Here's chapter four. In this chapter is the scene where Tidus and Yuna talk for the first time. I'm a little worried I didn't do a good enough job, but I guess it will have to do. I have to remember that if I try to do everything perfectly, I won't get much done.
Anyways, read and enjoy, and please leave a review. Praise and criticism are both greatly appreciated!
Chapter Four
Tidus was astonished. This summoner was nothing like those cold, solemn statues in the temple.
And here I was thinking summoners were all old geezers!
Tidus made sure to stay at the back of the group as they exited the Cloister of Trials. He had hung back while Wakka and the woman with black hair had been congratulating the new summoner, not feeling it his place to speak up. Tidus had also hung back while Wakka explained his presence to the summoner and the other guardians. They cast glances his way, but Tidus had remained in an uncomfortable silence.
Now they were back in the main part of the temple, where people looked up from their prayers to see the new summoner and her guardians walk past.
A new summoner, her guardians… Tidus thought, and me. I really should have left well enough alone. I hope this summoner lady isn't too mad at me.
Fresh air smelled amazing. Tidus had never been more thankful for bright sunlight and clean, fresh, sea air than when he stepped out of the dark, gloomy temple following the summoner and her guardians. The procession headed straight for a wide stone circle in the town square, obviously with some purpose in mind. Tidus paused just outside of the temple's overhang, wondering if he should follow.
"Hey! Over here!" Wakka call as he rushed up beside Tidus. Before Tidus had a chance to respond, Wakka had him in a headlock and was dragging him towards the crowd of townsfolk gathered around the stone circle.
"What? Ow!" Tidus' protests fell on deaf ears.
"Wait till you see this!" Wakka said enthusiastically.
"I can't see anything!" Tidus complained, wrestling his way out of Wakka's stranglehold.
"Ready!" Wakka called out, still ignoring Tidus' grumblings. They had come to a halt in the crowd beside the black-haired woman.
Standing in the center of the stone circle, the young summoner nodded. Tidus wondered for a moment what she was going to do, then it began.
Th stone circle around the summoner's feet began to glow. The light spun and rose up into the air, swirling in white and aqua hues around the summoner as she performed some kind of dance. The pulsing of the magical light was the most beautiful thing Tidus had ever seen, and he wondered how this summoner created it.
A sound split the air with a rumble like distant thunder. Descending from the blue sky overhead, a great winged creature alighted just outside the circle. The thing looked like a massive bird, but with leathery wings like a bat. It swung its long neck down to be at eye level with the summoner. Tentatively, the young woman reached out and stroked the rough red scales on the creature's neck.
Wakka and the black-haired woman rushed over to the summoner, congratulating her vigorously. Whoa… Tidus thought breathlessly. I guess I should have realized summoners summon things. I've never seen anything like this… Yet another thing that I'm clueless on. Just how different from Zanarkand can this place be?
That night they talked for the first time. Tidus didn't know it then, but after that, everything changed…
…
"Let me introduce you to the team," Wakka called out enthusiastically. The Besaid Aurochs stood together in front of a roaring fire under a star-filled sky. Tidus was excited for a full night's sleep, but he was also excited to meet the team he would win the tournament with.
"This guy here wants into the tournament so bad, I let him on the team," Wakka said, shoving Tidus in front of the team. "His memory's a little fuzzy, so don't mind him if he says anything odd!"
Wakka grinned at Tidus. "Come one say hi!"
Tidus stood in awkward silence for a moment. "Uh… Hi, guys. So, what's our goal?"
"To do our best!" the team shouted in unison. Tidus sighed and shook his head.
"Nope, we got a new goal now!" Wakka announced proudly. "Our new goal… is victory!"
The Besaid Aurochs looked astonished by this claim, but Wakka continued.
"To win every match, defeat every opposing team! To bring the Crystal Cup back to our island! That's all we need to do to win!" Wakka grinned. "Easy, ya?"
The team looked uncomfortable. Tidus could tell that "victory" was a foreign idea to this underdog crew.
That doesn't matter. If we set our sights on victory, then we can achieve it! That's what blitzball is all about!
"Victory, victory…" the Aurochs were trying to cheer and failing miserably.
Tidus glanced away from the struggling blitzball team and spotted a group of people on the other side of the bonfire, crowding around the new summoner. They were mostly elderly people and young children, but the young summoner seemed pleased to talk with them. She looked up for a moment, and Tidus thought she cast a glance in his direction.
"Victory! Victory! Victory!" enthusiastic cheering from the Aurochs demanded Tidus' attention. Somehow, they'd sorted through the impossibility of victory in their minds and now seemed quite excited about it.
Allowing Wakka to play his part of team captain, Tidus slipped away, walking towards the young summoner on the other side of the fire.
