Another Journey
By Slash Fanatic
Ch. 2
The Unexpected
A/N: I'm so, so, so sorry for not updating this fic ppl. But here's an update finally! If you were following this story before it's deletion, I took out the Lulu/Rikku pairing in this story. So I had to rewrite the entire middle of this chapter. Not to mention that I went around here and there and did some editing. But it came out longer and better! I think lol.
Shout-Outs: I thank all my online friends for reviewing me (you know who you are lol). ::huggles:: X3 I luff u guys.
Ronso69: Hey there! What ever happened to you!?! I think you haven't updated your fic in the longest time like me! . Update your fic now! I command you! lol
Daemon-Mind, animedevil, CrashEmma, Jenna: Thank you all for r/r-ing, I deeply appreciate it. :D
Disclaimer/Warnings: Check them out on the first chapter if you must.
"text" = dialogue
[text] = thoughts
= time/scene change
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Tidus and Wakka laid sprawled on the soft sand of Besaid Beach, looking at the inky black, night time sky. All afternoon, the two blitzers waited for the Gullwings to arrive as the sun was slowly replaced by the moon. The blonde had his head rested on the older man's chest; the latter having his arm wrapped around him.
"The stars look so pretty, ya?"
"Yeah, they do…they're so clear, so bright."
"Unlike your Zanarkand, right?" Wakka questioned.
"Mhmm. The intense light pollution from the city would've blocked them out. At ground level anyway."
It took the redhead three seconds to come up with something clever. "Good thing you're here so you could see'em with me, eh?" Wakka said smugly, hugging his boyfriend closer. Tidus nipped the man's chest in response.
"Ow!…" Before Wakka could say anything, the blonde nimbly got on top of him and started to make-out with him. In response, he wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist, bringing him closer and intensifying the kiss. Tidus ended up breaking it off, much to the dissatisfaction of his lover.
"Hey Tidus, you know…"
Tidus put an index finger on his lips to silence him.
"What is it?" the redhead whispered.
The young man had his aqua blue eyes searching the terrain. He gave his surroundings a thorough search and looked back down at the man beneath him. "It's nothing, love." He still had a concerned look on his face.
Wakka frowned. "Tidus…I know you're lying. Tell me what's wrong." Tidus was now sitting next to him, suddenly interested at looking at his feet.
"I don't know what it was exactly…I just felt…uneasy…" Tidus explained.
"Uneasy?"
He nodded. "I could of sworn I felt someone watching us…"
{In Besaid Village}
"The girls are sure taking their sweet time." Auron said, trying to strike up a conversation. He was hanging around Lulu all day, both persons not being the talkative type, so the atmosphere often got boring when it was just the two of them.
"Mm-hmm." Lulu mumbled.
The former guardians were sitting at the table in Lulu's hut. Her home was littered with various dolls that the mage collected over the years. They were all in perfect condition as well because she was the only one allowed to play with them, along with some of the village girls.
Auron shook his head. "I'm going to go practice…" He stood up and grabbed his katana by the door. "See you later Lulu." He didn't bother to put on his coat.
"Bye Auron, don't hurt yourself with that sword."
He snorted in response. "Like that would ever happen."
"I could spar with you if you like."
"Humph. It's okay Lulu, I would take you out with one strike, not that I'm bragging…"
"Perhaps…if you could survive my magic that is." The black mage said coolly.
"Indeed…" He smiled and nodded goodbye to Lulu and went outside.
The swordsman took a brief look around the village. The bonfire was on, like it was every night. Most of the villagers weren't outside except for some "night owls." He began to walk towards the entrance of the village and continued walking past it.
Auron ascended the steep dirt path until he reached the very top of the hill that overlooked Besaid Village. He gazed upon the village for a moment, checking to see that everything appeared normal, before turning his back on the view. Afterward, he began practicing various sword techniques that he had been wanting to brush up on.
The village was peaceful the last time he looked…
{Back with YRP, in the Bridge of the Celsius}
"The excitement never ends when hunting spheres!" Yuna beamed. "I'm glad I joined the Gullwings, there's always something to do."
"Yuppers!" Rikku chirped.
"Hello? The new sphere was junk." Paine folded her arms.
"But we got a new dress-sphere in the process!" The braided blonde said triumphantly.
"Yeah Paine, don't you think I look cute?" Yuna changed into her new Black Mage garment. She put her hand on her hip all sassy like.
"Well, of course you do, you look good in anything." A faint, but noticeable blush appeared on the warrior's cheeks.
"OOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Watch out Brother! Looks like Yuni has another admirer! Except in this case, it's not perverted!"
Brother was fast asleep in the his usual spot at the driver's seat, so he didn't hear a thing. The airship was on cruise control to Besaid Island.
"What the fuck?" Buddy said rather loudly.
