OK. This is my one and only disclaimer that will appear in the whole
story. So, without further ado:
I don not own Final Fantasy X, the characters, or places depicted in this
book. This is a work of fiction based upon the game "Final Fantasy X" by
Squaresoft Games Co.
-CGM
~Chapter 2~
When Tidus awoke, he was freezing cold. Of course, that might've been because he was lying in the middle of ice-cold water. He was half washed up on a rock, one of many in this strange place. A single bird was perched on the same rock, and as Tidus looked around, it was the only company he had.
"Anybody there?" he called.
Nothing.
"Auron!" Tidus yelled.
Still, no reply.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" Tidus yelled into the air, scaring the bird away. Watching it, he saw it fly to a building that was not far away. He began to swim towards the structure, which appeared to be some kind of ancient ruins. He found a low ledge where he could hoist himself up onto dryer land. Looking all about, he apprehensively walked on.
Shivering and shaking, Tidus found himself in a precarious situation. Continuing to look around for Auron, Tidus ventured on. It occurred to him that he had lost his sword, and without it, in this strange place, he felt like a sitting duck.
Cold stone met his wet sneakers with every step. As he walked, he observed that this place had probably been abandoned for quite some time. Deciding that it would probably be warmer inside the building, he began to search for an entrance.
A short time later, Tidus made his way down a narrow and crumbling hallway that eventually emerged into what was once a beautiful palace. 1,000 years had passed since anyone had been there, and the wear and tear showed, in the form of holes in the high ceiling, crumbled stone on the floor, and peeling paint.
As Tidus walked to the center of the round room, he discovered it was colder inside. As he shivered in his T-shirt and shorts, he looked around for a source of warmth. Not finding one, he managed to mutter, "Need. Fire."
As he continued to the center, he spied what looked like the remains of a recently burned fire. "Fire. Hello!" Tidus called. If there was a recent fire, perhaps the people who lit it were still here.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
There came no response, and Tidus was certain that he was truly alone. Determined to start the fire again, Tidus picked up two of the charred sticks, and started rubbing them together.
It was a no-go. Tidus needed to find something flammable, and he needed to find it quickly, or he would probably freeze to death. Spotting a doorway he had not seen when he came in, Tidus ran over and opened up the doorway to a crumbling staircase. Putting himself at great personal risk, Tidus braved the stairs, carefully avoiding the debris that had fallen from the ceiling. Finally arriving at the top, Tidus looked for something, anything that might catch on fire.
Not finding anything, Tidus stepped through the small hallway to his left and emerged on a balcony that overlooked the main room of the crumbling temple. He trekked to the end of this circular outcropping, until his eye caught something that looked like.
It was dry leaves, lying there in plain view. Tidus mentally kicked himself for not seeing it right away. Grabbing the leaves, he traveled back into the main room, and laying the leaves on the charred wood, started the stick-rubbing again, until finally, the leaves caught, and after that, the wood ignited into flame.
Tidus looked around the illuminated chamber and sat next to the fire, taking in its warmth. Letting the heat wash over him, he fell into a deep sleep.
"What do you want?" he asked. He was back in his apartment in Chicago. Someone was standing in the doorway.
"It was a bad call," Auron's voice responded. "Your team lost because of you."
"You came to say that?!" Tidus asked, as Auron's image slowly swam into view. He brushed past Tidus into the living room. "It's been. Ten years, hasn't it?"
Tidus knew what he was talking about. "So?" he asked uneasily.
"I thought you'd be crying," Auron said, disappearing into the kitchen.
"Who, ME?" Tidus called.
And suddenly, the same young boy that had stopped time was standing in front of him, the same boy who had said it had begun.
"You cried," he said.
Tidus was once again feeling cold. His eyes opened, and he saw that the fire was quickly dying. "No. Wait! Don't go out on me!" he yelled at it. "Hold on, I'll find more wood!"
Tidus stood to look for more fire wood, when he realized he was being watched. He looked up, and saw a hideous, long and spindly looking thing perched on the balcony he had been on previously. It watched him through blood red bug eyes, and flexed its 10-inch-long claws. It began to bunch its hindquarters up, and it leaped off of the balcony, and right towards Tidus.
But basketball had gifted Tidus with lightning fast reflexes, and he moved out of the way. Running out of the chamber, he dived back into the water, looking desperately for his sword. As he swam, he noticed the creature was prowling the edge of the temple ground, not daring to go into the water.
As he swam, he kept a constant eye out for his sword, and by dumb luck, managed to find it wedged into some rocks.
After he cautiously reentered the temple, he found the creature lying dead on the floor. Uneasily looking around, Tidus brought his sword up into a ready position, when he was clocked from behind.
As he fell, people. Strange people. Started emerging from behind the rocks. One of them grabbed Tidus from behind, and held him by the hair, with a knife to his throat.
"Nu fellad bic cono, qui?" he spoke in a deep voice.
"Faid!" a girl's voice responded. She stepped out and spoke to the man holding Tidus. "Fuy vonna no tilla!"
"Nu chine! Auda yoove onna fetok!" he yelled back at her.
"Faid!" she said with more desperation in her voice. She approached Tidus, and leaned over to whisper in his right ear.
"Cunno," she said.
