Hello everyone out there in cyber space. I'm back again to give you another special chapter!
Tidus: What's so special about it? Isn't just like all the other chapters?
V: Well, yes… but with one important difference!
T: And what would that be?
V: Well, since it's the Holidays right now, I figured that I would make a promise NOT to do any harm to you!
T: Wow! That is something special. This will definitely help me speed up my healing process.
V: -looks over to Tidus for the first time- Wha-wha-what happened to you!!!???
T: - Covers up black eye with a hand- One of your crazy fans was under the impression that it was MY fault that your last chapter was late and decided to teach me a lesson.
V: Oh you poor thing! –Runs over to him and hugs him-
T: Ow! Ow! Be careful! My ribs are still soar.
V: Oops…sorry. Well, while the rest of you are reading this chapter I will be busily tending to Tidus's many wounds.
T: Ow! Ow! Be careful! Ow!
V: Enjoy chapter 15! –turns back to Tidus- Hold still! Stop squirming!
Chapter 15: Group Additions
Tidus hurried down the street, trying to move as quickly as he could to where he thought Zen was. There were several times he had to slip down a side street or take a different route in order to avoid crowds of people. He didn't want to be held up by any blitzball fans since he knew that Wakka didn't want him to take too much time.
Because all of his side tracking, it took longer then he had expected to make it to Zen's home. Actually, Zen lived in an apartment complex so he had to take an elevator up to the sixth floor.
"Hey Zen, are you home?" Tidus asked as he knocked on the door. "Come on, I know you're here. I need to tell you something."
It was several minutes before there was an answer. "Hey, what are you doin' here man?" Zen asked as he shook Tidus's hand. "I mean, you never come to my place."
"Yeah, because your always bugging me at my home." Tidus mumbled under his breath. "I, uh, have to tell you about something important… Can I come in?"
"Gee, it must really be somethin' for you to come all this way to tell me." Zen said as he moved out of the doorway so his friend could enter. "Take a seat. Make yourself comfortable."
Tidus entered, his mind frantically thinking of the right way to tell Zen about his trip. He turned around and dropped down in the closest chair only to find himself sinking in the soft cushions.
"Whoa!" He pushed himself up, fearing that he would disappear in the cushion the seat completely, but pushed to hard and ended up ending up sprawled on the floor.
"You take getting comfortable too seriously, don't you?" Zen joked as he watched Tidus scramble back up onto his feet. "Now what important thing do you want to tell me."
Tidus paused for a moment before deciding that he should get right to the point. "I'm going to be away for a while."
"Away for a while? How long a while?"
"Uh, about… three months…while." He said as he turned his sight down to the ground.
"What! Three months! Where could you possibly be going that will take such a long time?!"
"Zen, you know that there are other places outside of Zanarkand." He looked up and saw a confused look on his friend's face. "Don't you?"
"What? Oh, yeah. Of course I know, but how are you gonna get there? The only way to get around those mountains is by boat and the seas have been too rough for anybody to get across."
"Well, I'm not going by sea so there's nothing I need to worry about."
"Your going through the mountains?!" Zen had to grab onto the arm of a chair in order to prevent himself from falling over when he saw Tidus nod his head. "Hey, you can't go through there, man! It's a death trap! No one has ever been able to pass through!"
"How would you know that?"
"Because no one has ever come back to Zanarkand through those mountains, that's why!"
"Hey Zen, there's no need to get so upset, and how do you know that they died? Maybe people who go through the mountains decide that they don't want to come back here." Tidus was trying to find some logical argument that would help calm his friend down. He was relieved when he saw the tension in Zen's muscles disappearing.
"Alright," Zen started as she crossed his arms across his chest, "I'll let you go."
"Let me go?"
Zen held up his hand as a sign that he had more to say. "Just as long as I go with you."
"You want to go with me to that death trap you were so intensely against me going to?"
"Yeah! It'll be my job to make sure that the star player of the Zanarkand Abes doesn't kill himself. Besides, this could be an adventure of a life time."
Tidus sighed loudly. "I guess that there's no other way to convince you to let me go, is there?"
