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Chapter 10: Saving one's self
Jecht looked at the Ronso before him, he had only heard of Ronso's by drunken traders that hung out in his local bar back in Zanarkand, he never actually expected to see one. Braska assured him that Ronso's were just like humans in their mind; they were not savage beasts, but honourable warriors in every way, even Blitzball.
"Why you look at Kimahri so?" he asked.
Jecht, caught off-guard by this comment, just shrugged and looked away. 'Heh, he may be a big-shot fighter, but this guy's got nothing on me! I think I should teach him some manners!' He snapped back round to face the Ronso.
"Look here hot-shot! I don't know who you are, or why you helped us! But there is something that I should tell you! You know who I a-"
Jecht was cut short by a glare from Auron.
Braska turned to Kimahri.
"I apologise for my guardian's manner, he is new to this region, and has also been affected by sin's toxin, do not mind if he speaks rudely."
Jecht stopped in his tracks, his head turned to Braska.
"Hey! I know what's inappropriate and what isn't! I can control myself!"
His breath smelt strongly of alcohol.
Braska jerked his head back in disgust. Jecht's putrid breath was hard to bear.
"You know Jecht, you really should just kick this habit of drinking."
Jecht waved his hand at Braska.
"Hey! I can quit anytime I want!"
"Then do it today!"
Jecht looked at Braska, he remembered having this conversation before.
"Heh, tomorrow, maybe…"
Braska began to feel a little twinge of annoyance.
"Why not today?"
Jecht turned to Braska.
"Why to today, what you can leave for tomorrow?" he said sagely.
And with those words, memories of his life came rushing back to Jecht, he remembered Zanarkand in more detail than ever before, how they used to admire him, how he was the best, how he had a beautiful wife and a great son.
His son.
Tidus.
His son hated him, he knew this, and he had no idea why this was so, he was great! He was the best! Any kid would have given their left arm to be his son!
But not Tidus.
No, not Tidus, and he was the one that mattered to him, not any of those other kids, they were great, they loved Jecht, but they weren't his flesh and blood.
Jecht remembered the later days of his time in Zanarkand, the fans were beginning to doubt, Jecht was still the best, but he was making mistakes, more often then before, one miss too many, one shot gone wrong… Then there was his final match, this big one, the final.
The one that ruined him.
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Three days before Jecht's Disappearance
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Thirty-first uni-Spira Crystal Cup Final!" The announcer shouted over the noise of the crowd.
The crowd exploded into vigorous cheering and chanting. Overhead, the scoreboard in the centre of the stadium sparked into life, the umbers flickering round the screen until its display was correct.
'Z ABES: 0 0 : Z DUGGLES'
Out on the main ring surrounding the not-yet-made sphere, stood Jecht, he was basking in the glory of the Abes fans.
"Jecht! Jecht! Jecht! Jecht!"
In the centre of the grid, a light began to gather itself up into a crackling ball of lightening. Jecht braced himself, he knew what was coming.
WHOOSH!
The little ball of light exploded outwards to the very border of the ring that Jecht was standing on, creating a perfect sphere. The Abes rallied to Jecht, their captain and gathered around him, whilst the Duggles did the same on the other-side.
"Teams! Enter the sphere pool!" the announcer shouted.
All fourteen players dived into the pool as one, ready for the match to begin.
"Abes! Ready?"
Jecht nodded.
"Duggles! Ready?"
The Duggles captain nodded.
"Three! Two! One! BLITZOFF!"
It was at the end of the match that the trouble started for Jecht, it was going wrong, 4-3 to the Duggles with thirty seconds on the clock. And Jecht called for an all out attack on the Duggles. Flanked on the left and right by two strikers, each protected by a defender, Jecht was on his own to fly down to the opponents' goal and finish the game for the Abes. The left striker passed it to Jecht who was right in the goalmouth, it was a perfect pass, and Jecht went for it. He flipped in the water onto his side, and kicked the ball using the momentum, the ball was sent flying into the unlucky opponent in the way of the ball, the ball rebounded to Jecht and the player was sent hurtling out of the pool and into the crowd. Jecht did a forward flip in the water, and punched the ball this time, it hit the keeper square in the face, causing him to fly out of the goal.
It was an open shit.
How could he have missed?
Jecht span, faster and fasted, his own momentum increasing the potential power of his shot, he slowed, paused for a brief second before the kick.
That's where it all went wrong.
'can I do this?' thought Jecht, he was suddenly unsure of his ability, and in that brief instant of self-doubt, his foot changed position ever so slightly, but it was enough. His foot connected with the ball an inch too low, and with the force of the kick, that made all the difference.
Barely three feet away from the net, Jecht sent the ball hurtling upwards, up and out of the sphere pool.
…5
Desperate to make p for his mistake, Jecht followed the ball upwards.
…4
The ball reached the apex of its climb.
…3
It came down, just as Jecht was there to intercept it.
…2
He span in mid air, hoping to pull off a sphere pass to a fellow striker.
…1
The ball completely missed the sphere pool, flying down into the stands with stunning force.
…0
the ball shot upwards, and connected to the still-mid-air Jecht, sending him flying into the stands.
…FULL TIME!
Jecht could here the jeers all the way back in his locker room.
He was ruined.
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Jecht clenched his fist in annoyance and looked at Kimahri, he probably looked a fool tin his eyes, just a dumbass adult who should have known better. He realised in that instant exactly WHY he was so doubtful when it mattered, and arrogant at all other times.
He was scared.
Scared of failure, scared of being made a fool of. He drowned his fear in drink, telling himself that he could stop anytime. But he never believed it. No one did. His own lack of faith caused other people to lose faith as well. His arrogance made the people who wanted to see the real him resentful of his own insecurity. That was why Tidus hated him so.
Because Tidus loved him.
That was why, his son wanted to know the man who gave him life, he wanted to know his dad. And Jecht pushed that away from him.
Jecht looked at the bottle clenched in his hand, he anted to cast it away, he wanted to cast away the symbol of the insecurities clouding his mind.
But he was doubtful that he could.
But he would try, he knew that it would be a hard struggle, he knew that he could very-well fail. But he would give up the drink, and the arrogance and doubt that came with it.
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A/N: OK, I know, boring chapter, sorry, I needed to start Jecht off on the way to his recovery. Hopefully there will be a little more action in the next few chapters, so REVIEW! And stay with me folks.
Mtbanger