"What is it? Another sphere!?" Yuna jogged up to the dark Al Bhed man, all ready forgetting that she was slightly flirting with Paine.
The silvered haired woman sighed as she walked after the brunette. [Is that all she cares about? Hunting spheres?]
"Not exactly. I'm getting an extraordinarily high reading of fiend activity on Besaid Isle."
"That is strange for Besaid." Yuna said.
Paine leaned in and took a closer look at the map on Buddy's screen. It was littered with dots representing fiends.
"Make that off the charts."
"BROTHER WAKE UP!!!" Rikku shouted into the Al Bhed's ear.
"AAIIIEEEEE!!!!!!!" He jumped up in a panic.
"RIKKU!!!! WHAT'S YOU'RE DAMN PROBLEM!?!?"
"Shut up and activate the turbo thrusters! Besaid is in trouble!"
{Back in Besaid Village}
Lulu was in her grass hut, filing her nails to perfection while sitting at the table, when she jumped up in alarm, dropping her metal file. She instantly got that strange, almost fearful feeling again, the one she had earlier when she was at the beach…
On gut instinct, she grabbed her strongest plushie weapon, the Onion Knight, and ran outside. Her blood red eyes scanned the perimeter. Nothing was moving about, there was just a young couple sitting by the fire, looking tired. Everything was quiet, except for the cackling of burning wood at the village bonfire. It was disturbingly silent, Lulu noted, for their was no chirping coming from the night insects.
The black mage walked over to the bonfire. "You two go home. I'll tend to the fire." Yawing and stretching simultaneously, the couple stood up and bowed to Lulu before they made their way home, which was two huts away from the bonfire, not far at all.
[Something is going to happen…and soon. I could feel it.]
She could feel her blood rushing though her veins. Her finger tips felt tingly and numb, like she had just casted a Thunder spell. Then her heart leapt out of her chest. She felt the air around her grow cold and she instantly side-stepped where she was standing.
Just as she moved, the bonfire that she was standing in front of, turned into solid ice, a glacier replica of dancing fire.
Now the moon was the only source of light. The mage casted a Fire spell and held a small fireball in her hand. Her eyes widened when she saw what had the power to freeze the town's bonfire.
It was some sort of Ice Flan…but it was bigger. Flans are typically waist height, but this one was as tall as Lulu.
After noticing this, Lulu double-casted Firaga on the fiend. The first potent spell didn't kill it, but after the second blow, it perished into pyreflies.
She turned around. [Where could it have come from?] She casted Flare on the frozen bonfire, igniting it's flame once more. Just as she did this, she saw hordes of fiends run to the safety of the jungle like scattered roaches exposed to light .
"What is going on? This isn't normal…these fiends seem stronger. And more plentiful."
She sensed someone approaching her from behind. On instinct, she whipped around and casted another Flare spell at what she thought to be an enemy. It wasn't.
Auron dodge rolled out of the way, barely escaping the intense non-elemental magic.
"Oh my! Please forgive me, I thought you were a fiend."
"You could kill someone like that you know." He said, standing up.
The swordsman brushed off some dirt from his body. "I saw the light of the bonfire extinguish and rushed over here as fast as I could. What happened?"
"Auron, did you fight any unusual fiends as you made your way here?"
"Hmmm. No. They were all pretty standard weak fiends. This is Besaid Island, no strong fiends inhabit this area."
"Well…I think you're in for a rude awakening…"
{Besaid Beach}
The two men were silent as they continued to lie on the beach. The waves lightly crashed onto the shore as an ominous sea breeze hit the couple.
Tidus shivered. A moment passed before Wakka responded to his boyfriend's reaction to the weather. "Maybe we should head home, ya?" He stood up from the sand and offered his hand to Tidus.
"All right." The blonde grabbed his hand firmly and pulled himself up from the ground.
"Thanks," he said, as he dusted sand off himself.
"Okay, let's get going…" The redhead took a few paces before he noticed Tidus wasn't following him. "Uh…Tidus?" He turned around with a perplexed look on his face. Tidus hadn't moved an inch.
"What's wrong?" The older man asked, scratching the back of his head. "Still thinkin bout' earlier?"
"Yeah, sort of…" he responded, looking an apprehensive child.
Wakka walked up to his lover and wrapped his arms around his waist. He then placed a butterfly kiss on his forehead.
"Don't worry baby, I'll protect you." Wakka said, giving a comforting smile.
Tidus blushed. "Wakka…" [Acting like my knight in shining armor…]
His red-tinted face grew even more brilliant when Wakka suddenly groped his butt, ruining the rather sweet, heroic moment.
The blonde smirked. "Something tells me I should be protected from you. Perv." He lightly pushed the older man away.
"You know I couldn't help myself!" Wakka chuckled
"Yeah, yeah." Tidus smirked. "So anyways, let's get home. But first…" The blonde went and fetched the blue and white striped ball from the spot where he and Wakka were snuggling at.