Tidus soon fell unconscious, due to the fact that the girl punched him hard in the kidney. As he fell to the floor, the people left, but as they did, they took him with them.
-CGM
~Chapter 2~
When Tidus awoke, he was freezing cold. Of course, that might've been because he was lying in the middle of ice-cold water. He was half washed up on a rock, one of many in this strange place. A single bird was perched on the same rock, and as Tidus looked around, it was the only company he had.
"Anybody there?" he called.
Nothing.
"Auron!" Tidus yelled.
Still, no reply.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" Tidus yelled into the air, scaring the bird away. Watching it, he saw it fly to a building that was not far away. He began to swim towards the structure, which appeared to be some kind of ancient ruins. He found a low ledge where he could hoist himself up onto dryer land. Looking all about, he apprehensively walked on.
Shivering and shaking, Tidus found himself in a precarious situation. Continuing to look around for Auron, Tidus ventured on. It occurred to him that he had lost his sword, and without it, in this strange place, he felt like a sitting duck.
Cold stone met his wet sneakers with every step. As he walked, he observed that this place had probably been abandoned for quite some time. Deciding that it would probably be warmer inside the building, he began to search for an entrance.
A short time later, Tidus made his way down a narrow and crumbling hallway that eventually emerged into what was once a beautiful palace. 1,000 years had passed since anyone had been there, and the wear and tear showed, in the form of holes in the high ceiling, crumbled stone on the floor, and peeling paint.
As Tidus walked to the center of the round room, he discovered it was colder inside. As he shivered in his T-shirt and shorts, he looked around for a source of warmth. Not finding one, he managed to mutter, "Need. Fire."
As he continued to the center, he spied what looked like the remains of a recently burned fire. "Fire. Hello!" Tidus called. If there was a recent fire, perhaps the people who lit it were still here.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
There came no response, and Tidus was certain that he was truly alone. Determined to start the fire again, Tidus picked up two of the charred sticks, and started rubbing them together.
It was a no-go. Tidus needed to find something flammable, and he needed to find it quickly, or he would probably freeze to death. Spotting a doorway he had not seen when he came in, Tidus ran over and opened up the doorway to a crumbling staircase. Putting himself at great personal risk, Tidus braved the stairs, carefully avoiding the debris that had fallen from the ceiling. Finally arriving at the top, Tidus looked for something, anything that might catch on fire.
Not finding anything, Tidus stepped through the small hallway to his left and emerged on a balcony that overlooked the main room of the crumbling temple. He trekked to the end of this circular outcropping, until his eye caught something that looked like.
It was dry leaves, lying there in plain view. Tidus mentally kicked himself for not seeing it right away. Grabbing the leaves, he traveled back into the main room, and laying the leaves on the charred wood, started the stick-rubbing again, until finally, the leaves caught, and after that, the wood ignited into flame.
Tidus looked around the illuminated chamber and sat next to the fire, taking in its warmth. Letting the heat wash over him, he fell into a deep sleep.
"What do you want?" he asked. He was back in his apartment in Chicago. Someone was standing in the doorway.
"It was a bad call," Auron's voice responded. "Your team lost because of you."
"You came to say that?!" Tidus asked, as Auron's image slowly swam into view. He brushed past Tidus into the living room. "It's been. Ten years, hasn't it?"
Tidus knew what he was talking about. "So?" he asked uneasily.
"I thought you'd be crying," Auron said, disappearing into the kitchen.
"Who, ME?" Tidus called.
And suddenly, the same young boy that had stopped time was standing in front of him, the same boy who had said it had begun.
"You cried," he said.
Tidus was once again feeling cold. His eyes opened, and he saw that the fire was quickly dying. "No. Wait! Don't go out on me!" he yelled at it. "Hold on, I'll find more wood!"
Tidus stood to look for more fire wood, when he realized he was being watched. He looked up, and saw a hideous, long and spindly looking thing perched on the balcony he had been on previously. It watched him through blood red bug eyes, and flexed its 10-inch-long claws. It began to bunch its hindquarters up, and it leaped off of the balcony, and right towards Tidus.
But basketball had gifted Tidus with lightning fast reflexes, and he moved out of the way. Running out of the chamber, he dived back into the water, looking desperately for his sword. As he swam, he noticed the creature was prowling the edge of the temple ground, not daring to go into the water.
As he swam, he kept a constant eye out for his sword, and by dumb luck, managed to find it wedged into some rocks.
After he cautiously reentered the temple, he found the creature lying dead on the floor. Uneasily looking around, Tidus brought his sword up into a ready position, when he was clocked from behind.
As he fell, people. Strange people. Started emerging from behind the rocks. One of them grabbed Tidus from behind, and held him by the hair, with a knife to his throat.
"Nu fellad bic cono, qui?" he spoke in a deep voice.
"Faid!" a girl's voice responded. She stepped out and spoke to the man holding Tidus. "Fuy vonna no tilla!"
"Nu chine! Auda yoove onna fetok!" he yelled back at her.
"Faid!" she said with more desperation in her voice. She approached Tidus, and leaned over to whisper in his right ear.
"Cunno," she said.
Tidus soon fell unconscious, due to the fact that the girl punched him hard in the kidney. As he fell to the floor, the people left, but as they did, they took him with them.