Having decided to follow Wakka's instructions, the three boys headed back to the town.
"Hey guys, wait up!" Tidus called from behind them. "Going to introduce yourselves to the Summoner?"
"Yeah. Might as well make as many friends as possible." Matt said.
"Don't you think it'll be a little awkward? Let's go find Wakka first; it was his idea after all. Make him do the introductions." Tidus said with a grin.
"Why not." Andy said as he followed Tidus towards a seemingly random hut.
"So what do you think of this place so far?" Matt asked as he and Ryan followed from a slight distance.
"I think this is the calm before the storm, but I could be wrong." Ryan replied soberly. "I got this feeling that there is a lot more going on here then those damn kids told us."
Matt nodded. "We probably shouldn't tell anyone about them."
"I agree. We'll tell Andy as soon as we can talk in private." Ryan said as they arrived at the tent in time to hear Wakka tell them to take a nap. "Well, can't argue with that can we?" Ryan asked, his voice suddenly becoming light and carefree.
'How the hell can he do that?' Matt wondered as they lay down to go to sleep. It hadn't been a long day since they woke up in the water, but for some reason they were all really tired. Within minutes they were all asleep.
"Not you three again." Ryan muttered as he once again found himself in a seemingly endless void filled with purple fog. "You've got some answering to do."
"What is it that you wish to know?" The children replied in unison.
'Damn that unison thing is getting annoying.' Ryan thought as he tried to organize his thoughts. "The Summoner of this temple is the one we're supposed to help, right?" The children nodded. "So how exactly are we supposed to help him?"
"Her." The children said as one. "The Summoner is a girl."
"Okay, how are we supposed to help her then?" Ryan asked.
"You have hidden talents you are not yet aware of," The children started, "and these talents will be how you help her. Guard her well. We have informed… another, powerful fighter that we want you to help her. Do not worry about finding him. He will find you, and with such exotic clothes on he'll recognize you instantly." The Fayth said, commenting on the black raving pants, and dark green sweatshirt he was wearing. "He will help guide the four of you." The children said.
"Four? You mean Tidus too?" another nod. "Okay, next question. Who are you three?"
"We are fayth." The Fayth replied simply.
Ryan stared blankly. "Okay…" He said, not sure what that meant. "Next thing. How are we supposed to protect someone without weapons?"
"Do you desire weapons?" The Fayth asked.
"It's typically useful for someone without any martial arts training to need a weapon." Ryan said, and then he added, "At least, it is from my world."
"Then you will find your weapons when you awaken." The Fayth said. "All three of you have talents. If you do not use them to their fullest extent, you will not survive. And be warned, not all is as it seems." The Fayth said as a familiar white light surrounded Ryan. This time he didn't bother to try and stop it; it wouldn't do him any good.
A few hours later Ryan woke up to find Wakka missing from the hut. 'Guess he still had some training to do with his team.' He thought to himself. 'No wins in ten years, I guess if anyone needs to train it'd be them.'
Carefully navigating the cluttered hut, Ryan stepped out to get some fresh air. A few minutes later the Besaid Aurochs came walking into town, and Wakka was nowhere to be found. "So he wasn't with his team." Matt said from behind Ryan, startling him.
"You noticed too. Wonder where he is." Ryan wondered aloud as an old man dressed in priestly robes walked past.
"You are two of the ones from the sea, are you not?" He asked, getting the attention of the two boys. "Please excuse me, I didn't not mean to interrupt. But if you seek Wakka, he is in the temple."
"Hey, thanks." Ryan said and the old man smiled and walked off. "To the temple then?" Matt nodded. When the two got to the temple they went inside. There was a group of people up a statue, and were obviously struggling with it. Ryan looked at matt, and they sighed and walked over.
"Need some help?" Matt asked, cutting right to the point.
"What?" And old man asked. "Oh yes, if you don't mind. Please, do be careful though." The two boys had already begun to help the men who were busy trying to raise the statue.
An hour later they were finished. "Thank you for you help kids." One of the men said as he performed the prayer gesture. Matt and Ryan performed it back, figuring that it was the typical thing to do.
"What happen to not drawing undo attention?" Matt whispered quietly as they walked around, looking at the statues.
"Seemed like the right thing to do." Ryan replied easily. "And we were here anyway. 'Might as well make as many friends as possible', right?" he said with a smirk, only to have Matt slap him in the back of the head.
"High Summoner Braska." The old man from before said when he noticed the two staring at the statue they had helped to put up. "It's been ten years since he defeated Sin, and only now, after the calm he brought has ended, do we get a statue for our temple."
"So this guy defeated Sin? Thought Sin was still around?" Ryan said, drawing an odd look from the old man. "Sorry, we got a little too close to Sin."
"Praise be to Yevon that Sin only took your memory." The old man said loudly, performing the prayer gesture. Suddenly everyone in the temple was performing it towards the two boys.
"Way to keep a low profile." Matt whispered sarcastically.
"Please allow me to re-inform you. When Sin is defeated, a ten-year calm follows. After those ten years, Sin returns to punish us for our sins. One day, when we have repented for all of our sins, we will no longer live in fear of Sin."
