(Author's Note: To whomever reads this story I hope that you enjoy it. Also when I have Tidus: or Kymaera: that means they are narrating the story.)
Chapter 1: The Beginning of It All
Tidus: It all started back in Zanarkand. I don't think we can ever forget the day. To us it was just a tournament... a big one but just a tournament.
Kymaera: But by the end of that black night... it would have been the beginning of everything.
* * *
The crowd gathered outside a festive arena. It was the day that everyone in Zanarkand had been waiting for. The finals for Silver Star Cup. Today the Zanarkand Abes would face off against the Crystal Hawks to decide who would take the cup.
"Where is he?"
"Has he come yet?"
"I wonder where he is?"
Finally someone spotted him. "THERE! There he is! It's Tidus!"
Tidus walked out onto the boardwalk area and then the crowd surrounded him. The star of Zanarkand Abes smiled, taking it all in as the fans were screaming and coming to him asking for his autograph. _Life of a blitzball star. Never get boring._ he thought as he went over first to a group of small kids.
"Can you sign this?" one of the kids asked holding out a blitzball.
"No prob!" Tidus smiled as he signed it just then another kid held up a blitzball.
"Please!" he pleaded.
"Alrighty." Tidus said as he signed it and then saw another kid, more hyperactive than the other two come to him.
"Me, too! Me, too! Me, too!" he jumped up and down.
Tidus chuckled a little. "Take it easy tiger." he smiled as he signed the blitzball for the kid.
"Can I have your autograph?"
Tidus turned and saw the two females closest to him. One was a blonde wearing shorts and a yellow t-shirt and her friend was dark haired wearing a green shirt and blue pants. Both of them had blitzballs in their hands.
Tidus smiled, "Of course!" He signed the blonde's blitzball and gave it back to her.
"We want to wish you luck in the game!" the blonde's friend cooed as she gave Tidus her blitzball.
"Nothing to worry about!" Tidus said confidently as he signed her blitzball. He then spun it on his finger and gave the ball back to her. "Oh, if I score a goal... I'll do this!" he then raised his arms in the air a certain form. "That will mean it was for you, okay?"
"Oh wow! How cool! You love us!" the girls giggled.
"He doesn't love anyone but himself."
The people quieted down but the boys in the crowd begin cheering like crazy and now there mixed reactions from the girls, there were cheers but there were also boos, probably because they saw their boyfriends looking all dreamy eyed at the brunette vixen in the black leather jacket, red top and black pants.
"Kymaera," Tidus muttered.
The star of the Crystal Hawks just smirked at Tidus. "Ready to get trounced again, Tidus. Unlike the Abes, the Crystal Hawks are a real team. They don't need 'the all-mighty Son of Jecht' to be good."
Tidus folded his arms across his chest as he smugly said, "In case you've forgotten, Kymaera, we're tied."
Kymaera kept her own grin on. "Which is why when the Crystal Hawks win the Silver Star Cup, I get bragging rights." She dropped her smile as she then spoke with spite, "You think you got it made just because you're Jecht's son."
"Shut up!" Tidus spat.
"Well unlike you I didn't have the breaks in the Blitzball League," Kymaera shot. "Its been a long haul getting to the top over this last year... and I'll be damned if I let you beat me tonight."
"Just bring it on, Kymaera. The Zanarkand Abes are going to beat the Crystal Hawks and we are going to do it with style!" Tidus retorted.
Kymaera just laughed. "Style. Yeah right. That'll be the day."
Tidus was fuming as Kymaera just left. _If you only knew the truth,_ he cursed. The truth was he hated his father, hated him with a passion. He hated how everyone made such a big deal about his father, hated how people compared him to his father, hated how whenever he was around all he did was be with his mother or tease him. But most of all he hated his father for leaving his mother and him... and never got the chance to tell him how much he hated him.
Tidus shook his head. _Now's not the time to be hating my father. I can do that later. I got a Blitzball tournament to win and a girl to show up._ "Sorry but I got to go now."
