((Author's Note: Lots of blitzball in this section, so if you don't like or
aren't familiar with the game, sorry. I'm writing this story as though
everyone knows who everyone is, and how the FFX world works. Also, the team
known as the Ketshin.....that's the plural for Ketshi. So, it's just like
saying Abes, Fangs, or whatever team name. Just to make sure I didn't
confuse anyone futher on in the story. Thanks and enjoy!))
A Father Like You (cont.)
Tidus was seven when his father disapeared.
Tidus was eight when Auron appeared.
Tidus is now elevin years old.
Last year, he joined his school blitzball team. The school was a memorial school, dedicated to one of the contracters of the city of Zanarkand: Herdero Junior High. The team he played for was the Herdero Caits. He was rather well known in the team as the left fielder. In fact, when he played defense, no opposing team player could get past him.
Tidus felt he was born to play blitzball.
Auron never told the boy, but Tidus had his full support in the game.
*********************
Auron sat next to the school entrance. He could see students of all grades and classes leaving for the day. His one eye scanned the crouds and uniformed bodies for Tidus, but didn't see him.
'He's never late. Where is he?'
Auron waited until all the students were gone. Tidus was nowhere in sight. Something was wrong. He got up and headed for the building.
Walking through the halls, he quickly found one of Tidus's teachers. The teacher had her bags hanging at her sides, heading for the door to leave.
"Where is Tidus?" he asked.
"I think he's in room 770C." the teacher answered, pointing behind her. "That's his last class."
"Thank you, miss."
He walked past her, looking at the room numbers until he came to the room. He stood outside the door, looking in. Tidus was sitting at one of the front desks, other boys were sitting in the back and chuckling to each other. A teacher in the front of the room noticed Auron, and walked to him.
"Can I help you, sir?" the teacher asked with a gruff voice. It was a man exactly as tall as Auron with a big bushy beard and blue eyes. If it weren't for his Zanarkand styled clothing, Auron would have mistaken him for another person.......
'Kinoc? I know it isn't.....but....'
Auron cleared his throat and looked at the teacher.
"I was looking for Tidus."
Tidus heard his name, and looked up at the door. He saw Auron, and slumped in his seat in embarasment.
"Oh, great....." he murmered.
"He doesn't get out in five mintues." the teacher answered. "He's in detention."
"Detention?" Auron asked.
'What's this, this detention?'
"Yeah." the teacher answered, having no clue that Auron was clueless. "See, he and those other boys were in a fight. I put them all in detention, cause fighting is against school rules."
"I see." Auron nodded. "May I talk to Tidus a moment?"
"Sure." the teacher agreed, stepping aside. Auron walked in and stood over Tidus. The boy sighed and pointed at the boys in the back.
"They started it." he explained. "They thought I was staring at Jorno's girlfriend and came up behind me, and......"
"I don't care who started it." Auron said firmly. "Did you fight back?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
Tidus looked up at Auron with a sneer.
"Cause I didn't want to get beaten up! You just don't sit there when these goons jump you, do you?"
"No." Auron agreed. "But fighting is against the rules, even if it's fighting back."
Tidus slammed his hands on the desk and stood up.
"They mugged me for something I didn't do! What did you expect me to do?! HUH?!"
"You shouldn't have fought. You should have ran away and told someone."
"And look like a sissy?! No way! My popularity depends on it! I'm famous here, y'know!"
"Best to run away and look like a coward, than to be badly injured and look like an idiot."
"..........." Tidus glared at Auron hard. He couldn't think of a good enough responce to it. He just crossed his arms with a "hmph."
"Some guardian you are." he mumbled. "You're always around, so how come you didn't save me from those bullies?"
"You're not hurt, I guess there was no point in saving you."
Tidus angrily rolled up his sleeve, and showed Auron his bare shoulder. There was a scratch that went from one end of his shoulder to the other. The boys in the back just snickered at him while Auron adjusted his sunglasses.
"Tidus, you won't die from a scratch."
"You call this a scratch?! This'll scar! Aren't you at least going to punnish those morons?!"
"I'm not their mother, so why should I?! Now sit down and calm down."
Tidus sat back down in his seat and put his feet up on the desk to lounge.
"You aren't my mother either, Auron, so there's nothing you can do to me."
"Maybe not." Auron replied. "We'll see what your REAL mother has to say about this, however."
Tidus's face fell, and he slumped in shame. The boys in the back of the room laughed at him.
"Mama's boy!" one of them shouted. Tidus sat back up immediatley.
"Shaddup, Jorno!"
"Hey, that's enough!" the teacher shouted. "All you punks quiet down!"
All the boys fell silent, and Tidus looked back up at Auron.
"See what I have to put up with around here?"
"I pity you." Auron said sarcastically. "Time for you to go now, I suppose."
"Cool, let's go." Tidus agreed, getting up and getting his backpack. The other boys started snickering at him. Tidus just flung an insulting hand at them, and trailed behind Auron out the door.
***************
"You could have at least waited until we left." Tidus whined to Auron on the walk back home. "You had to say all of that in front of them, didn't you?"
"Did you cry?" Auron asked.
Tidus ran in front of Auron with an angry face.
"NO, I DIDN'T CRY! GIRLS CRY!"
"Oh. I wasn't familiar with that one."
Tidus growled and fell back until he was walking back by Auron's side.
"You're not around as often as you used to be, Auron. Why's that? Did you finally get a job or something?"
Auron didn't look at Tidus. Where Auron currently lived, what he did all day, and how he kept himself fed and healthy was not any of Tidus's business.
"Not the kind of job you're thinking about. I'm just your guardian."
"I mean......you used to be everywhere I went. Now I usually see you at home or out on the school blitzball field. Where do you go all day?"
"Sight-seeing, sometimes." Auron answered. "It's been three years, and I still haven't seen all of Zanarkand."
Tidus laughed.
"Man, that's a fool's dream, Auron. Zanarkand is pratcially the size of a continent. You could spend your whole life here, and STILL not see all of Zanarkand."
"..........."
"Sheesh, where are you from, man?"
"Far away."
"Yeah, that's for sure." Tidus muttered, putting his hands behind his head. "So....uh.....what's it like where you're from?"
That wasn't any of Tidus's business either. So, Auron changed the subject.
"Tell me about the rest of your day. How was practice?"
"Aw man.......how come you won't talk about yourself, Auron?"
"How are your grades doing? Good? Bad?"
Tidus sighed.
"Good, I guess. I don't get my grades until next month. And I've got a game this weekend, can you drive me there?"
