Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters/settings.
The piercing shrill of a seagull emitted through the Besaid atmosphere one quiet morning. It was a wonderful Blitzball day. In a day such as this, blitzball players from all the land of Spira enjoy the anxious, exciting feeling that penetrates them in such a timely manner. Spectators of the particular sport are equally intrigued by the spectacular, under-water mayhem that occurs at the Luca stadium. The fire within the crowd and players augments greatly when the Besaid Aurochs and the Luca Goers play head to head. The rivalry burned fiercely over the past eighteen years when the Aurochs had a spectacular improvement. Now it was time for the Blitzball Tournament, and the Besaid Aurochs were ecstatic.
The team regrouped in the Besaid Square, just in the center of all the primitive, yet cozy huts. Seven islanders made up the fantastic blitzball team; each playing an assigned position that would aid them in their personal pros and cons. Vidina the center forward, Ian the right forward, and Makku the left forward made up the team's offense, which rushed forward to take the blitzball, maneuver around the enemies, and kick the ball into the circular goal. Kari the left defender, Aklan the center defender, and Teros the right defender made up the defense of the team, which held back by the goal incase the other team's offense managed to get that far. Last but not least was Leon, who was the team's golden goalkeeper.
It seemed the whole village had come out from their homes to see the Aurochs off. The first person to actually approach them was Wakka, Vidina's father. Lulu closely followed him, smiling at her eighteen year-old son.
"You better be careful out there, ya? And win one for Besaid," Wakka told him with a face lighted up with pride. Vidina had to make his father proud, especially since it was his first game. The stress was a much larger factor at this point, emotionally weighing him down. If he did not win this tournament, he would be breaking an eighteen-year tradition.
"Good luck," Lulu wished him well, supporting his dedication to the sport.
"Don't worry about it, ya? I got it all wrapped up!" Vidina replied, beaming at his parents. The sun beamed down on them as if wishing the team well, and the cool breeze carried the villager's hopes and prayers. Leon led the team to the overhang that symbolized Besaid's entrance, giving one last wave to his people. As the others continued up the path, Vidina turned to look back at everyone. Wakka had his arm around Lulu, waving to him warmly. Just near him were Lady Yuna and Rikku, also sending their goodbyes with a wave of the hand and a sweet smile. Vidina smiled at them and took off, catching up with the plodding team. Of course the Aurochs were excited, but no blitzball tournament could ever replace the love of their small, quiet village.
Once the team reached the beach, they began to pick up the pace. As Vidina followed from
behind, he managed to get an admiring look at the ocean. The crystal clear water expanded out to the sea, as flat as the very satin on Vidina's bandana. The wooden dock welcomed the Aurochs' steps as they ascended the platform onto the fastened planks. Their boat, the S.S Yuna, would sail them to the wonderful, seaside city of Luca.
One loud, "Sail Away!" was all it took to get the S.S Yuna going. Vidina felt his nerves begin to act up, so he entered the cabins in an attempt to avoid any new sensations. Makku and Ian were just by the door, playing catch with Ian's blitzball. They shared the occasional joke and were holding a general conversation. Aklan, Teros, and Kari were sitting on the beds, going over strategies for their defense against the Goers. Leon stood by the oval window, watching as his home became more distant with every second. Vidina walked over to him, obviously trying to show concern for Leon. Leon was probably much more nervous over this match, as it meant more to the holder of most expectations. A team captain has a stressful job and Vidina was trying to show understanding.
"Are you okay?" He asked Leon, as he watched Leon turn to face him.
"For the time being," He answered, bowing his head.
"Don't worry about it, ya? You have a good team!" Vidina reassured him, grinning. It seemed to be a miracle, but Vidina had actually managed to get Leon to smile! The smile faded into a slight curve of the lips, and Leon nodded to Vidina in approval. He then walked towards the door and exited.
