Disclaimer – I don't own FFX

Leviathan

By Crimson Skies

Chapter One – Awakening

A blue and white ball cut through the sphere's water. It was a perfectly executed pass, speeding straight past members of the opposite team to reach its destination just as the intended recipient reached the correct spot. With a speed found in only a handful of players, the young man rocketed toward the waiting goal. The only thing barring victory was the keeper. There was no time or strength left for anything fancy. What remaining energy he had left was channeled into the ball as he hurled it towards corner of the goal. Half a city, some in the stadium and others from the comforts of home, waited with bated breath as the keeper reached for the ball.

The young man observed helplessly as the keeper's hand moved within the path of the ball. A flood of disappointment rolled through him in the split second before the speeding ball slipped through the keeper's fingers and through the goal. A roar rolled through the stadium, reverberating in the young star's ears. Even though the water warped their words, he could still hear the crowd's chant clearly. Letting the exultant mood wash over him, he shifted his eyes over to his teammates. They raced toward him wildly. He could see the laughter in their eyes and braced himself for the inevitable group hug…

…and hit the floor hard. Lying facedown on the carpet Tidus turned his head to the side, resting his cheek on the scratchy fibers. With a few deep breaths he calmed the labored breathing caused by his sudden awakening. Shifting, he pulled his left arm out from underneath him. A grimace appeared at the twinge that followed. Using his other hand, he pushed himself up into a kneeling position. Blurry eyes checked the alarm and noted that it was only three in the morning. With a frustrated groan, the blond youth hauled his protesting body back onto the bed. Snagging the pile of blankets he pulled them over his head, willing himself back to sleep. Hopefully this time he wouldn't be awoken by dreams. His dreams were becoming far too familiar for his liking as of late.

Six hours later Tidus stood by his kitchen counter, washing down a mouthful of cereal with a glass of orange juice. It was difficult for him to sleep past nine anymore as he was accustomed to rising before six. Some might believe that playing blitzball was an easy career. Those who had succeeded in becoming a professional knew better. It was more physically demanding than any other sport and took about as much discipline as the military. Actually, those who retired from the blitz scene often excelled in a military career.

The ability to hold one's breath for over an hour took years of hard training. Even more challenging was learning to push one's body to the limits of endurance while holding one's breath. Then the other obvious skills such as swimming, passing, catching, and shooting had to be learned and practiced. It was a sport that demanded a certain amount of natural talent and a lifetime of hard work. Simply put, blitz was a lifestyle.

Tidus loved it. Some said he did it for the fame. Others thought he did it for the money. Many agreed that it was for both these reasons. However, a few knew the truth. He lived for the game. Those who knew this, even his teammates, sometimes wondered how it was possible for him to focus so narrowly on blitzball. It was a mystery they'd never solve as Tidus wasn't talking.

This day he would not be practicing. For later that night was the Abe's most important match of the season against their primary rivals, the Duggles. Therefore the day would be used to relax and prepare as best he could. He couldn't afford to dwell on the difficulties he'd been having with his dreams. It wasn't dreaming about blitzball itself that bothered him. It was the fact that he remembered every game he'd ever played. The games relived in his dreams hadn't happened in this lifetime, but he knew they'd taken place. And all those nonexistent games formed a pattern. The blond stamped out that train of thought viciously. He forced his thoughts back to blitz. Tonight's game was his primary concern. Nothing mattered but the game.

LEVIATHANBYCRIMSONSKIESCHAPTERONEAWAKENING

That evening, as he walked out of his boathouse, a shiver ran down his spine. Tidus hadn't experienced that kind of eerie premonition for, well, longer than he cared to think about. His memories of the past were returning. Despite this, he grinned when he saw the fans lined up outside. Stubbornly, he pushed his concerns out of his mind. A few of the fans requested autographs, and he happily complied. He was relieved as he felt his focus returning.

"Teach us how to blitz!" the trio of kids chorused. They pinned him with pleading looks.

"Hey, I've got a game to play!" he protested, almost guiltily. He couldn't stand the disappointment on their faces. Tidus was a sucker for the puppy eyed look. "Maybe…tonight…um…well?"

"You can't tonight," said an all too familiar voice. The momentary relief the blond had felt shattered in an instant. He glanced over to see a boy, wearing odd clothes that had a ceremonial look. A purple hood obscured half of his face. No one else seemed to notice him. Tidus convinced himself that it had to be some strange manifestation of his subconscious. He reasoned that it was probably a result of the stress caused by unusual things happening recently. The figure he saw couldn't possibly really exist. Even so, it wasn't wise to disagree with one's subconscious.

"I mean, tomorrow," he amended quickly, focusing on the three kids. They agreed happily, wishing him luck with the blitzball sign of victory.

"Promise?" one asked.

"Promise," he agreed. When he looked back, the odd boy had vanished.

The brisk jog to the stadium did little to calm his nerves. Only halfway there Tidus encountered Jecht's picture on a nearby display. Scoffing at his so called 'father', he moved quickly forward. It took some effort to block out the announcer reminiscing about Jecht. After the announcement ended, the whispers from the fans still followed him. Even now he couldn't escape his father's shadow. It was too engrained in him.