"Sure." Auron nodded, frowning. Tidus's family did have a hydro car, and Auron did have a licence to drive one, but he didn't enjoy it. He'd prefer a chocobo anyday, but the animals haven't evolved in Zanarkand yet.
"Cool. Well, how about this.......what's in that jug you're always carrying?"
Auron put his hand on the white jug protectively.
"Something little boys shouldn't be drinking."
"Aw, c'mon, just one little sip?"
"No, Tidus."
"C'mon!"
"I said no."
"Hmph. You're no fun."
"You're still in trouble for fighting today, Tidus."
"Please don't tell mom. Please?"
"Sorry."
Tidus groaned.
"Aw man....."
*****************
The next day, Tidus walked to school alone. Everything seemed peaceful enough until afternoon blitzball practice. Tidus was relaxing during the break when he felt water dumped onto his head. Tidus sputtered in surprise and sat up. He saw Jorno and his gang behind him, Jorno holding an empty bucket.
Tidus narrowed his eyes at them.
"I didn't look at your stupid girlfriend, Jorno. I don't even like girls." Tidus growled.
"Don't call her stupid." Jorno insisted, handing the bucket to a flunky. "You're the one who's stupid."
"You gonna pick another fight with me?"
"Maybe." Jorno grinned. "I don't see your MOMMY or your DADDY around to protect you."
Tidus sneered at them.
"My old man is dead, everyone knows that. And if you're talking about Auron, I don't need him around to get out of trouble."
"Whatever." Jorno shrugged off, cracking his knuckles. "You're still going to get it."
Tidus balled his fists.
"You started it, so don't blame me after I knock your brains out of your head."
*******************
Auron watched from a corner of the pool side, seeing Tidus getting attacked by his bullies again. He just shook his head, staying where he was.
'Why does he do this?
'He's worse than Jecht......'
He just watched at Tidus was beaten up by the boys, until a gleam in the light caught his eye.....
........one of the bullies had a knife!
Auron stood up and ran.......
********************
Tidus could only try to bat their fists away as he felt pain in his sides, stomach and face. He was being punched at all sides, and crying.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp stinging in his back, and yelled in pain. He felt it again and again in his sides, and hunched over. What were they doing?!
Suddenly, it stopped. He heard Jorno yelping in surprise.
"No one move!" he heard Auron shout. "All of you are staying right here!"
Tidus raised his head, seeing Auron standing in front of him. He had one hand on Jorno's head, and the other pinning the bully's arms behind his back. The other four lackies were standing on Tidus's other side.
"Explain." Auron demanded the boys. "Now."
"Eh-eh-eh-explain what?!" Jorno cried. Auron grabbed the boy's other hand and held it up for all to see. It was clutching the knife, and was stained with blood.
"That." Auron answered. "What were you doing with this?"
"I.....I, uh....I...." Jorno stammered.
Tidus couldn't believe his tearful eyes.
"You tried to kill me!" the boy cried.
"No! No, no, no......I....."
"That's enough." Auron suggested. "I would have let you boys hit him as much as you wanted, but violence at this magnitude is unexceptable."
"What?" one of the flunkies blinked.
"Who are you, man?" another flunky asked. "You're not his dad, are you?"
"No." Auron answered. "Jecht is. I'm Tidus's guardian."
"We know that." a flunkie snorted.
"Auron!" Tidus cried, holding his sides. "Help! I'm bleeding! It hurts!"
Auron sighed, feeling rather helpless. He took the knife from Jorno, and let the boy go.
"We're all walking to the school sick room." he insisted, walking to Tidus. "All five of you will have to show me where it is. Now start walking."
As the bullies took lead, Auron picked up Tidus carefully, holding the boy's bleeding side tightly to help stop the bleeding.
"We'll take you to a doctor, Tidus." Auron soothed. "You can stop crying now."
*********************
Tidus cried all the way home that day. The school doctor tended to the wounds, and suggested the boy be sent to a hospital. Auron carried Tidus all the way there, and called his mother from the building. Tidus cried himself to sleep on the hospital bed. He slept all the way home as Auron drove him home in the hydro car.
As the months passed after that, Tidus had to think about Auron's words that day:
.......I would have let you boys hit him as much as you wanted........
He would have just sat there as Tidus got the tar kicked out of him. Why? Why would Auron do that? It wasn't until.....
.......but violence at this magnitude is unexceptable........
It would take another two years for Tidus to realize why Auron said those words that day.
*********************
It was the night of yet another junior high blitzball game. Tidus's school versus another school in his same area. Most of the crowd were students, parents, and random members of the comunity.
To Tidus, this wasn't just "another game." This was the junior high homecoming game!
And he had been voted Captain Cait, and his prize for winning the game was a kiss from his school's homecoming queen!
Tidus was looking very foreword to winning; this year's queen was a beaut! Wavria was the prettiest cheerleader of the junior high, and she had a gillion guys begging to be her boyfriend. Tidus was one of them, after overcoming his hate for girls.
Auron said he would come to the game, and his mom would be there too.
Most of his community would be there to see him, and Tidus couldn't be any more excited.
It was THE day.....HIS day.....
Something told him it would be a day to remember.
******************
Auron and Tidus's mom sat together in the front bleachers. The sphere pool covered only five square miles, and was filled with water by electric lazers and held together with static.
Auron found it curious. The sphere pool was a lot smaller than the one in Luca, not that he cared much. He found blitzball to be rather boring.
But, if it was what Tidus loved....
"Are you alright?" he asked Tidus's mother, turning to her. She nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine." she answered. "It's just been so long."
"I would have agreed with Tidus. Staying in the house for years like that isn't good for you."
"I know." she moaned, staring at her hand. "When does the game start?"
"In a few minutes, I think."
The cheerleaders came out, doing routeins for their teams. Tidus's mom looked at them and smiled weakly.
"Go, go, Ketshi go!" the Meriton Ketshin cheerleaders shouted, waving their arms and twirling lazer rope. "Go, go, give'em a show!"
"Hey, hey, sic em, Caits!" the cheerleaders for Tidus's school also chanted, jumping and doing flips in mid air. "Hey, hey, make em ache!"
Tidus's mom chuckled slightly.
"I was a cheerleader for the Seraphs once." she told Auron. "That's how I met Jecht. He said that all the other girls were pretty, and were athletic, and were everything I wasn't. He said they were all the same, and he hated that. He saw me, and chose me to be the girl he wanted to marry, because I was different."
Auron looked at her as she sniffed back a tear and smiled.