"Aw!" some of the little children said. "Tidus, could you teach us how to play Blitzball?"
Tidus looked at the children who had asked him who looked no older than seven. "Sure, but after the game..."
"Not tonight."
"Huh?" Tidus blinked as he looked over at the kid who had spoken. He was dark skinned and had a purple tunic with a green cloak. "... oh. Parents I guess. Well tomorrow then."
"Yeah!" the kids all cheered.
"Great. Got to jet." Tidus said running off but then decided to stop and turn around to look back at the children, but he didn't see that strange kid there. _Must have gone home. I got to go though._
* * *
In the Crystal Hawks locker room Kymaera was listening to the music in her Sound Set DX. It had set her back 30,000 Credits but she now had all 3500 of her songs at her fingertips and best of all it was water proof and practically unbreakable.
Right now she had her eyes closed as she was listening to a techno theme. For Kymaera, music was a part of her way of life. It helped set the moods for her actions. With music everything flowed much easier. She could do anything without it but she preferred to start her work off with music.
"Captain Kymaera. The Abes have all been accounted for and they are heading for the sphere pool," one of her teammates said to her.
"Quiet. Don't disturb her when she's like that. The last newbie that did got thrown into a locker," another player said to the first. This one was tense and nervous not wanting to get the captain riled.
"She did? Why?" the player that had started the conversation had asked.
A female player with blonde hair spoke up. "Who knows? No one can ever figure out Kymaera. She's a great player and a friendly person but sometimes she's got her mood swings."
"Well at least she's not like the 'Son of Jecht'." One of the other Hawks said.
_Thank creation I am not._ Kymaera smirked. Though Jecht was thought to be a great player and star in most of Zanarkand. But where she lived for her life, Jecht was seen as an arrogant braggart and that wasn't far off from the truth. She knew enough from old vids of the man to know that he enjoyed showing off. Tidus wasn't as much of a showoff as Jecht, but it was clear to see he was the old man's boy. _And yet he doesn't seem proud of it._
That's what disturbed Kymaera. Today when she'd confronted Tidus, she'd saw seen something she never had before in his eyes. Hate. _Is it possible... he actually hates his father?_
As she thought about it, she decided it might not be that farfetched. Having to live under his father's shadow all of his life, everyone expecting him to be just like him. _Why would anyone want live like that?_
Shaking her head, Kymaera focused back on the music. She had only five minutes left.
She wanted to be ready to win.
* * *
He needed to win.
He had to do this for himself. Not as the 'Son of Jecht' as other people saw him, but as himself. Just Tidus.
Tidus looked up at the Sphere now filled with water. He looked back at his team. He knew they were ready but he didn't know how it would end.
Either way it was time to begin.
* * *
Elsewhere in Zanarkand, a mysterious man clothed in a blood red jacket over black clothing with his eyes hidden behind tinted sunglasses stood on a high-rise. He holds up what appeared to be a white jug, just watching at the site before him.
That sight was a massive tidal wave approaching Zanarkand.
"Soon..." was the only words that escaped from his lips.
* * *
The Grand Blitzball Stadium of Zanarkand was huge. Tonight it was packed to the very top of the Stadium. Everyone that could have afforded a ticket to this game was in attendance.
"Citizens of Zanarkand! Welcome to the Centennial Solar Star Tournament's Final Round!" the master of ceremonies said. "Tonight, the defending champions, the Zanarkand Abes will now face the surprising dark horse team of the Crystal Hawks to determine who is truly the best Blitzball Team Zanarkand!"
The crowd cheered roared as they looked at the two teams already in the Sphere. Tidus and Kymaera were at the center waiting for the Blitzball to be shot up. The two were like silent hunters.
And then the blitzball was launched up.
_It's mine!_ was the thought that going through Tidus's mind.
However Kymaera had other plans and she slammed into Tidus with her Crystal Tackle technique. The impact propelled Tidus into the Sphere wall.