As the S.S Yuna passed Kilika Island, the Aurochs exited the cabins and out to the main deck. Vidina stood at the bow of the ship, looking out at the sea. The wind smelled of the salty ocean, and the wine dark water was uncanny. Vidina had never left Besaid, and the sight of any liquid less than crystal clear was a magnificent change. Just in the distance he could see the mainland of Spira, and Luca stared him in the eye. Makku approached him and commented on something, but Vidina leaned against the railing in a deep state of daydreaming. Ian summoned Makku with a wave of the hand, and Makku ran back to him. The flashing lights, the cheering crowd, the adrenaline that would soon rush through him like an electrifying shock. Just the thought made his stomach sink, and he dropped to his knees. Ian and Makku had noticed this from a distance and came running.
"Are you okay?" Makku asked him with one hand on each of his knees.
"Yeah, I think. I just felt a little faint," Vidina explained to them, extending his hands. Makku and Ian each grabbed a hand, yanking him up to his feet with a grunt.
"Don't worry about it, kid. The fresh water will get the feeling out of you," Ian reassured Vidina, pointing towards the now visible Luca stadium. Looking at the stadium did nothing but increase his sinking feeling, as he placed a hand on his stomach and shut his eyes. Ian and Makka walked away, joining the team in their simplistic game of catch. Vidina shook his head, trying so desperately to shake the feeling loose. He shrugged and walked back over to the team.
About twenty minutes later, a sudden boom brought the ship to an abrupt halt. The plank extended from the opening in the railing and down to the dock, where it seemed a large group of people awaited their favorite team. As the Aurochs descended the planks, they received applause and cheers. While a star player like Leon sucked the experience up with his selfishness, Vidina sort of hid himself. As if playing the game was not enough stress, a crowd with high expectations did nothing to help. When a little boy gave Vidina a blitzball in request for his autograph, Vidina had to think for a moment. He was so nervous, he had actually had a miniscule case of Amnesia! The thought came back to him and he signed the ball, giving the boy an unsure grin and walking after his team.
Eventually, the team made their way past the crowd and into the stadium's huge, main hall. The walls supported a roof that seemed to touch the clouds and by the steepness of the stairs, they looked as though they led to the farplane. Leon's powerful voice snapped Vidina out of his trance and into concentration. "Alright team, lets get to our locker room, ya?" Leon instructed them, then motioning them towards a smaller set of descending steps. The locker room was as simple as the color blue. It was just a lengthy room; the walls lined with lockers. Just in front of both lockers were two brown benches extending to both ends of the lockers, a perfect area for the ecstatic Aurochs to take a seat. The only thing separating Vidina from his destiny was five measly minutes. He watched the clock, each tick sending a freezing chill down his spine. "Are you guys ready to defend our title for another year!?" Ian shouted, trying to pump some adrenaline into the silent atmosphere. No one spoke a word, but most of the team nodded in approval. Leon sighed, walking over to the entrance and passing through.
A few minutes later, the team was in the chamber, sitting on the bench and only half drenched with warm water. Suddenly, the gateway opened, exposing the expansive sphere that they would be playing in, along with more water. Vidina could not help but gawk at the size of the playing field. If he was not quick, a second could get the best of him.
The Aurochs swam out of the pit and into the sphere, the muffled cheers filtering in from the outside. The excitement literally rushed into the sphere, giving the players the adrenaline of a Crusader stepping into battle for the first time. Sneering at them with malevolent faces were the Luca Goers, too confident for comfort. The Aurochs exchanged glances, then glaring back at their long-time rivals. The ball was thrown up into the air and the last seconds of stillness passed by. The ball dropped and the players were off! Vidina got the first hand on the ball, twirling to avoid an incoming offense player and diving further down to the bottom of the sphere. The pressure down at the base was substantial, as a majority of the Goers descended vertically in an attempt to steal the ball. In a beat, Vidina kicked off from the base, fitting through a narrow opening between two defenders and reaching the middle once more. He was off again, narrowly avoiding the remaining defender and kicking the blitzball with all his strength and concentration. A goal!