"Jecht said......even though I wasn't pretty, and clutzy with my routeins, and too quiet to chant......I was beautiful to him. He chose me because of everything I wasn't.....but when we started dating, and we got to love each other, he loved me for who I was."
"I know you miss him." Auron said. "And I know you will never take another husband, but you have to move on. For Tidus, and for yourself."
"I know." she nodded, wiping away a tear. "It's just hard."
Auron put his gloved hand on hers, gently squeezing.
"I'll help you then."
Tidus's mom lowered her head, and smiled. She didn't say it out loud, she just thanked him in her head.
********************
The game quickly went underway. The Meridon Ketshin were leading by three points, score 5-2. Tidus was getting frustrated that his team wasn't doing so well. He felt like smacking the goalie a few times, but that wouldn't have solved the problem. He thought about taking matters into his own hands.
He signaled to the front fielder when there was a time out. The front fielder, Medio, swam to Tidus as the boy started using hand movements to convey a new strategy. Tidus motioned that he would make the next goal, so the ball should be passed immediately to him. The front fielder nodded, and motioned the same to the other players. Then, Tidus swam back to his position and waited for the ball to go back into play.
"BLITZ OFF!" the referee shouted. The ball shot up in the air. Both front fielders jumped for it. The opposing team grabbed the ball and made a swim for the goal. Tidus was quick to catch him, and so was the front and right fielder. The opposing team member decided not to break through them, and keep dribbling for the goal.
So, Tidus and the other two players tackled him at once. Tidus wasted no time getting the ball, and swiming off with it to the goal. He stopped aways from it, and quickly took a shot.
The goalie didn't see it coming, and Tidus scored!
"Score, 5-3!" the announcer called. "Way to go, Tidus!" The crowd on his side cheered also.
Tidus did a boogie underwater in celebration, waving his hands to the audience. Things looked like they were going his way!
******************
Auron applauded Tidus's shot quietly, then continued to watch on. Yes, he was bored, but he wanted to come. Tidus's dream was to be a blitzer, and Auron respected that.
'Like father, like son.........although Tidus wishes it wasn't that way.......
'Was Jecht all that bad before he came to Spira?'
A movement below the sphere pool caught his eye, and he stared intensely. Something had moved down in the ringside just below the sphere of water. No one else seemed to notice. He leaned his head back, and took a quick whiff of air. He caught a familiar scent in the air around him, and he glared ahead at nothing.
He stood up and shuffled past others sitting by the bleachers.
"Mr. Auron?" Tidus's mom wondered, seeing him walk away.
"Something's wrong." was all Auron said as he walked to the isle, then ran down the steps.
*********************
"Score, tied 5-5!" the announcer cheered. "Ladies and gentlemen, Tidus is on fire tonight!"
Tidus and his team mates were high-fiving and clutching arms in congratulations. One more shot and they could win the game. Tidus could feel Wavria's arms around him now. Of course, all the other players would get affectionate gestures from the other cheerleaders: hugs, kisses, maybe a going steady proposal........
Tidus was grinning like a Cheshire Cat as we swam back to his spot on left field. One more goal and they would win.......
Suddenly, the presure started to rise inside the sphere. Tidus noticed it right away, and looked around. He didn't see anything unusual, so he shrugged it off and concentrated on the game.
Both front fielders took their positions and stared at the ball. They waited for it to launch eagerly. Only two minutes were left in the game, and it would all be over.
The pressure dropped even further, and this time everyone noticed. All the players were looking around, trying to see what was happening. Tidus looked below him into the ring on the ground, and saw sparks of electricity.
"BLITZ.....what?!" the announcer gasped. The sparks got bigger and bigger, then they struck the sphere! The water collapsed, and the players were dropped with it. All of them fell on the concrete below, some were knocked unconcious, others broke bones and screamed in pain. The audience started screaming, and lots of them fled the school stadium. Tidus's mother stood up in alarm.
"TIDUS!" she shouted, then she ran for the ring, fearful for her son. "TIDUS, WHERE ARE YOU?!"
*********************
Tidus opened his eyes and found himself with a bad headache. He sat up and rubbed his head, then found himself face to face with a giant, brown scaled dragon.
Fiend!
Tidus screamed and got up to run. The dragon hissed at him and shot its neck out, grabbing the back of Tidus's shirt with its teeth. The boy was pulled back until he landed roughly on his rear.
"HELP!"
"TIDUS, DUCK!"
The boy ducked his head and covered it with his arms. Suddenly, the teeth holding him was gone, the dragon roared in pain, then the sound of crying pyreflies filled his ears. Tidus looked up to see Auron standing over him in a cloud of drifting lights. Then, Tidus noticed the sword. Auron had a gigantic katana slung over his right shoulder.
"Auron?"
"Let's get you out of here." the man suggested calmly. "You're bleeding."
"You don't have to tell me twice." Tidus agreed, getting up. He and Auron ran for the edge of the ring. Tidus heard something chasing them, and turned to see it. It was a blue lizard fiend with sharp, yellow teeth. Tidus screamed again.
"AAAAAAA! AURON!"
Auron suddenly stopped and swung around to face the lizard, flinging Tidus behind him with his left hand. Auron knew it was too quick for him to catch, but he could at least drive it away.
"Keep going!" Auron shouted to Tidus, running for the fiend. As he swung his katana down, the lizard dodged and ran away. Tidus made it up to the edge of the ring, and swung over it to safety. He noticed that his team mates and the players from the other team had made it out too, either climbed out or were helped out by spectators.
His mother finally found him and ran to him.
"Tidus!" she cried, hugging him.
"Mom!" Tidus cried back, crying into her shirt. "What's going on?!"
"You're okay, honey! You're okay." She looked into the ring, and gasped. "Mr. Auron!"
Tidus looked too, seeing Auron surrounded by fiends. There were ten of them, forming a ring around him.
"Auron!" Tidus cried, worried about the man.
"Get out of here!" Auron shouted to them. "Hurry!"
Tidus and his mom froze, deciding whether to run for safety or stay and do what they could to help.
Tidus just had to stay. He couldn't leave Auron here........
Auron was a friend.......
*******************
Auron sneered at his situation, but wasn't worried. These fiends were easy kills........
He decided using his Bushido would be the easiest solution.
"Pray!" he shouted at the fiends. "NOW!"
He positioned his katana down to the ground, and leaped high into the air. He concentrated his ki into his katana, giving it strength for the blow. When he landed, he struck the blade into the ground and the fiends around him were given a hard blow from the ground. Each and every one of them fell over dead, and disapeared into masses of pyreflies. Auron slung his katana over his shoulder, and picked up his jug. He turned as he took a few gulps from it, then spied Tidus and his mother.
