Final Fantasy X: James' Quest

Chapter 2: My Sensei

I woke up to water.

I sputtered, coughed, and instinctively stood up. It was mid-afternoon, I was standing waist deep in water, and I was looking at a sight I've only seen at a video game: Besaid Island. Focusing my eyes, I shouted "Hey!" I should have expected the next reply.

"Are you okay, brudda?"

Finally cleared of the fog that is my mind, I waded over to the speaker, a tall, tan, carrot-topped, blitzball player with a Jamacian accent. Once out on dry land, I made my rant.

"Family... dead. Sin's... toxin... affecting... brain. DAMN YOU SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

"Uhhhhhhhh, you done?"

"Quite."

"It's rough, losing your parents ya? Lost my parents myself thanks to Sin. But hey, you survived. Praise be to Yevon." He then made the blitzball sign of victory (or rather, the prayer of Yevon). It was moderately hard for me to not freak out at that.

"I'm Wakka, coach and captain of the Besaid Aurochs. You play blitzball?" he asked.

"Nah"

"Well, follow me. I like to get you something to eat. You look famished, ya?"

I graciously accepted his proposal and we marched out of the beach. After a quick water route, we finally entered the village. It was pretty quaint, especially in real life.

I am so lonely.
I'm Mr. Lonely.
I have nobody for my own.

I am so lonely.
I'm Mr. Lonely.
I have nobody for my own.

I am so lonely...

"Hey brudda! You coming?" Wakka.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I followed Wakka over to a nearby house. Inside, a familiar figure stood up.

"Hey Lulu. I just found him out on the beach. Think we can give him some food?"

The woman studied me critically. She had black hair in an ornate style, and her eyes were tinged in red. She wore a low-cut black dress with a fur collar, and she held a moogle doll. "Your name?"

It suddenly occurred to me that I was... well...

I simply walked out.

This wasn't my plan. I was not going to get killed. I...

"I know how you feel. We all lost at the hands of Sin."

I looked, but I already knew who was talking. Lulu. "I know that but I don't know what to do with myself. I was nothing at my home..." I fell silent.

"Maybe I can help with that."

"How so?"

"I can sense power within you similar to my own. I can teach you how to be a black mage just like me."

"Why? Why me?"

"Well... you remind me of me on one level. Faint, but noticable. Both cold, both reserved. Both..."

"Okay." I stood up. "For now on, you're my sensei."

"Sensei?"

"Where I come from, sensei means 'teacher'"

Lulu was silent for a moment, then she made a small smile. "Okay, we begin tomorrow. For now, let's get something to eat."

And thus, I followed my sensei to her home.

Song: Lonely by Akon