"Incase fiends come our way…" he said, handing the ball over to Wakka.
The redhead snorted. "Fiends haven't been a problem lately." He tucked his ball under his right arm.
"I know, but lets be safe." He grabbed Wakka's left hand with his right. "Okay, lets go."
Together, the two men made their way down the dirt path that lead to Besaid Village. Tidus was alert the whole time they were walking. Noticing this, Wakka squeezed the boy's hand and gave another reassuring smile.
"We're halfway there…look, there's the first bridge." The redhead said.
Once again, Tidus stopped in his tracks. "Yeah, and there's something waiting to greet us there too." He said, pointing his right index finger towards the wooden bridge.
At first glance, it was hard to notice. As if guarding the entrance of the bridge, a nearly invisible fiend sat and waited. It blended in with the scenery. But you couldn't miss it, the fiend was huge. Gigantic. This slimy creature was 10 times as big.
"That can't be a Flan, can it?"
The humongous fiend had heard Wakka's remark and looked straight at him. It then shrieked a battle cry, and oozed its way towards the couple. Being bigger than typical Flans, this one was faster and the men couldn't escape.
"It spotted us!"
"Tidus! Get back!" Wakka ordered, entering a battle with the jelly-like creature.
"No! I'm going to help!" Tidus yelled, ignoring the words previously spoken to him. He entered the battle with Wakka.
The redhead stopped a couple of feet in front of the Flan and recognized it as being of the water element. He was about to attack when his boyfriend skidded to a halt by his side. "Tidus! You're weaponless! I told you to stay back!"
"Since when do I listen to you?" He smirked. "Besides, I can't let you fight this thing alone." Tidus gave Wakka a thumbs up and winked.
"But…"
The Water Flan gave a battle cry, making it sound like it was going to attack.
"Look out!" Wakka selflessly jumped in front of Tidus, hoping to shield him from one heck of a hydro attack. Instead, pyreflies started to float around the monster.
"What's it doin?"
Tidus blinked. "I don't know…" he stepped to his boyfriend's side. "But it looks even more threatening than before…"
"Well it can't be good…" the older man said grimly. "Let's see if I could weaken it." He threw his blitz ball and performed Magic Break, a move he learned from Auron.
"That should help us a bit."
All of a sudden, the air surrounding Wakka and Tidus felt cold and moist. Then water droplets started to form and swirl around them like mosquitoes. Faster and faster, bigger and more powerful the water droplets shaped as the Flan performed a Watera spell on the Besaid natives.
The water attack was a formidable one. As the incantation came to a close, the liquid fell and soaked into the ground, leaving the two men drenched.
"What the heck? Since when could fiends cast spells on multiple targets!?" Tidus yelled as he casted Hastega on himself and his partner. Now he and his comrade would be able to attack the fiend more frequently, giving them better odds of winning, which was still slim.
"This one's different, ya? I like a challenge!" Wakka channeled some of his magical energy into his ball as he prepared an Armor Break attack. Then he ruthlessly threw his blitz ball at the fiend, weakening its physical defense. Since Tidus lacked a weapon, the only thing he could do was use support and defensive spells that he learned from Yuna. He decided it would be a good idea to caste Shell on himself as Wakka did a normal attack against their opponent.
After the blue and white striped ball rebounded from its body, the water fiend started to glow a soft blue color as it prepared its strongest spell. Once again, the air around the two men started to condense as a water bubble formed around them. The velocity of the water that formed around Wakka and Tidus was terrifying as the spell took away their health. Their exposed flesh felt like it was being ravished by paper cuts, painfully fast and viciously. Not only that, but the two men couldn't breath inside the water bubble. Luckily for them, blitz ball players knew how to hold their breath for long periods of time.
As the spell ended, Tidus and Wakka nearly fell to the ground, feeling a backlash from the fiends attack. Both men loudly exhaled and took in some sweet air. The redhead looked more winded since his partner took less damage due the defensive spell that protected him. Tidus instantly casted Shell on his comrade to help his resist magical damage. Wakka wanted to try something. Instead of striking the fiend normally, he enchanted his blitz ball and performed a Silence Attack, hoping it would prevent the Flan from spell-casting. To aid his boyfriend, Tidus used his special ability, Cheer, to increase his vigor. Feeling stronger, the redhead did another standard attack on the enemy.
The fiend hissed at its opponents. Then, its jellylike exterior started to sparkle.
"Now what's it doing?" Tidus said angrily. "I guess the Silence attack didn't work."
"Oh, I recognize that move from Lu. It's using Focus, ya?"