"Wouldn't listen?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Mother and child were stunned speachless.
"Whoa...." Tidus gasped. "Awesome....."
"Let's go." Auron suggested. "The police will be here any minute."
He swung himself over the ring, and sheathed his sword on his back. Then, he hurried Tidus and his mother up the stairs and to the exits. Tidus was still in awe.
'That was so cool.........that was amazing.......
'How did he do that?!'
*********************
Tidus was bleeding at the back of his head, so the doctor gave him stitches and sent him home. His mother was emotionally upset, so Auron decided he should drive the hydro car home. Tidus didn't like this one bit. Not only did he look silly with a bandage wrapped around his head and over his hair to keep the stitches covered, but.......
"What about my game?!" he whined in the back seat. "We were tied, nobody won! I got gyped of my kiss too!"
His mother sighed, and looked at him. They were both in the back seat as Auron sat by himself in the drivers. They were headed home, and there was little traffic to get in their way.
"Well, maybe you'll finish the game later." she comforted. "You did play very well, dear."
That cheered Tidus up a little, and he smiled.
"I was good, wasn't I? That Sphere Shot I did, I invented that myself. Wasn't it cool?"
"Yes, it was fantastic." his mother smiled. "You'll be a famous blitzer one day."
"Like his father." Auron interupted. Tidus glared at him.
"No, not like my old man!" he snapped. "I'll never be like him in a million years!"
"Tidus...." his mother gasped.
"Na uh...." Tidus continued. "Not like him......."
"That's fine." Auron sighed, slowing down in front of another hydro car. "Be however you want, Tidus. You just can't deny that your father is a respected man in Zanarkand."
"I know, I know." Tidus moaned. "It's just..........I wish I had a better father." He sat up and looked at Auron from his seat. "I wish I had a father.......like you."
Auron saw traffic ahead, and came to a stop in front of it. He took that still moment to turn his head and look at Tidus with his one eye.
"No, you don't."
"Yeah, I do! I really do, Auron!"
The old man shook his head.
"I consider myself a terrible father, and you know it."
"Hey, don't argue with me, Auron. I mean it!"
"Tidus?" his mother looked at her son and blinked. She was ignored as the two men argued.
"And don't you argue with me." Auron insisted to the boy, raising his voice. "I don't want you to ever....EVER.....even THINK of replacing your father! Jecht was a great, honorable man who deserves every single praise he recieves! I don't know why you hate him, Tidus!"
Tidus blinked in surprise. Auron never yelled at him before. Tidus lowered his head and crossed his arms.
"You can't make me stop hating him, Auron."
"............" the old man decided to be quiet as traffic started to move. Tidus's mother put her arms on her son's shoulders to comfort him. Suddenly, Tidus started crying, quickly trying to wipe away his tears. Auron ignored them and drove along the waterway back to their house, in complete silence.
*************************
Auron mysteriously disapeared the next morning. Tidus and his mother had no idea where he went. They had heard that the fiends had snuck into Zanarkand from the outside, and had damaged the sphere pool controls to look for food. Fortunantly, Auron had taken care of them, but the Zanarkand police were taking the credit.
Tidus didn't care. He was more concerned about Auron for once.
Two days later, the captain of the Caits came over to Tidus's house, asking if Tidus could hang out with them around town. Tidus agreed, saying goodbye to his mom, and the two boys wandered out to the big city.
They stopped at a karaoke bar, ordering root beers and taking five gils worth of tokens for songs. They sat a table as other customers took to the machine and sang, good or bad.
"So, what's this all about, Zax?" Tidus asked his captain. "I think this is more than just a song competition. I don't sing that well, you know."
His captain smiled, and slicked back the bangs of his long black hair.
"You're quick, Tidus." he congradualted. "Alright, I'll just say it. I'm going to high school this year, after I finish junior high. The Caits won't have a captain."
"Yeah." Tidus frowned, taking a drink of his root beer. "It'll be a lot quieter without you around."
"I want you to be captain."
Tidus almost choked on his drink.
"What?!"
"You're good, Tidus." Zax sighed. "You're REALLY good. You're a valuable member to the team, and I think they'd like to have you as their captain next year."
Tidus didn't know what to say. He stared into his glass a moment, then looked back up at Zax.
"I dunno. I'm not a good leader........"
"You're a great leader!"
".........I'm more the guy who tells the leader what to do in a game. A second-in-command kinda guy."
"No way, Tidus. You're a leader, alright. I saw how you handled that game. You're leader material."
Tidus sighed, not knowing what to do. He looked back up at the stage, hearing someone singing rather well to a song Tidus didn't recognize.
Zax shrugged to himself and shook his head.
"Alright.....fine....fine, then. You can talk about it with the rest of the team at next practice, and we can vote on it."
" 'Kay." Tidus agreed. When the singer stepped down from the stage, Zax stood up.
"Let's go next."
"Alrighty." Tidus nodded, getting up and stretching. "I mean it when I say I don't sing good."
They got up to the stage and Tidus put some tokens in the karaoke machine. He looked at the song grid, and browsed the titles. One in particular stood out, so he punched in the code at the machine. He walked to a mike and waited for the music to load.
"What did you enter?" Zax asked.
"Nowhere Man." Tidus grinned. "A song for a friend of mine."
Zax chuckled as the music started up. They both sang together, sounding rather good.
***************
He's a real nowhere man
Living in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans
For nobody
Doesn't have a point of view
Knows not where he's going to
Isn't he a bit like you
And me?
Nowhere man, please listen
You don't know what you're missin'
Nowhere man, the world is at your command
******************
As Tidus paused during the small intermission, he saw a familiar red coat in the crowd. He was sitting at a table with a glass of iced sake in his gloved hand. He was looking up at Tidus and smiling slightly. Tidus froze until Zax poked him in the elbow and the two continued singing.
*******************
He's as blind as he can be
Sees just what he wants to see
Nowhere man, can you see me
At all?
Nowhere man, don't worry
Take your time, don't hurry
Live it all, till somebody else lends you a hand
********************
Auron hummed along with them, smiling. He took a drink of sake and leaned his head back a little.
Next to the hymn, Jecht would sing this song when he was mad at Auron. It brought back some entertaining memories.
Auron hated to admit it.......
.....but he missed Jecht and Braska with all his heart.
Until he returned to Spira..........
........he was a nowhere man.
**********************
Doesn't have a point of view
Knows not where he's going to
Isn't he a bit like you
And me?
