AN: I feel like this chapter is a little short, but it seemed like a natural place to end so I did. Last time I didn't end where I felt like I should, I had to split the chapter in half because I was silly and should have stopped. Lol. But anyways... Sin is baaad. I rather enjoyed writing the second half of this chapter, even though I felt bad about the scenes I was writing. I'm not entirely confident that I gave an accurate description of the destruction featured in this chapter, but no matter how much I read it, it's never going to seem like enough because I've played the game and can't read it from a different perspective.

Now, I'd like to thank xoxteenwolfxox and Nuvola9 for being the latest to follow (and favourite) the story. I welcome you to my long and usually pointless author's note, and I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. That goes out to everyone who's previously followed or favourited, and even those who like reading without the commitment. You guys are all absolutely fantastic and I really hope that you've enjoyed the journey so far. We're only at the beginning, and there's still a fair way to go, so I hope you're ready.

If you're reading this, you are a beautiful human being and you deserve to be happy each and every day of your life (don't tell non-readers this, but I think the same about them). I hope you enjoy this chapter, as I've certainly enjoyed writing it. :)

P.S. Since the second chapter (I think) I've been thinking about giving the chapters names. I remember leaving my choice for chapter name in the author's note, but I've been neglecting to do so lately. So far, my list is this:

1. Otherworld
2. We Called It 'Sin'
3. Out of the Frying Pan
4. The Freezer
5. Put to Work
6. A Thousand Years
7. Washed Up
8. Besaid
9. The Cloister of Trials
10. A Summoner is Born
11. Leaving Besaid
12. Aboard the S.S. Liki

and finally, this chapter would be called 'Trouble on the High Seas'. I feel like I'm doing pretty good at naming the chapters so far, although it could be because a lot of the names are taken from corresponding cutscenes, but I'm not sure whether I'll be able to keep it up, so I'm not making it a permanent fixture on this upload just yet. It's likely I will if I can keep with this winning streak for the next few chapters. Also, if I can be bothered when we come to that point. Lol. But anyways, stop wasting your time reading my babble and go enjoy the chapter. :)

13

Sin swam by the boat, almost blocking out the sun as it passed. Somehow, the ocean had stilled a little, and the passengers cried out in panic as they clung to the boat. Tidus heard one of the Aurochs scream that Sin is the end. He remembered the chaos and the fear that had consumed his destroyed Zanarkand and agreed.

One of the sailors had made his way across the deck and shoved Kimahri and Yuna out of the way. He grabbed the harpoon gun and turned it, aiming it at Sin.

Wakka, who was standing on deck with an almost petrified Lulu, was enraged by this. "What do you think you're doing?" he yelled. "Stick a harpoon in it and we'll all get dragged under!"

We're going under anyway, aren't we? said Tidus' fear as it welled up inside of him, spreading through each of his limbs one at a time. He could feel his body beginning to tremble.

"Sin is going for Kilika! We gotta distract it!" cried another sailor. On the other side of the prow, he was setting up another harpoon to be fired.

The sailor at Yuna's feet was shaking. "Our families are in Kilika," he begged. "Forgive us, Lady Summoner!"

Tidus looked up at Yuna. The fear that had stolen her face was wearing away, and she gave a single nod to the sailors. With her blessing, the man fixed the aim on the harpoon. Sin had since sunk back into the water, though a single fin still towered above the waves.

"Wait!" Wakka cried out as he and Lulu raced over, but there was no stopping them. Both sailors lined up their shots. "Oh, boy..." Wakka exclaimed, and the sailors fired.

The two harpoons sped through the air, rope tails flitting behind them as they honed in on their target. One fell short, splashing into the ocean while the other hit. It buried itself into the armoured skin of the flipper and held fast. The rope connecting it to the boat strained, and suddenly they were being dragged by Sin.

The boat crashed through the waves, sending everyone topping over the deck as Sin reacted to the thorn in its side. Tidus was thrown against the wale of the ship and clambered to his feet, holding on tight. The ocean, full of Sin's anger, tossed the boat like a salad.