Kymaera then swam like a shark following up with one of her fellow Hawks who was bringing up the ball. He saw he was starting to get tagged by Abes players, then passed the ball over to Kymaera who was already past most of the Abes defensive line. When she got within range making a shot at the goal zone, she saw her path blocked by two defenders.
_Let's have some fun._ She smirked as she took her shot at the goal. First it bounced off of the left defender's head, rebounded to her. She then hit the ball again and it bounced off of the right defender's head clearing her way for the shot. She swam upwards a couple of feet and then spiral spun until the ball came back to her and she then kicked it with so much force the Abes's goal keeper couldn't even touch it.
"JECHT SHOT!!!" the announcer screamed. "A Jecht Shot by Kymaera in the first minute of the game puts the Crystal Hawks on the board first! Unbelievable!" The crowd was roaring with approval and enjoyment.
Kymaera smirked over at Tidus and seeing his fists clenched and the frustration on his face she knew it had the desired effect. She knew using the Jecht Shot would make him mad. _It makes him sloppy for mistakes. The Cup as good as ours!_
* * *
In the streets, the man in red was now walking, with a destination in mind. He then stopped and looked back once he heard the sounds.
The massive tidal wave that been coming from earlier... it was now becoming a sphere of water.
And it was getting closer to the city.
"Time... is starting run out." he said, not showing any fear or any other emotion for that matter as he continued walking toward his destination.
The Blitzball Stadium.
* * *
_No way I am I letting Kymaera stick this one to me._ Tidus growled as he swam up to the Hawks defensive line. He ordered his two forwards to go up hard to block off some of the Hawks players.
Tidus then saw one of the Hawks heading for the Abes area and then decided to go for a tackle of his own. He blindsided the Hawk completely and the impact of the tackle was so hard that he ended up getting shot out of the sphere and into the stands. Tidus then grabbed the ball without hesitation and swam a bit more into the Hawks zone before shooting for the goal using the Sphere Shot technique.
He got it.
"Goal by the Abes! Tidus is coming on strong folks as he has just tied the game up now! Looks like this can be anyone's match again!" the announcer said.
It was Tidus's turn to smirk as he saw Kymaera's own fuming face this time. _She really hates it when they give me too much praise. Usually I hate that myself, but in this case since it makes her angry, I'm all right with it._
Tidus then went back over to his teams side, putting his mind back into focus. There was one thing that the announcer said that he and Kymaera could agree on.
It was still anyone's game.
* * *
Meanwhile outside the stadium, on the streets of Zanarkand, those that were not fortunate enough to be at the stadium to see the game were able to see it on giant view screens across the city or in their own homes.
"I wish I had tickets to the game," a Zanarkandian male said to his girlfriend.
"We can see it on the vid ports and that's just as good for me. Now how about..." she froze as a dark shadow then came over them. She looked up.
"What? Don't tell me it's another shopping sale or something because..." he started but then stopped as he saw it.
Looming over their heads was an incredibly large spherical body of water.
"What is that?" the man asked.
He got his answer when it started to fire off pulses of pure energy.
One obliterated the lovers.
It was death.
* * *
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!" was the most common cry that many of the people of Zanarkand gave when they saw the giant floating sphere firing beams of death at their city, destroying anything that was in its path. The people had no idea what it was but it was going to be their deaths if they didn't keep running.
However, one person that was completely calm. The man in red. He had only one thought in his mind.
He had to find the boy before it was too late.
* * *
_Score tied at one a piece. Need to score this to get an edge before half time._ Tidus thought as he once again had the ball and was heading up into the Hawks side of the field. He had to use his Sphere Shot again if he wanted to make sure he got a goal. He saw Kymaera coming at him and knew he had to work fast.
However, fate had other plans.
A blast of energy hit the Blitzball Stadium, rocking it to its foundations. People were killed with the initial blast but then another came killing more and hitting the sphere.
The people that were still alive started screaming like it was the end of the world and they probably weren't that far off from the truth. Everyone was trying to get to an exit and just escape with their lives.