Nowhere man, please listen
You don't know what you're missin'
Nowhere man, the world is at your command
He's a real nowhere man
Sitting in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans
For nobody
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody.....
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody.....
*******************
TO BE CONTINUED......
A Father Like You (cont.)
Tidus was seven when his father disapeared.
Tidus was eight when Auron appeared.
Tidus is now elevin years old.
Last year, he joined his school blitzball team. The school was a memorial school, dedicated to one of the contracters of the city of Zanarkand: Herdero Junior High. The team he played for was the Herdero Caits. He was rather well known in the team as the left fielder. In fact, when he played defense, no opposing team player could get past him.
Tidus felt he was born to play blitzball.
Auron never told the boy, but Tidus had his full support in the game.
*********************
Auron sat next to the school entrance. He could see students of all grades and classes leaving for the day. His one eye scanned the crouds and uniformed bodies for Tidus, but didn't see him.
'He's never late. Where is he?'
Auron waited until all the students were gone. Tidus was nowhere in sight. Something was wrong. He got up and headed for the building.
Walking through the halls, he quickly found one of Tidus's teachers. The teacher had her bags hanging at her sides, heading for the door to leave.
"Where is Tidus?" he asked.
"I think he's in room 770C." the teacher answered, pointing behind her. "That's his last class."
"Thank you, miss."
He walked past her, looking at the room numbers until he came to the room. He stood outside the door, looking in. Tidus was sitting at one of the front desks, other boys were sitting in the back and chuckling to each other. A teacher in the front of the room noticed Auron, and walked to him.
"Can I help you, sir?" the teacher asked with a gruff voice. It was a man exactly as tall as Auron with a big bushy beard and blue eyes. If it weren't for his Zanarkand styled clothing, Auron would have mistaken him for another person.......
'Kinoc? I know it isn't.....but....'
Auron cleared his throat and looked at the teacher.
"I was looking for Tidus."
Tidus heard his name, and looked up at the door. He saw Auron, and slumped in his seat in embarasment.
"Oh, great....." he murmered.
"He doesn't get out in five mintues." the teacher answered. "He's in detention."
"Detention?" Auron asked.
'What's this, this detention?'
"Yeah." the teacher answered, having no clue that Auron was clueless. "See, he and those other boys were in a fight. I put them all in detention, cause fighting is against school rules."
"I see." Auron nodded. "May I talk to Tidus a moment?"
"Sure." the teacher agreed, stepping aside. Auron walked in and stood over Tidus. The boy sighed and pointed at the boys in the back.
"They started it." he explained. "They thought I was staring at Jorno's girlfriend and came up behind me, and......"
"I don't care who started it." Auron said firmly. "Did you fight back?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
Tidus looked up at Auron with a sneer.
"Cause I didn't want to get beaten up! You just don't sit there when these goons jump you, do you?"
"No." Auron agreed. "But fighting is against the rules, even if it's fighting back."
Tidus slammed his hands on the desk and stood up.
"They mugged me for something I didn't do! What did you expect me to do?! HUH?!"
"You shouldn't have fought. You should have ran away and told someone."
"And look like a sissy?! No way! My popularity depends on it! I'm famous here, y'know!"
"Best to run away and look like a coward, than to be badly injured and look like an idiot."
"..........." Tidus glared at Auron hard. He couldn't think of a good enough responce to it. He just crossed his arms with a "hmph."
"Some guardian you are." he mumbled. "You're always around, so how come you didn't save me from those bullies?"
"You're not hurt, I guess there was no point in saving you."
Tidus angrily rolled up his sleeve, and showed Auron his bare shoulder. There was a scratch that went from one end of his shoulder to the other. The boys in the back just snickered at him while Auron adjusted his sunglasses.
"Tidus, you won't die from a scratch."
"You call this a scratch?! This'll scar! Aren't you at least going to punnish those morons?!"
"I'm not their mother, so why should I?! Now sit down and calm down."
Tidus sat back down in his seat and put his feet up on the desk to lounge.
"You aren't my mother either, Auron, so there's nothing you can do to me."
"Maybe not." Auron replied. "We'll see what your REAL mother has to say about this, however."
Tidus's face fell, and he slumped in shame. The boys in the back of the room laughed at him.
"Mama's boy!" one of them shouted. Tidus sat back up immediatley.
"Shaddup, Jorno!"
"Hey, that's enough!" the teacher shouted. "All you punks quiet down!"
All the boys fell silent, and Tidus looked back up at Auron.
"See what I have to put up with around here?"
"I pity you." Auron said sarcastically. "Time for you to go now, I suppose."
"Cool, let's go." Tidus agreed, getting up and getting his backpack. The other boys started snickering at him. Tidus just flung an insulting hand at them, and trailed behind Auron out the door.
***************
"You could have at least waited until we left." Tidus whined to Auron on the walk back home. "You had to say all of that in front of them, didn't you?"
"Did you cry?" Auron asked.
Tidus ran in front of Auron with an angry face.
"NO, I DIDN'T CRY! GIRLS CRY!"
"Oh. I wasn't familiar with that one."
Tidus growled and fell back until he was walking back by Auron's side.
"You're not around as often as you used to be, Auron. Why's that? Did you finally get a job or something?"
Auron didn't look at Tidus. Where Auron currently lived, what he did all day, and how he kept himself fed and healthy was not any of Tidus's business.
"Not the kind of job you're thinking about. I'm just your guardian."
"I mean......you used to be everywhere I went. Now I usually see you at home or out on the school blitzball field. Where do you go all day?"
"Sight-seeing, sometimes." Auron answered. "It's been three years, and I still haven't seen all of Zanarkand."
Tidus laughed.
"Man, that's a fool's dream, Auron. Zanarkand is pratcially the size of a continent. You could spend your whole life here, and STILL not see all of Zanarkand."
"..........."
"Sheesh, where are you from, man?"
"Far away."
"Yeah, that's for sure." Tidus muttered, putting his hands behind his head. "So....uh.....what's it like where you're from?"
That wasn't any of Tidus's business either. So, Auron changed the subject.
"Tell me about the rest of your day. How was practice?"
"Aw man.......how come you won't talk about yourself, Auron?"
"How are your grades doing? Good? Bad?"
Tidus sighed.
"Good, I guess. I don't get my grades until next month. And I've got a game this weekend, can you drive me there?"
"Sure." Auron nodded, frowning. Tidus's family did have a hydro car, and Auron did have a licence to drive one, but he didn't enjoy it. He'd prefer a chocobo anyday, but the animals haven't evolved in Zanarkand yet.