Seeing the stadium rise up before him, all his anxieties melted away. He elbowed his way through the clamoring fans, already cutting it close. Game time was fast approaching. This was it. As he waited for the stadium to fill with water in its customary show of light, adrenaline filled him. Everything faded away as he focused on one thing: blitz.

The game was rough. Not surprising, considering their opponents were the Duggles. He launched into the air, ready to perform one of his specialty shots. As his body rotated, he caught sight of beams of light shooting toward the city from a mass of risen water. It was impossible. The scene awoke in him a memory of flying missiles and speeding airships. The two scenarios were so similar. It shouldn't have been happening. Other memories, ones he'd happily forgotten, lingered at the edges of his mind.

The sphere began to disintegrate beneath him as the stadium collapsed. By twisting to adjust his fall, he was barely able to grab onto an edge. The water on his hand combined with slick metal made it impossible to grip for long. With a scream he fell to the ground below, black flooding his vision. Only moments later he awoke. His head throbbed both from injury and painful memories. Shakily, Tidus rose to his feet. His hands reached up to cradle his head as he tried to maintain his delicate balance. After a few seconds, the haze in his eyes cleared.

The city was in chaos. People ran in panicked herds, trying to escape the unknown danger. Looking around, it appeared as though no where was safe. Buildings crumbled all around. Explosions filled the nigh sky. It was like something out of his nightmares. Warily, the blond navigated through the rubble and out of the stadium entrance. A short ways off, a tall man dressed in a red coat leaned casually against a broken statue. Tidus gasped as he caught sight of the man.

"Auron!" he cried. "What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you," Auron replied. His voice was steady, almost indifferent. It was a startling contrast to the screams of the fleeing spectators.

"What are you talking about?"

Auron didn't answer. He simply pushed himself from his position and walked away, going the opposite direction of all the others. Tidus followed, still not sure of what was happening. As he ran down the street, he was jostled by running people into turning this way and that. For a moment, his vision flashed white. The boy stood before him once again. Tidus approached him warily. Glancing behind him, he noticed that time had frozen around them. The surroundings were blurred.

"It begins," the boy declared, causing Tidus to turn back to him. The voice was exactly the same as he remembered. It was ludicrous!

"Wha…?" Tidus backed up a few steps. "How…?"

"Don't cry." There existed a kind of innocent request in that statement. And then he was gone.

"What the…?" Tidus circled in disorientation as time moved forward once again. Spotting Auron waiting a ways off, he raced towards him. "Hey! Wait!"

"Hey! Not this way!" he exclaimed, catching up to the red clad man. He bent over, trying to catch his breath. It was proof of how flustered he was that all his careful training in breathing abandoned him for a moment. He didn't have time to relax, however.

"Look!" Auron commanded.

Tidus glanced in the indicated direction and his heavy breathing died, caught in his throat. A huge sphere of water floated in the sky, completely unsupported. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen, or thought possible.

"We called it 'Sin'," Auron told him. For Tidus, it hardly explained anything.

"'Sin'?" he echoed. Before an answer came, a monstrous tentacle launched large, shell-like missiles which landed on the highway around them. A wild fear rose in Tidus as they transformed into insect-like creatures. They wasted no time in harassing him. All his efforts to drive them away amounted to nothing. One lunged at him. The blond stumbled backwards, falling to the ground.

"Take it." Auron chose now to interfere, holding a sword within his reach. The crimson blade was elegant in its smooth curves and vicious hook. "A gift from Jecht," Auron added.

Tidus looked at him in surprise. He had been aware, in a distant way, that Auron had known his father. That was one of the unsolved mysteries he associated with the elder.

"My old man?" he asked. Catching the monsters from the corner of his eye, he didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he panicked. Waving the sword in wide arcs, Tidus managed to drive the creatures away. He also succeeded in landing on his rear for a second time. Rising to his feet instantly, he staggered only a bit. Long hours of training came back to him as he adjusted his grip to suit one hand.

"I hope you know how to use it," Auron said in his typical monotone. Though he didn't show it, he was mildly surprised when Tidus adapted immediately. Already the blond was in a comfortable ready stance.

The blitzer made an unintelligible sound and nodded shortly in confirmation. With a few deep breaths, he was ready.

"These ones don't matter. We cut through," Auron instructed grimly.

The battle was simple. The creatures barring their way were soon found to be weak and unintelligent. They could be felled with a single good hit. However, Every time one was cut down, another took its place. Auron quickly assessed the situation and told Tidus to eliminate only those in their way. Tidus listened with one ear as he killed another of the beasts. Their attack styles, one slow and strong and the other fast and light, complimented each other nicely. Now and again one of the things landed a hit, but it was not enough to slow the pair.

Once a path was cleared, they took no time in breaking free. They were halfway up the slope when a rumble shook the street. There, before them, was the multi-tentacled thing that released the monsters. Surrounding it were a handful of the creatures.

