The ship waited for them on the dock below them. Tidus had an arm wrapped around Yuna's shoulders, and she had hers around his waist. Behind them, Wakka and Lulu stood close to each other, and Tal stood back a little, watching them all.
On the ship, Tidus and Yuna shared a cabin, Wakka and Lulu shared a cabin, and Tal paid for her own, since the temple had paid for the rest of the cabins. The captain looked confused that Wakka and Lulu were sharing a cabin, but wisely said nothing. An hour later, everyone was comfortably settled as the ship was leaving the dock. Everyone on the dock waved at the departing summoner, and Tidus waved back, a grin on his face.
The ship would take a week to get to Luca, so everyone spent most of their time in cabins. The first two days, Tidus and Yuna never left their cabin (You know, they spend an awful lot of time alone…oh well) and neither did Wakka or Lulu. Tal spent her time at the rail, staring out to sea, watching. The third day, she saw a distant figure in the water, swimming towards them quickly. It was a large fiend.
"Fiend sighted, captain!" the lookout shouted from above.
"Ready the harpoons! Everyone that's not crew, get below!" the captain shouted. Only those who could not fight went below. Yuna prepared her few fighting spells, Wakka grabbed his ball, and Lulu's doll sat on her shoulders, grinning wickedly at Tidus, who screamed. Drawing his sword, Tidus summoned Valefor, and climbing on its back, he flew towards the fiend.
Lulu's spells stopped the fiend, and as it floated, Tidus' water-like blade sliced into it, and blood coated him as the blade bit into the fiend's strangely soft skin. When the blood touched him, Tidus screamed as it ate at his skin. The creature's blood was acidic. Valefor flew back to the ship, and Tidus dropped onto the deck as it disappeared. Yuna ran over to him, hurriedly casting healing magic on him, while Lulu threw a bucket of water on him to wash the blood away. After doing this, Lulu sent a bolt of powerful lightning at the fiend, and it exploded as the bolt hit it. Blood started to fly towards the ship, but Lulu swiftly erected a barrier to block it. After a few moments, the ship continued to Luca.
As it pulled into the dock, everyone got off the ship. Tidus and his friends ventured into the city of his birth.
"I used to live here," Tidus said to them as they walked past a large manor house sitting on a hill. "My parents squandered all of our money, which is why we had to move to Besaid. While we lived here, my parents had parties every Saturday, and the whole neighborhood was invited. We were happy." He stood staring at the house, reminiscing. Yuna hugged him, and his past came flooding back all at once. He began to cry as he remembered the happiness he had shared with his parents then, and the hell he lived in after. As Yuna hugged him, he felt another hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Tal, who spoke:
"There's no sense in trying to change that which has already happened. The past serves only to make us stronger. The only thing that matters is the present and defeating Sin. Be victorious, and all Spira will rejoice. Everyone will know your name." She turned and walked down the street. Wakka came running up soon after.
"Did you hear? There's going to be a big magic tournament, to see who is the strongest. Their having it to celebrate the grand maester's fiftieth year in office, and the appointment of a new maester to replace maester Jyscal." Hearing this, Lulu grabbed him by the throat.
"When must I sign up for this tournament?"
"By three. Then they stop taking entries, and the tournament is tomorrow at eight." She let go, and he gasped for air as his windpipe was released from her bone crushing grip. Lulu turned to Tidus and Yuna.
"Will you accompany me to the stadium? I tend to get annoyed by people easily, and the really bad ones tend to turn into human torches or giant popsicles. I need someone to keep my mind off of blowing people up," Lulu asked, almost pleading. They nodded, and wordlessly began walking towards the stadium.
"Next!" called the bored sounding woman taking names for the list. Lulu walked towards the table, giving her her name and skill level. The lady handed her a number, and told her to come back the next morning. The three friends walked to where they were staying.