"Cool. Well, how about this.......what's in that jug you're always carrying?"
Auron put his hand on the white jug protectively.
"Something little boys shouldn't be drinking."
"Aw, c'mon, just one little sip?"
"No, Tidus."
"C'mon!"
"I said no."
"Hmph. You're no fun."
"You're still in trouble for fighting today, Tidus."
"Please don't tell mom. Please?"
"Sorry."
Tidus groaned.
"Aw man....."
*****************
The next day, Tidus walked to school alone. Everything seemed peaceful enough until afternoon blitzball practice. Tidus was relaxing during the break when he felt water dumped onto his head. Tidus sputtered in surprise and sat up. He saw Jorno and his gang behind him, Jorno holding an empty bucket.
Tidus narrowed his eyes at them.
"I didn't look at your stupid girlfriend, Jorno. I don't even like girls." Tidus growled.
"Don't call her stupid." Jorno insisted, handing the bucket to a flunky. "You're the one who's stupid."
"You gonna pick another fight with me?"
"Maybe." Jorno grinned. "I don't see your MOMMY or your DADDY around to protect you."
Tidus sneered at them.
"My old man is dead, everyone knows that. And if you're talking about Auron, I don't need him around to get out of trouble."
"Whatever." Jorno shrugged off, cracking his knuckles. "You're still going to get it."
Tidus balled his fists.
"You started it, so don't blame me after I knock your brains out of your head."
*******************
Auron watched from a corner of the pool side, seeing Tidus getting attacked by his bullies again. He just shook his head, staying where he was.
'Why does he do this?
'He's worse than Jecht......'
He just watched at Tidus was beaten up by the boys, until a gleam in the light caught his eye.....
........one of the bullies had a knife!
Auron stood up and ran.......
********************
Tidus could only try to bat their fists away as he felt pain in his sides, stomach and face. He was being punched at all sides, and crying.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp stinging in his back, and yelled in pain. He felt it again and again in his sides, and hunched over. What were they doing?!
Suddenly, it stopped. He heard Jorno yelping in surprise.
"No one move!" he heard Auron shout. "All of you are staying right here!"
Tidus raised his head, seeing Auron standing in front of him. He had one hand on Jorno's head, and the other pinning the bully's arms behind his back. The other four lackies were standing on Tidus's other side.
"Explain." Auron demanded the boys. "Now."
"Eh-eh-eh-explain what?!" Jorno cried. Auron grabbed the boy's other hand and held it up for all to see. It was clutching the knife, and was stained with blood.
"That." Auron answered. "What were you doing with this?"
"I.....I, uh....I...." Jorno stammered.
Tidus couldn't believe his tearful eyes.
"You tried to kill me!" the boy cried.
"No! No, no, no......I....."
"That's enough." Auron suggested. "I would have let you boys hit him as much as you wanted, but violence at this magnitude is unexceptable."
"What?" one of the flunkies blinked.
"Who are you, man?" another flunky asked. "You're not his dad, are you?"
"No." Auron answered. "Jecht is. I'm Tidus's guardian."
"We know that." a flunkie snorted.
"Auron!" Tidus cried, holding his sides. "Help! I'm bleeding! It hurts!"
Auron sighed, feeling rather helpless. He took the knife from Jorno, and let the boy go.
"We're all walking to the school sick room." he insisted, walking to Tidus. "All five of you will have to show me where it is. Now start walking."
As the bullies took lead, Auron picked up Tidus carefully, holding the boy's bleeding side tightly to help stop the bleeding.
"We'll take you to a doctor, Tidus." Auron soothed. "You can stop crying now."
*********************
Tidus cried all the way home that day. The school doctor tended to the wounds, and suggested the boy be sent to a hospital. Auron carried Tidus all the way there, and called his mother from the building. Tidus cried himself to sleep on the hospital bed. He slept all the way home as Auron drove him home in the hydro car.
As the months passed after that, Tidus had to think about Auron's words that day:
.......I would have let you boys hit him as much as you wanted........
He would have just sat there as Tidus got the tar kicked out of him. Why? Why would Auron do that? It wasn't until.....
.......but violence at this magnitude is unexceptable........
It would take another two years for Tidus to realize why Auron said those words that day.
*********************
It was the night of yet another junior high blitzball game. Tidus's school versus another school in his same area. Most of the crowd were students, parents, and random members of the comunity.
To Tidus, this wasn't just "another game." This was the junior high homecoming game!
And he had been voted Captain Cait, and his prize for winning the game was a kiss from his school's homecoming queen!
Tidus was looking very foreword to winning; this year's queen was a beaut! Wavria was the prettiest cheerleader of the junior high, and she had a gillion guys begging to be her boyfriend. Tidus was one of them, after overcoming his hate for girls.
Auron said he would come to the game, and his mom would be there too.
Most of his community would be there to see him, and Tidus couldn't be any more excited.
It was THE day.....HIS day.....
Something told him it would be a day to remember.
******************
Auron and Tidus's mom sat together in the front bleachers. The sphere pool covered only five square miles, and was filled with water by electric lazers and held together with static.
Auron found it curious. The sphere pool was a lot smaller than the one in Luca, not that he cared much. He found blitzball to be rather boring.
But, if it was what Tidus loved....
"Are you alright?" he asked Tidus's mother, turning to her. She nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine." she answered. "It's just been so long."
"I would have agreed with Tidus. Staying in the house for years like that isn't good for you."
"I know." she moaned, staring at her hand. "When does the game start?"
"In a few minutes, I think."
The cheerleaders came out, doing routeins for their teams. Tidus's mom looked at them and smiled weakly.
"Go, go, Ketshi go!" the Meriton Ketshin cheerleaders shouted, waving their arms and twirling lazer rope. "Go, go, give'em a show!"
"Hey, hey, sic em, Caits!" the cheerleaders for Tidus's school also chanted, jumping and doing flips in mid air. "Hey, hey, make em ache!"
Tidus's mom chuckled slightly.
"I was a cheerleader for the Seraphs once." she told Auron. "That's how I met Jecht. He said that all the other girls were pretty, and were athletic, and were everything I wasn't. He said they were all the same, and he hated that. He saw me, and chose me to be the girl he wanted to marry, because I was different."
Auron looked at her as she sniffed back a tear and smiled.
"Jecht said......even though I wasn't pretty, and clutzy with my routeins, and too quiet to chant......I was beautiful to him. He chose me because of everything I wasn't.....but when we started dating, and we got to love each other, he loved me for who I was."
"I know you miss him." Auron said. "And I know you will never take another husband, but you have to move on. For Tidus, and for yourself."