Tidus started to stir on the floor as he was looking around for the rest of his teammates however he didn't see them. What he did see was members of the Crystal Hawks on the floor and when he turned around he saw some of his own team... dead.
"Oh my god..." Tidus gasped as went to touch them to actually see if they were really dead but then a third pulse of energy hit the stadium. Fear overriding him for the moment, he ran out of the stadium.
Had he stayed five seconds more he would have seen Kymaera getting out of the pile of corpses that had kept her from being seen by anyone. Her reaction to seeing her own team members dead was perfectly expected.
She screamed.
"What's going on!"
* * *
"What's going on?" Tidus said to no one in particular as he saw the panicked masses running around, trying to stay alive.
"It begins."
"Wha..." He spun around and saw that kid from before, the one that had told him he couldn't play with him after the game.
"Don't start to cry. Save your tears for when they are really needed," he said.
Tidus had to cover his eyes from light but when lowered his hand he saw the boy was gone. "Where did he go?"
"Tidus."
Tidus turned around again and saw a man in red looking at him. "Auron?" he ran over to him. "Auron what's going on? What's happening?"
"We have to go now," Auron returned calmly. "Let's go." He started to walk away.
"Auron wait!" Tidus called out chasing after him. They had gotten as far as the 5th Ave Bridge before Auron stopped in his tracks and then made Tidus stop.
"Look up and you will see what is causing this." Auron told Tidus, whose face turned pale white in shock when he saw the ominous giant sphere that seemed to fill the sky. "We call that Sin."
"'Sin'?" Tidus asked. Before he could ask anymore, tentacles smashed out of a nearby building. Hundreds of small pods ejected from the tentacles and landed on the ground. They then expanded into monstrous blue scaled creatures with red eyes and shimmering wings which surrounded Tidus in a demi-circle. "Get away from me!" he shouted as he tried to fight them off using his bare hands but ends up falling on his back by the advancing beasts. One of them is right over his body it screeches in an inhuman voice. "Auron!"
Less than a second later the monster is cut down by very man Tidus was screaming for. The monster then turns into energy and evaporates. Tidus looks up at Auron then stabs into the ground what he used to kill the monster: a very heavy and big sword.
"Fighting without a weapon is suicide." Auron said to Tidus as he picked up off the ground and brought him to his feet. "Here, use this." he handed Tidus a long purple-tinted sword, who took it and held it high in the air before nearly dropping it. "A gift from your father," Auron told him.
Tidus's eyes just went wide. "...My father?!" he blurted out. He then swung the blade forward and the monsters moved back. However Tidus ended up falling backward on his read. He then stood up.
"Hope you can handle that sword." Auron said.
Tidus tried getting his balance with the sword finding it a very difficult thing to do since he had never used a sword in his life. After a few moments he got himself balanced.
"I hope you learn to use it better as we fight these Sinscales," Auron said as he attacked one of them. "Just know that there are too many of them and their numbers will never end. We just need to get through them so make it quick!"
Tidus nodded as he decided to attack the center Sinscale. He cried out as he swung at the Sinscale and, to his surprise, killed it.
"Good work but keep your eyes open." Auron said as he ran through the opening that had been made by killing the center Sinscale. "Now move it!"
"I'm going! I'm going!" Tidus shouted as he followed Auron but no sooner did they manage to get through a small section of the city were they confronted by seven Sinscales. "Oh man! These things just suck!"
* * *
"These things just suck!" Kymaera shouted as she fired off a shot from her Pulse Magnum to take out two more Sinscales and then ran through the opening she made. Going around a corner, she checked her power supply. _Shit! I am already down to half power and I would have to forget to bring emergency power cells! Then again I came with this at full power. Its not like I was expecting this to happen!_
After pulling herself out of the ruined Blitz Sphere and the bodies of the dead... _I don't think I'll ever forget that... but right now I have to put it behind me or I am going to end up dead like the rest of my team!_ Kymaera shook her head as she put her train of thought back to the present.