Suddenly, Sin stopped flailing and started speeding. The boat steadied a little as Sin picked a direction and gunned it. Tidus was about to scream at the sailors to cut the rope when he heard a loud thud on the deck behind him. He turned around to see a scale embedded in the deck. He thought of the high-bridge, of fighting alongside Auron, and fury pushed through his fear.

The scale's legs broke through and it pushed itself out of the shallow hole in the wooden floor, peeling its wings and glaring at him with a dozen purple eyes. Tidus grabbed the sword Wakka had given him and smashed the blade into its face without a second thought. Just as the multitude of others had, the scale perished in a cloud of pyreflies.

Tidus heard Keepa cry out as another scale smashed into the ground in front of him. He turned and saw two more chasing the sailors across the deck.

On the other side of the boat, Kimahri was dispatching scales left and right. Lulu and Yuna, still struggling to cross the unsteady deck, ushered both the passengers and the sailors to take refuge below deck.

Tidus sliced up another scale, rushing through the technicolour vapours to join Wakka and Kimahri at the front of the boat. Just as it seemed the deck was clear, another volley of scales came crashing down.

"How many of these things are there!?" Tidus cried as he slashed at another scale. Kimahri shrugged, plunging the tip of his spear through the face of an enemy.

Between the three of them, they killed over a dozen scales before they realised they wouldn't stop. Waves and waves of monsters would just keep falling from Sin's colossal fin, and there was nothing they could do about it.

"We need to knock out that harpoon!" Wakka yelled to them as he smashed his blitzball into a scale. He looked up at Sin's fin, calculating whether he'd be able to reach it with his ball or not. The boat crashed through another set of extremely large waves, and Tidus had an idea. He raced up to the harpoon gun and started sawing his sword against the rope. Sin was still dragging them through the water at an alarming speed, but if he could just cut the rope then they should be safe.

The rope frayed and finally severed, setting the boat free. Sin began to speed off, lifting its gargantuan tail up and out of the water, only to crash down into the water once again. The ocean surged once more, tipping the ship as it shuddered and lost momentum. Tidus lost his balance, toppling over the rope barrier on the prow. As he scrambled for something to hold onto, his head cracked hard on the side of the boat, knocking him out. Unconscious, he splashed into the still-churning water and began to sink.

...

There was no telling how long Tidus was out, but consciousness did come back to him. A pleasant tingling spread through his limbs, and it felt as if he were floating in the air. Slowly, he opened his eyes. He was indeed floating, though beneath the ocean rather than among the clouds. Wakka's concerned face hovered over his.

He rubbed the back of his head as he began to tread water, thankful that he'd taken a breath before being submerged. He gave Wakka a thumbs up and they began to head for the surface.

Their ascent was going to have to wait, however. Wakka grabbed Tidus by the collar and pulled him out of the way as one of Sin's scales zipped through the water. He nervously turned his head, expecting to see Sin's hulking body pushing through the water to exact its revenge on the ship.

It wasn't Sin that was bearing down on them, but Tidus didn't feel any relief. Instead, he gripped his sword tightly as he watched two dolphins fleeing from a monster. It was a mess of tentacles, four attacked to the bulbous blue body, then another four dangling from beneath, followed by one long, thick tentacle that Tidus assumed was a tail. As far as he could tell, the creature had no face, though the dark blue and orange coral-like mass atop its body could have been a head. In the end, it didn't matter what the creature looked like, because it had caught their scent and was quickly catching up to them.

Wakka threw his blitzball at the creature's head. The blinding black cloud that clung to the ball transferred to the monster's 'face'. It extended its two front tentacles to slap Wakka's face, but missed him and flailed blindly. Happy that he hadn't lost his sword again, Tidus swam up to the creature and slashed at its tentacles, deftly dodging its retaliation.