The next morning, Lulu was woken up by a crowd of yelling people. Walking over to the window, she shot lightning across the sky, and everyone looked up at her, silent. "Shut the hell up!" she yelled at them, slamming the window shut. Seeing the clock on the wall, which read ten past seven, she remembered the tournament. Hurriedly changing into a clean dress, she got breakfast then started to the stadium, where her friends were waiting for her.
Exiting the inn, she immediately ran into a crowd of people. "Get the hell out of the way, people!" she yelled at them. Throwing singing fire bursts at people, she proceeded through the crowd as people got out of her way. A few guys tried to grab her as she went by, and got their fingers turned to popsicles for their trouble. She got to the stadium fifteen minutes before the start of the tournament. Giving her name to the lady, she was handed the name of her first opponent, whose name was Arman.
In the arena constructed within the stadium, there were pairs preparing for the fight. Many of the female magus had dolls much like hers, and a very few males. She smiled as she thought about Tidus and the doll attack.
She walked slowly to the final empty field, where one person waited. She assumed that this was her opponent. He had a small doll perched on his shoulder. Lulu's doll growled fiercely at it, and it growled back at her.
"My name is Arman. You are Lulu, I presume?" she nodded in answer, and he continued. "You don't look like a high-ranked magus," he said to her curiously. She stood and fumed for a moment before answering.
"Then prepare to get your butt kicked by a girl." Her doll laughed maniacally, causing his to run behind him and cower in fear. Looking down at it, he said "don't be a coward. It's not like it can hurt you any more than she can hurt me. Have some courage." Turning back to Lulu, he smirked at her wickedly smiling face.
The clock in the stadium rang out, and the tournament was begun. Lulu smiled, knowing she would win. Her eyes crackled with black energy, and Arman looked shocked. She smiled at the look on his face. Lightning shot towards him as she gestured in his direction. He barely dodged, and was hit on the leg as he dove to the side. He shot a large fireball towards her, and she smiled as she let loose with a sphere of ice to intercept it, and both disappeared in a puff of steam. The opponents bowed to each other. She admitted to herself that he was a good opponent, but she was ready for a new opponent.
She concentrated, eyes closing, and when a spell got close, it was absorbed into a growing sphere around her. Her hands began to crackle with electricity, and she opened her eyes, which were blacker than the nighttime sky. She gestured towards Arman, and a huge blast of lightning shot from the sky at him, hitting him in the chest, knocking him unconscious. The fans nearby cheered at her victory, and she heard her friends above the rest of the cheering, yelling her name. She had won her first match.
Her next few matches were more action filled, but she still won them all. She even learned a few new tricks from some of her opponents, which was always a good thing. She stood waiting for her final opponent to finish when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Yuna, who was sobbing.
"They kidnapped Tidus," she said despairingly. Lulu was instantly aware that she wasn't going to be able to make her last match. She walked with Yuna toward the official, telling him that she had to take care of some personal business first, and could he please hold the next match for her? He told her he could give her only a half an hour, and then he would have to declare a forfeit, and she nodded, understanding. She wasn't sure if it would be enough time, but her friends were more important. At this time, she could care less if she won or not.
"Who kidnapped him?" Lulu asked her. She shook for a minute before answering.
"It was some people we saw in the crowd earlier, outside. They looked like they were criminals or something, so when they yelled at him, we ignored them. They're probably hurting him right now. We need to hurry! They might kill him!" with that, Yuna started walking faster, and Lulu picked up speed to keep up with her.
"Don't worry; they probably just want money or something. Where's Wakka, anyway? He should be with us." Lulu looked around for him.
"He went after them. He said to get you when he heard what happened. I didn't want to, but he wouldn't listen when I told him you were in the tournament."
"My friends are more important than anyone, Yuna. It doesn't matter to me that I was in the tournament, because someone I love is in danger. I will have vengeance."
Now, we all know that people who don't give good reviews are nothing but worthless pieces of absolutely nothing, and those who don't review at all, well…they don't deserve to live. I suggest if you people wish for me to continue updating this story, some of you should try giving reviews that are worth something.
(Gem-san, this would apply to everyone but you, so have a good laugh at everyone else's expense.)