The Aurochs silently celebrated their first goal as they returned to their positions, awaiting the drop of the ball. What could Vidina possibly be stressing over? This was Great! The blitzball was once again dropped, caught by a Goer offense player. The offense player swam at an incredible pace, avoiding half of the Aurochs. Kari and Aklan, the two remaining defenders, set up for their special move. Just as the Goer reached the twenty feet mark from the goal, Kari and Aklan swam forward in a diagonal manner. The Goer flashed past them, resulting in Kari and Aklan's collision and injury. He had escaped their trap. He threw the ball upwards, then spiking the ball towards Leon. Leon watched the ball with intensive care. He kicked upwards, extending his hands, but not enough. The ball flew through the goal just above the tips of his fingers. The score was tied. All of a sudden, the five-minute buzzer rang. It was overtime. The first team to score would win the game.
Vidina grabbed the blitzball as it dropped, then getting tackled by the scoring Goer and fumbling the ball. Makku caught the fumble, rushing forward in synchronization with Ian and Vidina. As a Goer defender blocked Makku, he passed the ball to Ian, just before getting kicked in the rib. Ian continued in synchronization with Vidina, who was being watched just as carefully. They knew what they had to do. Ian kicked the ball towards Vidina, who spun upside down just as the ball reached him and used the force of the spin to volley the ball towards the goal. The silence that took place as the ball spun towards the goal was horrifying. Vidina watched the spinning blitzball with his breath held, the other Aurochs in a similar state. No...it was impossible. It-it missed? It was unbearable. The awing crowd, the growing shame, and the smirks on the Goers faces. Everything he saw began to spin faster and faster, and soon he passed out.
Bright, pale white lights were the first things Vidina saw as he slowly opened his eyes. Suddenly, the vision became clearer and he noticed the entire team surrounding him. He picked his upper body up and realized he was back in the locker room. "What happened to the game?" Vidina asked them with a weak voice.
"We lost..." Leon broke it to him, turning away with his arms folded.
"No...we can't lose! We're the Aurochs!" Vidina yelled, now angered and in shock.
"Calm down, Vidina. It was a close game," Makku attempted to comfort him. Any attempts were futile, as Vidina would not hear it. He jumped up and off the bench, running out of the locker room.
Vidina did not stop running, not even when he heard the chasing calls of his team.
"Stop, Vidina!" Leon yelled, probably only twenty feet back. Of course, Vidina could not stop. He refused to face the events that would occur when he got back home, and he ran out of the stadium. Other pedestrians stared at him as he ran, some lifting an eyebrow, others frowning. This was all too much. Vidina just had to get away. The team was getting closer when he reached the square, running around the fountain and ascending the stairs. In only a few moments he would be out of Luca and he could finally be alone. The last flight of steps led out of Luca and onto the Mi'ihen Highroad. Lady Yuna and his father had told him many tales of the Summoner's Pilgrimage, therefore he had some idea of where he was going and what he would see. When he reached the dirt road, he gave no time to looking out at the endless strip of dirt. Instead, he looked for a faster way. An Al Bhed woman approached him, an innocent smile on her face.
"Would you like to ride the hover? Only 150 gil," She offered, motioning towards a large machina behind her. It was one of the strangest things Vidina had ever seen, and probably very handy in tight situations. He paid the woman and looked at the machina, wondering what to do. "Just stand on that part there and hold on to the support," she instructed him, giggling at his strange behavior. Vidina did as he was told, then looking back at the stairway. The Aurochs had found him.
"Don't go!" Leon yelled, running towards the hover. Before he knew it, the hover launched into the distance along with his distressed friend.
"I'll take a wild guess and say you're running away from something," the Al Bhed woman commented with a grin. Vidina did not answer, simply leaning his body weight against the vertical support as the scenery flashed past. There was not much to see on the Mi'ihen Highroad. Dirt, grass, the occasional robot, and of course a never ending sky, all in endless repetition. With the time he had, and even though he refused to, he could not help but reflect.