"I know." she nodded, wiping away a tear. "It's just hard."
Auron put his gloved hand on hers, gently squeezing.
"I'll help you then."
Tidus's mom lowered her head, and smiled. She didn't say it out loud, she just thanked him in her head.
********************
The game quickly went underway. The Meridon Ketshin were leading by three points, score 5-2. Tidus was getting frustrated that his team wasn't doing so well. He felt like smacking the goalie a few times, but that wouldn't have solved the problem. He thought about taking matters into his own hands.
He signaled to the front fielder when there was a time out. The front fielder, Medio, swam to Tidus as the boy started using hand movements to convey a new strategy. Tidus motioned that he would make the next goal, so the ball should be passed immediately to him. The front fielder nodded, and motioned the same to the other players. Then, Tidus swam back to his position and waited for the ball to go back into play.
"BLITZ OFF!" the referee shouted. The ball shot up in the air. Both front fielders jumped for it. The opposing team grabbed the ball and made a swim for the goal. Tidus was quick to catch him, and so was the front and right fielder. The opposing team member decided not to break through them, and keep dribbling for the goal.
So, Tidus and the other two players tackled him at once. Tidus wasted no time getting the ball, and swiming off with it to the goal. He stopped aways from it, and quickly took a shot.
The goalie didn't see it coming, and Tidus scored!
"Score, 5-3!" the announcer called. "Way to go, Tidus!" The crowd on his side cheered also.
Tidus did a boogie underwater in celebration, waving his hands to the audience. Things looked like they were going his way!
******************
Auron applauded Tidus's shot quietly, then continued to watch on. Yes, he was bored, but he wanted to come. Tidus's dream was to be a blitzer, and Auron respected that.
'Like father, like son.........although Tidus wishes it wasn't that way.......
'Was Jecht all that bad before he came to Spira?'
A movement below the sphere pool caught his eye, and he stared intensely. Something had moved down in the ringside just below the sphere of water. No one else seemed to notice. He leaned his head back, and took a quick whiff of air. He caught a familiar scent in the air around him, and he glared ahead at nothing.
He stood up and shuffled past others sitting by the bleachers.
"Mr. Auron?" Tidus's mom wondered, seeing him walk away.
"Something's wrong." was all Auron said as he walked to the isle, then ran down the steps.
*********************
"Score, tied 5-5!" the announcer cheered. "Ladies and gentlemen, Tidus is on fire tonight!"
Tidus and his team mates were high-fiving and clutching arms in congratulations. One more shot and they could win the game. Tidus could feel Wavria's arms around him now. Of course, all the other players would get affectionate gestures from the other cheerleaders: hugs, kisses, maybe a going steady proposal........
Tidus was grinning like a Cheshire Cat as we swam back to his spot on left field. One more goal and they would win.......
Suddenly, the presure started to rise inside the sphere. Tidus noticed it right away, and looked around. He didn't see anything unusual, so he shrugged it off and concentrated on the game.
Both front fielders took their positions and stared at the ball. They waited for it to launch eagerly. Only two minutes were left in the game, and it would all be over.
The pressure dropped even further, and this time everyone noticed. All the players were looking around, trying to see what was happening. Tidus looked below him into the ring on the ground, and saw sparks of electricity.
"BLITZ.....what?!" the announcer gasped. The sparks got bigger and bigger, then they struck the sphere! The water collapsed, and the players were dropped with it. All of them fell on the concrete below, some were knocked unconcious, others broke bones and screamed in pain. The audience started screaming, and lots of them fled the school stadium. Tidus's mother stood up in alarm.
"TIDUS!" she shouted, then she ran for the ring, fearful for her son. "TIDUS, WHERE ARE YOU?!"
*********************
Tidus opened his eyes and found himself with a bad headache. He sat up and rubbed his head, then found himself face to face with a giant, brown scaled dragon.
Fiend!
Tidus screamed and got up to run. The dragon hissed at him and shot its neck out, grabbing the back of Tidus's shirt with its teeth. The boy was pulled back until he landed roughly on his rear.
"HELP!"
"TIDUS, DUCK!"
The boy ducked his head and covered it with his arms. Suddenly, the teeth holding him was gone, the dragon roared in pain, then the sound of crying pyreflies filled his ears. Tidus looked up to see Auron standing over him in a cloud of drifting lights. Then, Tidus noticed the sword. Auron had a gigantic katana slung over his right shoulder.
"Auron?"
"Let's get you out of here." the man suggested calmly. "You're bleeding."
"You don't have to tell me twice." Tidus agreed, getting up. He and Auron ran for the edge of the ring. Tidus heard something chasing them, and turned to see it. It was a blue lizard fiend with sharp, yellow teeth. Tidus screamed again.
"AAAAAAA! AURON!"
Auron suddenly stopped and swung around to face the lizard, flinging Tidus behind him with his left hand. Auron knew it was too quick for him to catch, but he could at least drive it away.
"Keep going!" Auron shouted to Tidus, running for the fiend. As he swung his katana down, the lizard dodged and ran away. Tidus made it up to the edge of the ring, and swung over it to safety. He noticed that his team mates and the players from the other team had made it out too, either climbed out or were helped out by spectators.
His mother finally found him and ran to him.
"Tidus!" she cried, hugging him.
"Mom!" Tidus cried back, crying into her shirt. "What's going on?!"
"You're okay, honey! You're okay." She looked into the ring, and gasped. "Mr. Auron!"
Tidus looked too, seeing Auron surrounded by fiends. There were ten of them, forming a ring around him.
"Auron!" Tidus cried, worried about the man.
"Get out of here!" Auron shouted to them. "Hurry!"
Tidus and his mom froze, deciding whether to run for safety or stay and do what they could to help.
Tidus just had to stay. He couldn't leave Auron here........
Auron was a friend.......
*******************
Auron sneered at his situation, but wasn't worried. These fiends were easy kills........
He decided using his Bushido would be the easiest solution.
"Pray!" he shouted at the fiends. "NOW!"
He positioned his katana down to the ground, and leaped high into the air. He concentrated his ki into his katana, giving it strength for the blow. When he landed, he struck the blade into the ground and the fiends around him were given a hard blow from the ground. Each and every one of them fell over dead, and disapeared into masses of pyreflies. Auron slung his katana over his shoulder, and picked up his jug. He turned as he took a few gulps from it, then spied Tidus and his mother.
"Wouldn't listen?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Mother and child were stunned speachless.
"Whoa...." Tidus gasped. "Awesome....."
