Luca and the Blitzball

DING! DING! DING!

The ball just hit the left corner of the triangular shaped net within out of the keeper reach. The keeper looked at the goal scorer and grinned. This guy was not a newbie, he thought. The goal scorer, a young boy with untidy black hair, gave a high five to his nearby team-mate. Shortly after that, the young boy and the rest of his four team-mates went back to the opposite side of the sphere-shaped ground with the water filled inside. The electronic board on the top of the ground showed 2 – 1.

"Too late. They won already. No need to start the game", said the keeper. True to his word, the ring bell ringed showing that the game was already ended. The keeper sighed as he went back to the locker room via a water-lock door behind the goal net. "Damn the coach to be easy on him. He is no newbie", he grumbled.

In the locker room.

"Valcin, that was a good shot. Well done", praised the coach.

"Thanks, but I think you guys went easy to me", I replied.

Another player of the opposing team grinned, "Ha! I told you, coach, don't underestimate the boy. He got talent!"

The coach laughed, "Well, what can I do? Valcin came here last week and he told us he's newbie but want to try for team!"

"Well, that because in my former home, the entire blitzball player were playing very well. And, I… well…. Am not as good as them," I, Valcin, explained.

"Not to worry son, Regan is right. You GOT the talent. It just needed to spice your talent up, "said the keeper of the opposing team. "I was amazed with the force and the speed of that ball you kicked. Hell man."

"Thank you for that, but come on you are the best blitzball team in Spira called Luca Goers right?"

"Nah, we are only a free team that likes to teach newbies. In short we are the trainers," the other team-mate explained.

"Luca Goers. Hmmph,'' grinned another one of the team-mate called Mira.

"Why?" I asked.

"They are the best for ten years, ya know!" the Coach said. "They are unbeaten for the last five years and they always won the Spira Cup every year since the last ten years!"

"But we don't like them very much recently," Regan said.

"Huh? But they are your team!" I said.

"Naw, the Goers are getting too disrespectful to other teams. They are insulting it."

"You might be the one that can teach them a lesson." the Coach grinned.

"Huh? But can't you guys do anything about it? You people are their trainer," I replied back with stronger voice.

This time, the keeper spoke. "They do not listen to us anymore, son. Their heads are tough nut to crack." The keeper eyes stared on to me. "But you can help us to crack their heads."

"Me?" I said in amazement. Everyone nodded in unison.

"Yes. You are the one who might be able to do it," said Mira.

"Alright, I'll try to do it. But which team should I join?"

"Besaid Auroch. They are the weakest but with you there, they might have a chance to win," said Regan. "Tomorrow you can meet them. The Cup started tomorrow morning. Be there, sonny".

"Hmmmm……….hoookay. I'll see what I can do." I replied as I began to walk out from the locker room. This is not gonna be easy, I thought.

Luca

Several air-balloons were up in the sky.

As I went out from Luca Stadium and the Dock, another air-balloon was risen up. I couldn't see very much of the balloon since the Stadium was immensely massive with its 7 docks around it. In the centre of the Stadium was a blitzball ground with a grandstand that can be fitted nearly 1 billion people. People from around Spira were walking here and some of them I had never seen before in my life. Big, blue bodies with a face like a tiger with a horn on its forehead was walking pass me. They were called the Ronso. As I walked out from the entrance of the stadium, there were 3 strange people unknown to me. They have blue skin like the Ronso but smaller in size and do not have the same body. Instead, they have quite long hands with frog shaped finger and short legs with frog shaped feet too. I'll have yet consult with Rin about the name of this race.

As I walked on the pathway to the city centre, I thought about the other friends. Where were Auron and Tidus? Have they managed to come to Spira, 1000 thousand years later after the Destruction of Zanarkand? I shook my head. Yes, they managed to be here but in different places. I'm sure we can meet again, I thought confidently.

Compare to my home, Zanarkand, the City that Never Sleep, Luca was considerate as medium-sized city. In the centre of the city square was a monument of some achievement by someone that I heard from Rin. Many shops and houses were around it and lots of people walking around here doing their bidding and jobs. There were several pathways from the city centre, south was to the Stadium and Docks, north was to the Main Gate of Luca and Mi'ihen Highroad, north east was to the Merchant Section where all the inn and weapon/armor shops were located, East was to the another side of the city where you can find item shops and miscellaneous shops, West was to the Knight Quarter where the soldiers of Luca were located.