"So he comes back after ten years. And Lord Braska was the hundredth person to defeat him, correct?" Matt asked. The man nodded, smiling.
"Perhaps Sin's toxins aren't as strong as I first thought. That is good." The priest said.
"Why's that, bruddas? What'd ya remember?" Wakka asked as he walked into the temple.
'Guess the old man was wrong.' Matt thought.
"This one remembered how many times Sin has been defeated." The priest stated.
"No I didn't." Matt said before anyone could say anything else. Wakka and the priest looked at him, not understanding. "Well, when we were walking here Wakka and Tidus were talking about Zanarkand being destroyed a thousand years ago. You said the calm lasted ten years. If you divide 1000 by 10, you get 100. That means that a hundred people had to have defeated Sin for him to be back now, unless they didn't defeat him every ten years."
'That's how you did it. Damn math whiz.' Ryan thought as he double-checked the flawless math for errors. "He's right."
"I see." The priest said somewhat sadly. "Do not fear, I'm sure Yevon will return you memory soon." He said before walking away.
"Well, what are you guys doing here?" Wakka asked, putting both of them in powerful, but friendly headlocks.
"Taking your advice." Matt said when Wakka let go. "Introducing ourselves to the temple's Summoner."
"Sorry but you're gonna have to wait, ya?" Wakka said. "She's praying to the Fayth right now."
"The Fayth. They're the ones who give the Summoners the Aeons, right?" Ryan asked, drawing a confused look from Matt.
"That's right! Hey, maybe you're beginning to remember thing after all, ya!" Wakka said with a smile.
'No, I just know a few Fayth.' Ryan thought, but he didn't say anything to Wakka. No point in bringing him down. "Certainly looks that way." He said, giving Matt a look that said 'I'll explain later'.
"Hey, you guys should go back and get some sleep, ya? It's almost morning!" Wakka said.
"What!" Matt asked. 'Damn statue!'
"Yeah, the sun should be rising any minute now." Wakka said. "Don't worry about it, not like you guys need to get up early or anything."
"Well I'm going back to bed, forget you Ryan. You wake up way too early as it is." Matt said as he ran back to Wakka's hut.
"What was that all about?" Wakka asked. Ryan smiled.
"Where we come from, most kids don't get up until a little before the sun rises, if they even get up before it. I don't think I've been up after a sunrise for three years now." Ryan said with an amused look.
"So you some kinda freak for that where you come from, or something like that, ya?" Wakka asked.
"Something like that." Ryan said with a laugh. "So what are you here for?"
"Me? I'm a guardian for the Summoner who's praying right now." Wakka said proudly.
"Then shouldn't you be, for lack of a better word, guarding her?" Ryan asked, watching the big man out of the corner of his eye.
"Nah, it's okay. There's already some guardians in there. Besides, it's forbidden." Wakka said.
"I see." Ryan said.
"You remember what blitzball is, ya?" Wakka questioned with a smile. Ryan shook his head. "Well then come on, me and the boys'll teach you how to blitz while the others are sleeping."
"The sun hasn't even come up yet, isn't it a little early?" Ryan asked.
"What, afraid to look stupid in front of a team that hasn't won a game in ten years?" Wakka asked with a laugh as he dragged Ryan out of the temple.
"A little, yeah." Ryan said earnestly.
"Then I'll show you myself first. You do know how to swim, right." Wakka asked. Ryan grinned.
"Yeah, that I know how to do." He said as Wakka lead him to the beach they'd first met at. On the way Wakka filled him in on the rules, and explain the basic aspects and the terms.
"So, you ready?" He asked, obviously enjoying himself. "Okay, take this." He said handing Ryan a small pill.
"You trying to drug me up or something?" He asked as he took it, Wakka following suit.
"You think people just naturally hold their breath the entire game brudda? Two 15 minute quarters is a half-hour!" Wakka yelled as the sun came up over the ocean, drawing Ryan's gaze. "Yeah, it's pretty beautiful ain't it?"
"You never see anything like this where I'm from." Ryan whispered, awed by the beautiful sight. Suddenly a ball hit him in the back of the head. "What the hell!"
"No time for day dreaming, ya? We've got a lotta work to do if we're gonna teach you how to blitz!" Wakka said as he spun the ball on one finger, seemingly more out of habit then choice.
Ryan smiled and took off his shirts. They set to work. Wakka re-explained the basics, showing Ryan everything and then having him try. Ryan was amazed at how good at teacher Wakka was. Despite the fact that Wakka said he was picking it up quicker then normal, there was no way he'd have been able to get so far by the time the rest of his team got there for practice. It'd only been a few hours, but Ryan could barely get up the energy to float. Meanwhile Wakka wasn't even winded.
"Hey, you gonna stay for practice? See how you fare against the boys, ya?" Wakka asked.
"When I can… move again… you'll be the first… to know." Ryan managed as he gasped for air.
"What the hell did you do to him, Wakka?" Matt asked as he came around the bend.
"I started teaching him how to blitz, ya know? Just the basics though, and it was a short session too. He learned a lot quicker then I did, that's for sure, ya." Wakka said with a laugh. By this time Ryan had managed to get back to his shirt on the beach.