"I better heal us while I can then." Tidus used Cura on himself and felt refreshed. He noticed Wakka looked a bit sluggish as the redhead hurled his blitz ball at the Flan. "Come on Wakka, we can do this!" He casted Cura on his boyfriend. Wakka looked at him and smiled. "Course' we can, bruddah!" This time, Wakka tried to do his special attack, Silence Buster. When he caught his ball after the attack, he gawked at the monster. "Did it work?"
It seemed to be unfazed. The water flan looked directly at the redhead, as if making him a target. Then, it casted a focused Waterga spell on the older man. Since it was only attacking one person instead of two, the spell was even more potent. The rushing water that surrounded Wakka was so severe that it levitated him off the ground slightly. He winced at the piercing cold water that sliced at his bare skin. After the attack finished, he fell to one knee.
"Wakka!" On reflex, Tidus used Curaga on his partner, restoring his lost health. [Damn it, I don't know how much longer I can keep casting spells, Wakka needs to kill this thing quick before I run out of juice.]
Feeling rejuvenated, Wakka did another normal attack. It rebounded and seemed to do little damage like his previous attempts. [Damn! If only Lu were here!] (The effects of the Hastega spell diminished, unbeknownst to the blitzers.)
"Damn you! Just die already!" Tidus shouted. He had forgotten how powerful fiends could be, especially this one.
The creature looked like it understood Tidus' speech and gazed upon him. It gave him an evil grin before casting a powerful Waterga spell on the blonde. The rushing water lifted Tidus off the ground, much higher than it had done to Wakka. The redhead looked horrified. "STOP IT! STOP HURTING HIM!" he yelled in vain, like the fiend would understand him and do what he pleaded. The knife like water hacked away at Tidus' Zanarkand Abe uniform, tearing it at random places and cutting his flawless skin. Although he couldn't hear it, Wakka could see his boyfriend screaming in pain inside the water bubble that hovered above the ground. Finally, the spell ended and Tidus plummeted to the ground on his back, lifeless. His clothes looked like they were sliced and diced by a sword of a warrior rather than magical means.
"Tidus!" The redhead fumbled around his various pockets for a restorative item but to no avail. Tears cascaded down his face as he saw his love unconscious on the ground.
Seizing the moment, the huge fiend attacked the lone blitzer with another Waterga spell. It was just as powerful as the previous one.
As Wakka fell to the fell ground, he howled in pain, both for his boyfriend and for the wounds that formed all over his body. His yellow vest barely hung on to him. "Must…protect…Tidus…" he panted. His vision was getting blurry and it was difficult for him to stand. He threw his blitz ball as hard as he could, but it bounced off the Flan as if it were a wall.
The water fiend didn't show his opponent any mercy, it repeated the same onslaught and casted another Waterga spell. Again, Wakka returned inside the vicious bubble.
When he returned, he nearly fell to the ground. His vest laid on the earth, in shreds, along with yellow pieces of his pants. With his right hand, he touched the water scars that had formed on his bare, muscular chest. Most of his wounds were bleeding profusely. He could feel his life energy escaping his body as he stumbled backward, but he stood his ground, not wanting to give up. He couldn't give up. [I can't break my promise…] Barely standing, with all the strength he had left in him, he hurled his blitz ball with as much force possible at the fiend. The Flan screamed as the ball hit it with tremendous power, it's jelly body swayed backward from the force.
[Turn into pyreflies, turn into pyreflies, please go to the Fareplane now…] Wakka's mind pleaded as he caught his ball on the rebound. Unfortunately, his wish wasn't granted.
"GO AWAY!!!" he shouted as he took back his ball behind him to throw it as hard as he could again. Before he had the chance to do so, the flan blasted him with simple Water spell, the water came forth from the fiend's mouth and smacked into Wakka's abdomen, making him drop his ball to clench his stomach.
Wakka's body couldn't take the beating anymore. He was taken beyond his limits, his need to protect Tidus driving him farther than normally possible. But his body wouldn't let him fight any longer, no matter how much he desired to do so. He fell to his side, right next to Tidus in defeat. The nearly invisible, blue flan glided its way towards the two men.
"Forgive me Tidus…I…I couldn't keep my promise to you." He sobbed, small waterfalls running down his face. In a last effort to protect his love, Wakka passed out on top of him, hoping to at least hinder any attacks on the boy.
The rather large water fiend cried out in victory as if it were rejoicing. Slowly, it advanced on them, getting closer and closer…
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A/N: The promise Wakka is referring to is from my first story. So ya have to read it (and review it :p) to know what he's talking about. XP
By the way, keep in mind that Wakka and Tidus were totally unprepared for the battle against the flan. For the past two years they've been living a peaceful life in Besaid so they haven't been training or fighting powerful fiends. That's why their battle was really repetitive, not to mention that Wakka was the only person able to fight and he had a regular blitz ball. Yup yup, I just thought you reader's should know.
R/R Please! Pretty please! X3