Soldiers of Luca, a part of group called the Crusaders where they will fight against Sin. They were responsible that this city still withstand from Luca. According to Rin, they can only keep Sin at bay and the only one can destroy Sin was a person called Summoner. Unfortunately, Rin does not know much about Summoner since he's an Al Bhed. One curiosity still remain: why Rin always avoid the conservation about Al Bhed when I ask that question. But I didn't care much since he's nice to me and I had no reason to force him to answer. Time will tell me, I thought.

The most interesting fact I ever seen and heard were that the technology of Spira after 1000 years, it's been reduced greatly. I do not see any robot, large electrical machines, modern vehicle, etc. From what I seen for one week, boat with engine powered by chocobo – A very big fast yellow bird that cannot fly, traditional weapon and armour, carriage pulled by chocobos and traditional household items. The only thing that hasn't changed was blitzball.

Mi'ihen Highroad

Luca was still impressive when looking from its' Main Gate. Mi'ihen Highroad was a road between Luca and the gate that separate Luca District and Djose District. Rin's Travel Agency – the one I stayed until now – was in the middle of the two places.

Speaking of Rin, I always wondered about of the Al Bhed. I noticed that Rin and his people differ with the rest of the human races including the people of Luca. Their appearance and language were totally different. For some unknown reason, the Al Bhed always uses goggle when they were not in the water. They looked more technology advanced than the rest of Spira but the thing was that Al Bhed was always hated by Spiran. Even the Luca Trainers that trained me hated them.

Suddenly, two balls of fire pop up on front of me out of nowhere. Fiends! Without hesitation I unsheathed my rapier and went to my battle stance. I immediately charged the left fireball and slashed on its face. The ball went bouncing away from me and begun to burn more furiously. Its companion reacted by heading toward to me with full speed. I evade to the right and counterattack by thrusting my rapier on its unprotected side. I barely managed to jump and evade again when the fire burst out from the ground and I saw the left fireball begin to cast another same spell. I reacted quickly by swinging my sword directly at the left fireball and shouted a spell, "Freezeblink!" and at the same time jumped from the spot. As I thought, another burst of fire came up from where I stand. The left fireball caught my rapier aura of ice and exploded. Unfortunately, I was caught off guard by the other fireball. A burst of fire came around me and I was feeling hot. I managed to blast it away with my ice-sword spell before I got burned in that spot. With a flash, I ran at top speed to the fireball and slashed rapidly. The fireball counter-slash back to me and started shooting fire at me. I parried with my ice rapier and at the same time begin cast ice magic. A large icicle formed around the fireball and cracked leaving the fireball into dust.

The battle was over. I guess I hit them a bit too much. Anyway, fiends were monsters and it must be killed, I thought. A statue of a man holding a large sword with the point on the rock at left of Mi'ihen Highroad as I walked by. I wondered who that guy was as I walked toward to Rin's Travel Agency.

Rin's Travel Agency

I closed the door from behind. "Rammu, E's pylg!" I greeted in Al Bhed Language

"Famlusa pylg," grinned the clerk. "I see you have been improving your Al Bhed tongue.

"Thank you, I like to learn a new language," I grinned back. "So, where is Rin?

The cleck, a young blonde man with goggle on his eyes replied, "He is not here and will not be back until tomorrow afternoon".

"Why?" I asked as I unloaded my backpack on the corner of the room.

"Well, a Sin was sighted on the coast of East Mi'ihen and Rin had to check on that to make sure Sin wasn't coming here".

"Sin!" I exclaimed. "Tomorrow is Blitzball Cup Tournament! We can't afford Sin to crush Luca!"

"Yeah, our team, Al Bhed Psyches are going there too. That is one of the reasons Rin decided to check"

"Oh, it's nice to hear that. I am just worried. "

"Relax pitto. He'll be fine. I'm sure of it", the clerk called Bayo. "I'm worried about Kay and her cousin though".

"Why, what wrong with her? I thought she was going to meet her cousin, right?" I asked while sitting down at one of the chair behind the desk.

"Well, words just reached that the ship her cousin, Rikku, rode was attacked by Sin around last week". He answer blankly.

"What?" I trembled my hands on the table. "Did anyone help them?"

"Well, we Al Bhed have a keen sense of evading danger so they might be okay, but…" He stopped himself.

"But?"