She had made her way back to her locker to pull out her Pulse Magnum and get out of the stadium. She didn't dare go outside without protection. Pulse Weapons were allowed because they were sold with lower settings. However, Kymaera had gotten hers from an old friend's father who happened to be a 'gun-nut'. The old coot had done some tinkering under the hood so to speak and her Pulse Magnum could now in fact kill someone if she wanted. She preferred the extra power for special emergencies, like needing to scare away a pervert or two without having to kill them.
_And strangely I really don't feel any remorse for killing these monstrosities._ Kymaera thought to herself. She just wanted to survive this night.
She was only a few blocks away from the nearest Hover Pad Tower. She could get on a Hover Ship and get out of here. She didn't know where to go but she had to go some where.
Anywhere was better than Zanarkand at the moment.
* * *
On the main roads near the north side of Zanarkand, Tidus and Auron had just managed to get through yet another group of Sinscales.
"Looks like you're improving rather quickly," Auron said, referring to how Tidus was able to carry and use a sword better now that he had experienced some real battles.
"Hey lay off okay." Tidus turned to face him but as he turned around he stopped dead in his tracks. He saw the massive creature before him. It was the same color of the Sinscales and had many different tentacles at the top sparking energy.
"We have to get through this creature now." Auron stated as he brought his sword out and steadied himself.
"What are you doing?" Tidus asked.
Auron then charged at the creature of Sin but then he jumped up into the air and held onto his sword pointing downward and when he landed he stabbed his sword with full force into the ground. Suddenly an explosion of fire erupted two feet from where Auron had landed. Second explosion of fire came from right under the creature, causing it writher in pain. Auron pulled his sword out of the ground and then hacked off one of its tentacles before backing off.
Tidus just had his jaw hanging for a bit after seeing Auron's attack but then closed it seeing that there was still a monster left to destroy. Tidus then attacked monster and surprisingly it started to drop. Two more normal sword strikes from Auron finished the creature off.
"There will be more of this kind of fiend," Auron said.
"What was that that you used? That attack I mean." Tidus asked.
"My Overdrive... the Dragon Fang," Auron replied.
"Overdrive?" Tidus asked.
"A special attack that can be used depending on circumstances and ability. My Overdrive is based on my sword style, Bushido. The Dragon Fang is a technique that I and I alone can use."
"Can anyone create an Overdrive?" Tidus asked.
"It all depends on the person." Auron said as he sheathed his sword.
Tidus looked up and saw that Sin looked closer than before to where they were. "Auron shouldn't we be running away from Sin?"
Auron shook his head. "Running away from the truth is as bad as accepting the lies."
Tidus blinked, "What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Auron didn't give him an answer just continued moving north. _Just what is going on here and what the heck does my old man have to do with this?_ Shaking his head, he knew he had to keep following Auron.
If he was going to die, he didn't want to be alone.
* * *
"I am not going to die alone!" Kymaera spat as she fired off another shot from her weapon at some Sinscales. She had only ten more shots left at most and then her weapon would be as useful as a paperweight until it rebuilt its power back to full on its own.
Her only consolation was that she was now in the building that had been her destination.
Her problem was that these creatures seemed to be everywhere and that meant in the building as well.
"There had better be at least one Hovership that works..." Kymaera gritted her teeth. _Or I really am going to die alone._
* * *
"So now what do we do?" Tidus asked Auron. They had just gotten into a very bad position. There were really close to Sin now and they had been surrounded by hundreds of Sinscales.
"We cannot win in a fight against so many monsters." Auron said.
Tidus rolled his eyes, "Well no shit!"
Forgetting Tidus's profanity, Auron said, "See the fuel tanker to our right?" he pointed to them. "Set it to detonate. I'll cover you."
"Huh? Set it off! That's your plan?!" Tidus demanded.