"Get out of my town!" Tidus yelled at it, infuriated.

"Some can't wait to die," Auron echoed in dark humor. He drove his sword into the ground. At the moment of impact it released a wave of energy, destroying all of the monstrous thing's underlings. Tidus found himself impressed by the well executed technique. The two were then free to attack the large monster, severing the tentacles one by one. It pulsed waves of malignant magic known as the spell Demi at them, but it was only enough to slow them down. The large creature was more of a carrier for the little ones than a fighter on its own. Together the two swordsmen had no problem felling their opponent.

Tidus followed close behind Auron as he navigated around the dead monster and farther down the overpass. Jecht's picture on the nearby building seemed to mock Tidus as he passed. "What are you laughing at, old man?" Just then he pulled even with Auron, who had stopped dead. "Auron, let's get out of here!" Tidus suggested, not quite pleading. Auron didn't bother to look at him.

"We're expected," the other declared, not even acknowledging the request.

"Huh?" It seemed that sentiment was becoming common for him today. Something had invaded this, his domain, and it was throwing it into chaos. Tidus was beginning to recognize that a chain of events was being set in motion, intent on shattering his world. When the immediate danger was over, he was going to find that kid and demand to know what was happening. Or perhaps he would wring it out of Auron, if the older swordsman even knew. "Gimme a break, man!" he whined as Auron took off once again. Tidus was left to sprint behind him.

They'd not gotten far when dozens of the strange creatures landed around them, still folded in their shell-like shape. Those nearest to them unfurled in order to attack them. The way the creatures tottered, as if off balance, was starting irritate both men's eyes. They were doing well, considering the odds, until Tidus was hit in the leg with a barrage of spines. It wasn't a deep wound, but slowed him slightly. That was when they realized their opponents had a deadly bite after all. The regular attacks of the pests weren't of much concern, but the projected spines were deadly and difficult to avoid. Their saving grace was the fact that it took awhile for a creature to prepare the attack.

Glancing around, it became obvious to Auron that there would be no near end to their opponents. They couldn't afford to be stopped here, not after all the years he had waited. He noticed a piece of machinery hanging over the edge of the street. While his knowledge of machines wasn't exceptional, it had grown over the years he'd spent watching Tidus in Zanarkand. With a great enough impact, it would likely trigger a large explosion.

"That! Knock it down!" he snapped at Tidus.

"What?" The blond exclaimed, glancing at him incredulously.

"Trust me."

Thankfully, though he grumbled, the younger one obeyed him. Dodging the enemy attacks, they managed to cut the link loose with several solid swipes of their swords. Tidus didn't realize what the plan was until the explosion began and the street started to collapse.

"Go," Auron urged, not even a hint of panic in his voice.

The pavement fell from under his feet as Tidus tried to outrun the fiery wave of destruction. He leapt desperately for the piece of solid street above him. Grasping the edge, he swung helplessly in a similar situation from when the attack began. This time though, his gloved were dry and the rough concrete provided necessary traction. His precious stamina and adrenaline had run out, however, and he could feel his hold slipping. Auron, who had somehow gotten atop safely, seemed to be ignoring his plight.

"Auron!" Tidus screamed, frantically trying to catch his attention. "Auron!" The yells were in vain as the man in red ignored him.

"You are sure?" he asked the writhing mass centered above them. Tidus didn't hear anyone speak, but Auron nodded as if he'd heard an answer. Reaching down, he grabbed Tidus roughly and hauled him up. There, he held him in the air with inhuman strength. "This is it," he began solemnly. "This is your story."

The next thing Tidus was aware of was his vision turning into streaks of colored light. The voice of the purple clad boy echoed loudly in his head.

"It's time to wake up. You cannot keep dreaming any longer."

The next thing he was aware of was swimming through water, or maybe it was air, above Zanarkand. Before him floated his father's symbol, depicted in fiery stones. It was then Tidus noticed two familiar presences. One of them was strong, and nearby. For this one he felt a long time irritation. The other…the other made his blood boil in anger. It was him. However, the first presence drowned out most of the second. Then it faded as well. Soon he could sense neither of them. Exploring the area he found a younger version of himself waiting for him.

In that oddly endless moment, the thoughts he'd been suppressing invaded his mind. All energy spent, he passed into unconciousness. The dreams…or perhaps memories…he experienced at that time scared him. Tidus could feel the emptiness that existed all around him. That echoing hollow, where no one existed but him. It was in that moment that he desperately wanted someone, anyone, to find him.

ENDCHAPTERONE

Well, what did you all think? I'm hoping that this will be unlike any FFX fic seen before. This plotbunny had been hounding me for a very, very long time. Longer than any other. Of course, since I realized I could only write this while actually playing the game in order to get certain details right, it took me a long time to get it started. This won't have any mention of X-2 as this is an alternate version of FFX. It is going to be a long, loooooooooooooooong fanfic. It will closely parallel the original game in some ways, and in others it will deviate greatly. I hope you all enjoy it!