, nodding slowly. He looked back at his hands. "I'm more worried about a stupid game now than avenging my brother."

Tidus felt like there was something he needed to say, but he couldn't find the words. He didn't know how to console Wakka, and so he watched the man carefully, extending his sympathies through his gaze.

"Well," Wakka said, looking back up with a weak smile, "after the next tournament, I'll be a guardian full-time." He paused and grimaced. "I know it kinda looks like I'm using you, but I'm not."

Tidus smiled ad shook his head. "Don't worry. I mean, I owe you a lot. You really helped me out, you know? What I mean is..." Tidus stood up and extended his hand to the islander. "Thanks, Wakka."

Wakka began to reach for it before he chuckled. "Stop," he said, grinning as he waved away Tidus' hand, "you're embarrassing me!"

The two laughed a little before Wakka left the lodge. He urged Tidus to get a good night's sleep before left, and Tidus lay down feeling a little lighter than he had before. The thought of Wakka's brother still played on his mind, especially how Wakka had said that he resembled Chappu, but the feeling of camaraderie was stronger than his concerns, and he fell asleep quite easily.