"Man, you suck. A short session and you're this tired." Matt said with a grin, which grew when Ryan flipped him off. "Come on, how bad could it be?"
"You try." Ryan said as he put his t-shirt on and lay down on his sweatshirt. "You're gonna wanna take your shirt off." Ryan said with a grin. Throwing their shirts on him they set off to the water where the Besaid Aurochs began to teach them the basics of blitzball. About halfway through Ryan got up, took his t-shirt off, and joined them. Again he ended up with a private lesson, but this time it wasn't from Wakka since he was overseeing the overall practice.
"Hey Wakka, shouldn't you go check on Yuna?" The guy helping Ryan asked suddenly. "It's nearly noon!"
"Hey, you're right brudda. You guys introduced yourselves to her yet?" Wakka asked. They shook their heads and Wakka sighed. "Okay, you guys better come with me." Wakka said.
After they had all dried off they started towards the temple. Once in the town they stopped at several different huts, each time asking if Yuna had come out of something called the Cloister of Trials. She hadn't, apparently and Wakka's happy personality changed to one of concern as he approached the temple. Tidus meet them in the temple.
"What's wrong?" He asked, noticing Wakka's worried look.
"The Summoner hasn't returned from the trials." He said, concern creeping into his voice. "Well, apprentice Summoner really. There's a room called the Cloister of Trials," Wakka said, "and beyond that room is where the apprentice Summoners pray. If the prayer is heard then the apprentice becomes a full-fledged Summoner, ya remember?" Wakka asked to which the four just stared. Tidus was the one to break the silence.
"So someone's in there and hasn't come back. Right, I got it."
"It's already been a day." Wakka said.
"Is it dangerous in the Cloister of Trials?" Ryan asked.
"It can be." Wakka said. "It depends on the cloister."
"So why don't you go in and help?" Tidus asked.
"There are already some guardians in there." Ryan answered for Wakka.
"Ya, and it's forbidden." Wakka added as he watched Tidus run up the stairs.
"But what if the Summoner dies or something?" Tidus asked.
"The precepts must be obeyed!" Wakka yelled.
"Like I care!" Tidus said as he ran into the trials.
"Man, Lu is gonna kill me!" Wakka sighed.
"We could just go in and stop him. How hard could that be?" Andy suggested.
Wakka looked torn for a second. "I'm gonna go get him. You three stay out here." He said. "Don't be sneaking in after me, ya? The Cloisters can be dangerous, and I don't wanna have to worry about you guys getting hurt on top of everything else."
"Man, you take all the fun out of being here." Ryan said sarcastically as he turned and started to walk out of the temple. When they were all out he asked, "So now what?"
"Hey you're the kids that came from the ocean, right?" A man asked as the three friends wandered absently through the town. They nodded in unison and the man continued, "Come in, please come in. Praise be to Yevon that you survived, but I notice that you have no weapons even though you go outside the town." The man said as he entered a hut that the boys vaguely remembered being the hut the Crusaders were in.
"Yeah, but we kind of don't have any money." Ryan said quietly as they entered.
"Do not worry about money. A gift, from the Crusaders." The man said as he opened a door and led them into what looked like an armory. "Take anything you like, but only one each." The three just stared at the guy, waiting for the catch. It didn't come.
"You're serious, aren't you?" Matt asked, and the man nodded with a smile. "Well, if you insist." He said as he started to walk around the room, quickly looking over all the weapons. One wicked looking axe caught his eye and he smiled. "I think I'll take this one." He said while the other two continued to browse, only glancing back to see his selection.
Ryan was the next to find his weapon of choice, which came as no great surprise to his friends. "Damn Japanese wanna-be." Andy said as he watched Ryan pull down the katana from the stand. Ryan just smiled. "So now it's just me." Andy whispered as his eyes passed over the oddest pair of brass knuckles he'd ever seen, if they could even be called that. They seemed normal enough until the hole that the pinky would go in, after which a blade came down about six inches. A closer inspection showed that the knuckles too had blades on them. "Hell yes." Andy said quietly as he tried them on. "A little big." He said with a sigh.
"Ah yes, the fist blades. A very fine choice, however you might want to take a pair of gloves to protect your hands." The man said as he led them back out to the main area. He rummaged around in a container for a while before pulling out a pair of leather gloves. "These should make the blade fit nicely as well."
"Thanks." Andy said as he put the gloves on, followed by the fist blades. This time the extra room was taken up by the brown leather, and left Andy with a snug fit.
"Well then, let's get you a three something to hold them with and we'll be all set." The man said as he disappeared back into the container. This time he came back up with a belt with a loop for Ryan's sword, a back strap for Matt's axe, and what looked like a fanny pack for Andy. "There you are, ready to defend yourselves against the fiends of the island." The man said with a smile.
The three boys thanked the Crusaders again before walking out of the hut, smiling, and beginning to think that maybe Spira wasn't such a bad place to be after all.
a/n: Wow, that was a long chapter. It was originally supposed to go all the way up to when you fight Kimahri, but that seemed a little long. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, that's next chapter! Please RR!