He didn't notice the scales that were swimming to its side. Wings unopened, they cut through the water like bullets, chasing after Tidus as he returned to Wakka's side. He didn't have enough time to avoid them, and the jagged edges of the scales sliced into his sides. He twisted in agony as they sped away, almost losing grip of his sword. The pain throbbed, and a cloud of blood coloured the water as Tidus' vision darkened.

Wakka, who'd been busy attacking the tentacle monster, swam quickly back to Tidus. Stuffing his ball under his arm, he produced a small vial of red liquid from his deep pocket. He took out the stopper it and closed the top with his thumb, then placed it over Tidus' mouth. Grateful, Tidus drank the potion, and almost instantly he felt his wounds knitting together.

The monster before them still couldn't see, and swiped at the area in front of it as though it were searching for them. Feeling renewed, Tidus swam through the water and slashed his sword at the creature's malformed body. Its tentacles tensed with each hit, and it shuddered in pain as he hacked at its body.

Tidus felt safe as he attacked the blinded monster, but he didn't count on the spell wearing off. Slowly, as he and Wakka worked the offence, the dark cloud over the monster's face began to fade.

All of a sudden, the beast drew back, tilting its body so that its tentacles faced its opponents. The smaller tentacles began to spin clockwise, whirling around while the larger set started spinning in the opposite direction. Tidus felt the water churning around them, forcing him in circles as he tried to swim clear of the attack. He began to feel dizzy, as though he were caught in a blender, and closed his eyes against the rising bile.

The water began to still again, and Tidus looked to see Wakka throwing another dark ball at the monster's face. The spell transferred once more, and Wakka continued his attack, looking a little greener than before.

The creature seemed weaker now, like it had expended a lot of energy trying to mess them up. Tidus swam in to swiped his blade at a tentacle that was getting dangerously close to Wakka's ankle. His blade connected with the soft flesh of the monster and it began to flail about in a last ditch effort to kill its attackers. They did not relent, despite the whipping tentacles, and with one last smash of blitzball against coral helm, the monster shook with a powerful explosion of pyreflies and faded from the water.

Wakka was at Tidus' side immediately, gesturing that they swim for the surface. Tidus had lost a fair bit of air when the scales attacked him, and could feel his lungs starting to ache. He nodded and they both kicked for the surface, breaking out of the water with a splash and a gasp.

"You okay?" Wakka asked, panting as he gulped down air.

Tidus saw the concern on Wakka's smooth face and realised that the blitzer had risked his own life to save him. He felt humbled by the worry in Wakka's eyes, and smiled weakly as he answered. "Much better now. Thank you, Wakka."

Wakka nodded, chancing a quick smile. "Don't worry about it."

There was a rope ladder hanging from the side of the boat, and Wakka insisted that Tidus climb up first. The boat was still in the water, wheels halted, and Tidus easily scaled the wet rope. When he reached the top, he clambered over the side and reached back down to give Wakka a hand. The islander took it gratefully and Tidus pulled him up onto the deck.

The other passengers had begun to cautiously creep out from below deck. Yuna hurried across the deck to make sure that Wakka and Tidus were okay, but there was something in her eyes that suggested she wasn't worried about them.

Wakka nodded at Yuna, assuring her that they were alright, and then looked over to Kimahri. The Ronso stood on the other side of the deck, arms crossed as he watched them. "Which way did Sin go?" Wakka called to him.

Kimahri didn't speak, but turned his head to the ocean ahead of the boat. Tidus followed his gaze, and saw a tiny island on the horizon. Before it, he was sure he could see the ocean raging.

"Kilika," Wakka murmured as he fell to his knees.

...

The late afternoon sun shone down on Kilika Island, casting long shadows across the boardwalks of the port. Today had been a lazy day, and many of the villagers were inside their huts, preparing for the evening meal or relaxing as they enjoyed the cool breeze.

Kilika was usually much busier, but it was a quiet time of day. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the calm ocean and the call of gulls. The village was built out from the beach, the huts supported by thick wooden piles and connected by a series of docks and walkways that bridged over the ocean.