"Just do it!" Auron shouted as he went after advancing Sinscales. _He's got a lot of growing up to do if he's going to survive... but I think he'll be less of a problem than Jecht was._
_Just who does he..._ Tidus squashed that thought as he started running to the fuel tanker. _Let it go. Don't be like your bastard old man. You got more important things to worry about... like making sure you stay alive._
Not having much of an idea on how set the taker to detonate he did the only thing he could think of: he hit it with his sword until he broke the seal on the tank. He then ripped out cords and then sparking electricity came from the ripped ends. He put the wires near the crack and then ran back the way he came and then yelled, "GET DOWN!!!" as he dropped to the ground right by Auron.
The Tanker exploded taking the Sinscales and the bridge that Tidus and Auron were going to have crossed with them.
They were stuck.
* * *
On top of the Hover Pad, Kymaera heard something blow up. It sounded like an explosion to her. Her deduction was justified when she looked down saw explosions erupting over all over Zanarkand.
"So this is what they meant by Armageddon..." Kymaera sighed. Zanarkand was dying and she knew even if there was anything left it wouldn't be the same. She was seeing her world die right before her eyes.
But she wouldn't go down with it. She wouldn't give these monsters the satisfaction of being able to beat her. Activating the only functional Hover Ship left, she took off.
A minute later the tower she had been on collapsed.
* * *
"Great! We may have gotten rid of the monsters but we have no where to go!" Tidus shot at Auron. He was about yell some more but everything became dark and Tidus became afraid.
Sin was right over them.
Tidus's terror grew as he saw buildings being pulled up from the ground and being taken in by Sin, rippling and seeming to be broken apart once they entered the sphere's body.
He felt that no matter what he had done to stay alive he was going to die anyway.
* * *
"What in the name of..." Kymaera gasped as she put the Hover Ship in floating mode. She was now getting her first real look at Sin, even though she didn't know that was the sphere's name then. She didn't like what she was seeing. "Definitely the wrong direction! Full reverse!" she cried as went to move the ship in the opposite direction.
Except she wasn't moving away from Sin... it was pulling her toward it. She couldn't jump out to escape. Either fall would kill her or Sin would suck her in anyway.
"This can't be happening..." she muttered. "It can't end like this..."
* * *
"Auron! Auron what do we do!" Tidus shouted as Sin continued it's decent toward them and now even he was feeling its pull. He looked at Auron and saw he was right next to Sin where there was an open hole in it.
"Are you sure?" Auron asked looking up at Sin.
"Auron what are you doing?!" Tidus asked. Just then Auron grabbed Tidus.
"Everything and everyone has a story behind it. Mine and your fathers have ended," Auron said to him. "Its your story now." He let go of Tidus.
"Auron!!!" Tidus shouted as he was swallowed by Sin.
Auron looked up at Sin, as if he were actually having a conversation with it. "... someone you forgot... yet you don't care for your plans..." Auron shook his head in disgust. "I don't care if she isn't needed but if you don't allow this I'll stay here and then everything ends. Somehow I don't think you want that."
Nothing was said. Then Sin floated Auron with it over to another building. There he waited.
With Sin looming over him.
* * *
Kymaera fought against the pull as best as she could and for a moment she felt it go away. She only felt a second of relief before she realized her hover ship was now out of control.
"No choice now!" she said as she saw a building with a ledge coming right at her. "I have to jump or I'm dead and if I die at least I'll die fighting!"
She waited until the last possible second to jump and managed to grab onto the ledge. Unfortunately, before she could pull herself up, the ship crashed into the building. Seconds later she lost her grip.
"No!!!" she cried but stopped as she felt someone gripping her hand. She looked up to see her savior. "W... who are you? Where did you come from?"
"My name is Auron,." he said as he looked up and saw Sin over them. The sphere opened once more, taking both of them in.
"What's happening?!" Kymaera cried.
"Everything and everyone has a story behind it. Tidus has his..." Auron said as he was being sucked into sin. "Now its time for you begin your story."
Kymaera could only scream. She felt like she were being pulled apart as she was sucked into Sin and the last thing she saw was light.
And then there was darkness.
To Be Continued...