"Nah, I'll guess it was my feeling though. Hey, how about you? I heard you are going to play tomorrow, right?" He grinned.

"Yes, I have to find a weak team if I want to play, "I answered happily.

"Then you need some rest, Valcin. You will need a full energy tomorrow." He slapped my back.

"Right!" I replied. Tomorrow was not far now, I thought. I'll hope Sin will not attack us and the Crusader would be doing a good job for steering that gigantic monster away. Speaking of Sin, I worried about Rin, Kay and her cousin, Rikku, Tidus and Auron. I'll hope they would be alright.

"You think too much, Valcin. Nothing bad will happen tomorrow, right?" I said to myself as I walked to the guest room.

Besaid Aurochs.

The Luca Stadium and the Docks were filled by many people around Spira, no matter of what age, race, everyone were here to witness the most famous and the only one game, Blitzball. I was fighting my way through the crowd and it's seemed impossible to go to Members' Entrance without people pulling and pushing me here and there.

"Ahoy there, Valcin, come over here!"

Regan was waving to me at the Members' Entrance. I fought off my way to reach there with the help of the security guards. I yelled in respond," Hi, there! It's hard to go past here, ya know!"

"Next time, be early", he grinned as he reached my arm to the Member's Entrance. "We need to go to Dock One right now!"

"Why?" I followed him to the secret entrance in this room to Dock One.

As he caught his breath, "Maester Seymour is arriving here to witness our Blitzball game!"

At Dock One, a big guy with very weird blue hair – two large bushel of hairs were hanging from each side of his head – wearing a big robe covering all his body except his torso were walking down to the from a ramp connecting the dock and the large galley.

"Oh it's already ended" Regan frowned. Suddenly, he brightens up," Ha, there is your captain Wakka of Besaid Aurochs."

Wakka, a big man with orange hair with the front pointed upward, moved from the crowd to towards me.

"So is this a new boy that will help our team?" he asked to Regan with a cheeky voice.

"Yeah, so introduce yourself to him, boy!" Regan shoved me to Wakka.

I hesitated, "I'm Sieg Valcin, your new player, Captain Wakka."

Wakka looked to the sky. "Hmmm, recently I got a new player but another new player will be okay. I just hope you're talented like him."

Regan slapped my back, "Don't worry Wakka, wait until he shoot the blitzball!"

"All right. Let's go to Locker Room. You can make the introduction to the team, ya?" Wakka smiled.

"Yes, Captain Wakka!" I saluted.

"Whoa, no need the formality, new boy. Just call me Wakka, ya?" he grinned.

I nodded, "Wakka then".

In the locker room, 5 Besaid Aurochs players were waiting there. Suddenly, I noticed the feeling of this room was uneasy. The players were in fear of something. Something has gone wrong in this room. Someone has done something to make them fear.

Wakka stepped in and stand on front of the door. "What with the face ya? We're playing against Al Bhed Psyches! Not with Luca Goers anymore! We have a chance to be in the final! What more, we have a new player!"

One of the players, a bald guy, approached him and handed him a paper note. "From the Al Bhed".

Few moments later, Wakka cursed under his breath. "Dammit. I never thought the Al Bhed are doing dirty like this. Cursed them since they were born here."

"What's wrong, Wakka?" I asked.

"Nothing concerns you, kid. I need to find Lulu now", replied Wakka as he walked to the door. "Team, that kid is our new player. Introduce yourself to him while I search for Lulu. By the way, just tell him what the condition of the game in the letter. The rest he is no need to know."

Before Wakka ran out from the door, "I'll tell you my game plan later. We might be able to handle this before it's too late."

As Wakka went out from my sight, doubts were beginning at me. Why the Al Bhed were doing like this? I thought they were nice people. There must be some reason for this. I need to talk to Rin after the tournament. He might know about it. At the meantime, let's focus on the game.

End of Chapter 3

Next Chapter: Blitzball Cup Part One: Besaid Aurochs versus Al Bhed Psyches

Hoooooooooooookay again. As you might notice, I spend about a month to write this chapter. I'm really, really, really, sorry. I got personal matter in 2 weeks and I have homework, revision to do in another 2 weeks. I'm busy ya know. I'm not used to write so fast like the elites. Please forgive me. I will try to write faster!

Straight to the point, this chapter looked a bit crappy. I know you will complain about this. Sorry again. I'll try to improve more! R&R please!