It was a lazy day, and nobody noticed the sea beginning to swell to the sky.

A mother sat in the sun, cradling her baby as she watched her son and daughter play. They kicked a blitzball around the wooden platform, laughing together as they talked about becoming real blitzers one day. Their mother smiled as she watched, soothing the infant in her arms with a slow rocking motion. She may have hummed a little, and her baby may have smiled up at her. Later, she might have called her children in and taken them home, served them their dinner and tucked them into bed. She might have wished them sweet dreams, and encouraged them to follow them. She could have done all of these things were it not for the looming ocean.

There's no telling what came first, the rumble of the coming destruction or the rising dome of water blocking out the afternoon sun. The son noticed first, dropping his ball as he alerted his mother. Still cradling her baby, she looked up, and the platform beneath her began to quake.

The ocean towered over Kilika Port, growing even more monstrous as it crept closer. The mother may have whispered to her children, may have told them that she loves them, but no one would ever hear over the roar of the sea as it shed its skin.

Almost like a normal wave, a ripple descended from the crest of the mountain of water and cam rushing towards the village. Water and wind and power, it whooshed over and over again, and Kilika didn't stand a chance. Huts that had stood strong against many storms began to break apart as the wind tore at them, and walkways were decimated by the force of the water that followed. Like a tsunami, the water devoured the village as it pushed closer to the island.

There was barely any time for people to scream as they saw the waves coming, and the waves smashed through their windows as they tried to run. But as hard as the water pushed, the wind wanted to do the opposite, and parts of the port that were so far untouched were sucked up from their supports and dragged into the air.

Sin emerged from the ocean, a god surveying its handiwork as a whirlwind of broken wooden planks began to circle its head. No part of the port was safe, no villager unharmed as walkways were de-constructed under their fleeing feet. Even gulls were plucked from the sky and sucked into the vortex of destruction. Some villagers clung to trees, others hid behind their huts, but Sin wanted them all.

From the sea, Sin watched Kilika die with its back in the sun. Above it, most of the village was caught in a spiral of wind in the sky. Eventually, it stopped taking new victims and sending the ocean in to destroy. Eventually, it took the tornado of death and dove back into the ocean, leaving Kilika Port decimated in its wake.

...

When Sin attacked Zanarkand that day, I woke up in Spira. I kept hoping that it would work in reverse, too.

As the boat drew nearer to the island, a sorrowful silence fell like a blanket over the world. Tidus lay on his back in the middle of the deck, long fed up with watching the other passengers sleepwalk their way around the boat. Some stood at the sides, watching as Kilika came into view. Others sat with their head in their hands, too defeated to even look.

There was a part of Tidus that felt guilty. He'd been standing at the prow earlier, watching as belongings and smashed wooden planks drifted out past the boat, and he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened had he left the harpoon alone. If he hadn't severed the rope, Sin surely would have dragged them under, but there were maybe forty people on this boat. Kilika had been home to hundreds.

Yuna kneeled beside him, and though they'd tried, Wakka and Lulu hadn't been able to convince her to go below deck. She's stood with Tidus before, and followed him when the guilt forced him to look away. She had been silent for hours, the air heavy with her thoughts. Tidus heard her speaking now as the ship made its way through the remnants of the port.

"I will defeat Sin..." she said, her voice measured and slow. "I must defeat Sin."

Tidus stared up at the gradually darkening sky, conflicted. He understood her resolve now, but he couldn't fathom how she would win a fight against such a destructive force. That wasn't the only thing playing on his mind, however. He thought of Zanarkand, and the destruction that Sin wrought that fateful night. He wondered if there were any survivors, and if they felt the same as the surviving villagers of Kilika were feeling.

I was just fooling myself. Maybe it was that day... on the sea, under the burning sun. I started to give up hope. I was in a foreign world. I wasn't going home. This was my new reality, and I was stuck in it for good.