"Nope." Zen answered with a smile widening on his face. "Now, when are we leaving?"
"Right now. Come on."
"Wait… Right now? You didn't give me much time to prepare."
"Sorry but that's just the way it is." Tidus took a hold of his friend's wrist and tugged him along. "Now come on."
As the two of them ran down the street Tidus realized that he hadn't told Zen about the others who would be coming too. "I think you should know that there are others who are going to be going with us."
"Yuna?" Zen panted as he ran beside his friend.
"Yeah, she's coming but there are others too."
"Others? Like who?"
"Wakka, from the Aurochs, Rikku and Auron." He looked over and saw the confused look on Zen's face. "You've seen them." He assured his friend. "Last time you came over to my house, they all came."
"Well, it's hard to get to know them when you're being shoved out the door." Zen reiterated.
Tidus just shrugged his shoulders in response. The both of them continued on until they reached Tidus's home. Tidus saw that Wakka was standing out in front and he did not look happy.
"You're late." Wakka stated as the two approached.
"I know, I know." Tidus moved up closer to him and whispered in his ear. "I got caught up in something." He said, pointing over his shoulder towards Zen.
"Whata you doin' here?" Wakka asked Zen right after Tidus had pointed him out.
"I'm coming along too. There's no way I'm going to allow this guy here to do anything foolish that's gonna get him killed." He said while placing an arm around Tidus's neck.
"Well…the others will sure be surprised." He said while walking off. "Come on, everyone else is waiting for us."
"Where?" Tidus asked as he jogged to catch up with the hurrying Auroch.
"The Unsent." Wakka answered as though I were the most obvious thing in the world. "Everything's already there, so no need to worry about supplies."
The three of them traveled the rest of the way incomplete silence. Tidus only thinking about whether or not he would have any time alone with Yuna, Zen thinking about the adventure that now stood before him, and Wakka's brooded silently over the fact that the uninvited blitzball player was getting involved in a matter that did not concern him.
As the three of them entered the bar all eyes came upon them. The bar was packed. It wasn't a surprise since it was a Friday. The three blitzball players had a hard time making their way over to the corner table because the bar patrons surrounded them. Some just autographs but there were a few young women trying to pull Tidus and his friends away. There was more then one time Tidus had to force Zen to follow instead of going off.
As the three of them were finally able to reach the table they found out that the rest of the group hadn't even noticed their arrival. Rikku was busy shoveling food in her mouth while Yuna and Auron were talking with each other.
"Hey guys," Tidus started while rubbing the back of his neck, "we're finally here."
"What took you so long?" Yuna asked when she noticed Tidus. "Rikku is already on her third serving."
"Sorry," Tidus started as he moved in closer to Yuna to whisper something in her ear, "We had an unexpected addition to our little group."
Yuna looked over Tidus's shoulder to see Zen standing there waving at her with a grin on his face.
"We should be leaving now." Auron put in.
"Can I have some ice cream?" Rikku asked with a mouthful of food.
"No." Auron answered bluntly."
"Aw…please!"
"If we don't leave now we won't make it to Mount Gagazet before nightfall."
"And there's no way we can be goin' up that mountain after the sun goes down." Wakka put in.
Everyone else in the group agreed and they all gathered their supplies before heading off, Rikku pouting all the way. Less then an hour later they made it to the outskirts of Zanarkand and were ready to start their adventure.
V: There! Finally finished!
T: Are you sure you needed to use so many bandages?
V: Why? What's wrong?
T: What's wrong?! I look like a mummy!
V: -Put's away first-aid kit- Better safe then sorry. Besides, the bandages will be taken off in less then a week.
T: -sigh- The advantages of being a video-game character.
V: Well loyal fans…
T: Make that psycho loyal fans
V: Fine. Well psycho loyal fans. This is the end of another chapter and the beginning of a new adventure. Things should get a little more interesting from here on (staying in Zanarkand for so long was starting to get a little boring)
T: You can say that again –mumbles under breath-
V: What?
T: Nothing
V: Anyway, good-bye until next time and Happy Holidays!
T: Yeah, what she said.
End Transmission