"Let's go." Auron suggested. "The police will be here any minute."
He swung himself over the ring, and sheathed his sword on his back. Then, he hurried Tidus and his mother up the stairs and to the exits. Tidus was still in awe.
'That was so cool.........that was amazing.......
'How did he do that?!'
*********************
Tidus was bleeding at the back of his head, so the doctor gave him stitches and sent him home. His mother was emotionally upset, so Auron decided he should drive the hydro car home. Tidus didn't like this one bit. Not only did he look silly with a bandage wrapped around his head and over his hair to keep the stitches covered, but.......
"What about my game?!" he whined in the back seat. "We were tied, nobody won! I got gyped of my kiss too!"
His mother sighed, and looked at him. They were both in the back seat as Auron sat by himself in the drivers. They were headed home, and there was little traffic to get in their way.
"Well, maybe you'll finish the game later." she comforted. "You did play very well, dear."
That cheered Tidus up a little, and he smiled.
"I was good, wasn't I? That Sphere Shot I did, I invented that myself. Wasn't it cool?"
"Yes, it was fantastic." his mother smiled. "You'll be a famous blitzer one day."
"Like his father." Auron interupted. Tidus glared at him.
"No, not like my old man!" he snapped. "I'll never be like him in a million years!"
"Tidus...." his mother gasped.
"Na uh...." Tidus continued. "Not like him......."
"That's fine." Auron sighed, slowing down in front of another hydro car. "Be however you want, Tidus. You just can't deny that your father is a respected man in Zanarkand."
"I know, I know." Tidus moaned. "It's just..........I wish I had a better father." He sat up and looked at Auron from his seat. "I wish I had a father.......like you."
Auron saw traffic ahead, and came to a stop in front of it. He took that still moment to turn his head and look at Tidus with his one eye.
"No, you don't."
"Yeah, I do! I really do, Auron!"
The old man shook his head.
"I consider myself a terrible father, and you know it."
"Hey, don't argue with me, Auron. I mean it!"
"Tidus?" his mother looked at her son and blinked. She was ignored as the two men argued.
"And don't you argue with me." Auron insisted to the boy, raising his voice. "I don't want you to ever....EVER.....even THINK of replacing your father! Jecht was a great, honorable man who deserves every single praise he recieves! I don't know why you hate him, Tidus!"
Tidus blinked in surprise. Auron never yelled at him before. Tidus lowered his head and crossed his arms.
"You can't make me stop hating him, Auron."
"............" the old man decided to be quiet as traffic started to move. Tidus's mother put her arms on her son's shoulders to comfort him. Suddenly, Tidus started crying, quickly trying to wipe away his tears. Auron ignored them and drove along the waterway back to their house, in complete silence.
*************************
Auron mysteriously disapeared the next morning. Tidus and his mother had no idea where he went. They had heard that the fiends had snuck into Zanarkand from the outside, and had damaged the sphere pool controls to look for food. Fortunantly, Auron had taken care of them, but the Zanarkand police were taking the credit.
Tidus didn't care. He was more concerned about Auron for once.
Two days later, the captain of the Caits came over to Tidus's house, asking if Tidus could hang out with them around town. Tidus agreed, saying goodbye to his mom, and the two boys wandered out to the big city.
They stopped at a karaoke bar, ordering root beers and taking five gils worth of tokens for songs. They sat a table as other customers took to the machine and sang, good or bad.
"So, what's this all about, Zax?" Tidus asked his captain. "I think this is more than just a song competition. I don't sing that well, you know."
His captain smiled, and slicked back the bangs of his long black hair.
"You're quick, Tidus." he congradualted. "Alright, I'll just say it. I'm going to high school this year, after I finish junior high. The Caits won't have a captain."
"Yeah." Tidus frowned, taking a drink of his root beer. "It'll be a lot quieter without you around."
"I want you to be captain."
Tidus almost choked on his drink.
"What?!"
"You're good, Tidus." Zax sighed. "You're REALLY good. You're a valuable member to the team, and I think they'd like to have you as their captain next year."
Tidus didn't know what to say. He stared into his glass a moment, then looked back up at Zax.
"I dunno. I'm not a good leader........"
"You're a great leader!"
".........I'm more the guy who tells the leader what to do in a game. A second-in-command kinda guy."
"No way, Tidus. You're a leader, alright. I saw how you handled that game. You're leader material."
Tidus sighed, not knowing what to do. He looked back up at the stage, hearing someone singing rather well to a song Tidus didn't recognize.
Zax shrugged to himself and shook his head.
"Alright.....fine....fine, then. You can talk about it with the rest of the team at next practice, and we can vote on it."
" 'Kay." Tidus agreed. When the singer stepped down from the stage, Zax stood up.
"Let's go next."
"Alrighty." Tidus nodded, getting up and stretching. "I mean it when I say I don't sing good."
They got up to the stage and Tidus put some tokens in the karaoke machine. He looked at the song grid, and browsed the titles. One in particular stood out, so he punched in the code at the machine. He walked to a mike and waited for the music to load.
"What did you enter?" Zax asked.
"Nowhere Man." Tidus grinned. "A song for a friend of mine."
Zax chuckled as the music started up. They both sang together, sounding rather good.
***************
He's a real nowhere man
Living in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans
For nobody
Doesn't have a point of view
Knows not where he's going to
Isn't he a bit like you
And me?
Nowhere man, please listen
You don't know what you're missin'
Nowhere man, the world is at your command
******************
As Tidus paused during the small intermission, he saw a familiar red coat in the crowd. He was sitting at a table with a glass of iced sake in his gloved hand. He was looking up at Tidus and smiling slightly. Tidus froze until Zax poked him in the elbow and the two continued singing.
*******************
He's as blind as he can be
Sees just what he wants to see
Nowhere man, can you see me
At all?
Nowhere man, don't worry
Take your time, don't hurry
Live it all, till somebody else lends you a hand
********************
Auron hummed along with them, smiling. He took a drink of sake and leaned his head back a little.
Next to the hymn, Jecht would sing this song when he was mad at Auron. It brought back some entertaining memories.
Auron hated to admit it.......
.....but he missed Jecht and Braska with all his heart.
Until he returned to Spira..........
........he was a nowhere man.
**********************
Doesn't have a point of view
Knows not where he's going to
Isn't he a bit like you
And me?
Nowhere man, please listen
You don't know what you're missin'
Nowhere man, the world is at your command
He's a real nowhere man
Sitting in his nowhere land
Making all his nowhere plans
For nobody
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody.....
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody.....
*******************
TO BE CONTINUED......