"You heathen!"
"Stay away from the summoner!"
"You're a bad man!"
The young and old voiced their disapproval of Tidus loudly as he drew near. Tidus winced, just about to turn away when the young summoner stood.
"Be careful, Lady Yuna!" one of the elderly women cried out, worry etched on her face.
"But it was really my fault to begin with," the summoner reassured the old woman, her voice soft and gentle. Tidus suddenly felt uncomfortable as the young woman left the crowd and walked over to him.
"I'm Yuna," she said quietly. "You're… Tidus, right?"
"Yeah, that's me," Tidus answered awkwardly.
"Thank you so much for your help earlier," Yuna said, smiling gently.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Tidus apologized, then stumbled over his words. "Wasn't that… wasn't I not supposed to… guess I kind of overreacted."
"Oh, no," Yuna looked as contrite as Tidus felt. "I was… overconfident."
There was a moment of silence. Tidus wondered what he should say.
"Um, I saw that aeon thing," he commented. "That's amazing!"
"Really?" Yuna seemed surprised and eager. "Do you think… I can become high summoner?"
Tidus nodded, and Yuna's face lit up. Well, Yuna, Tidus thought, I don't think a statue of you would match all those creepy statues in the temple, but if that's what you want…
"Lady Yuna, come play with me some more!" one of the children from the group called. Yuna smiled and nodded.
"So, tomorrow, then," she said to Tidus.
"Tomorrow?" Tidus quired.
"We're going on the same boat, aren't we?" Yuna tilted her head slightly.
"Oh, really?" Tidus didn't know what boat the Aurochs were leaving on, but it wasn't too surprising that, if Yuna was leaving, she would be on the same boat.
"We can talk more," Yuna smiled. "You can tell me about Zanarkand."
Tidus was too surprised to answer. He barely knew what to think as Yuna returned to the group by the fire.
Zanarkand? Yuna believes me? But why?
Tidus stared after the graceful young summoner, Yuna, as she crouched down to play some game with a group of children. I guess I can ask her tomorrow.
"She's cute, ya?" a friendly elbow from Wakka pulled Tidus from his contemplation.
"What? Oh, her?" Tidus rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "She's… not my type."
"Then we're cool," Wakka folded his arms, sounding more serious than Tidus expected. There was a moment of silence, and Tidus listened to the roaring of the fire.
"If you get tired, let me know," Wakka offered, sounding his cheery self again. "I had a bed made up for you."
A bed? Tidus forgot all his ponderings. I get to sleep for a whole night? How have I gotten to the point when a night's sleep is the height of luxury? Tidus sighed. I guess that doesn't matter. Bed, here I come!
Waves sloshed around the peer, sounding unnaturally loud. The gentle rhythm sounded just like the tune of the waves that had lapped around his house back in Zanarkand. Tidus had fallen asleep to the melody of those waves for seventeen years, and it felt like it had been too long since he heard them.
Tidus sat on the pier, staring out into the hazy white fog that shrouded the sea. He didn't know why he was waiting or where this pier was, but he wasn't concerned. For the moment, he'd just listen to those familiar waves and watch the fog twisting in the wind.
Footsteps echoed loudly over the pier's wooden planks. Tidus stood and turned to meet Yuna, who rushed along the dock. He wasn't surprised to see her here.
"Where's that boat?" he asked, glancing out over the sea. A boat was supposed to come for them, wasn't it?
"Everyone will find us if it doesn't come soon," Yuna said urgently, her voice not sounding as soft as it had the night before.
"You really sure this is okay?" Tidus asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Would you take me to Zanarkand?" Yuna asked imploringly, not seeming to notice Tidus.
"Hey!" Tidus looked up to see a young woman in a wetsuit come running from the seaward side of the pier, still wet from a long swim. It was Rikku.
"You said you'd go with me!" she protested.
"Oh, hey," Tidus stammered. "I… uh…" Did I say that?
"I thought Wakka told you not to get any ideas!" Rikku shouted.
"He did?" Yuna inquired.
Tidus frowned, unsure of how to answer.
"Yeah, so you're coming with me!" Rikku commanded. Tidus' mind whirled, and he tried hard to remember how all this had started. The memory of his trip to the pier eluded him…
"Hey! Stop dreaming!" the harsh voice of Tidus father cut sharply through the disorderly fantasy. Tidus turned to Jecht, frowning fiercely.
"You with a woman?" Jecht scoffed. "You can't even catch a ball!"
Tidus looked up at his father's face. The little ten-year-old boy who now stood on the pier barely came up to Jecht's waist. Tidus dropped to a sitting position, tears leaking stubbornly from his eyes.
"Oh, what's the matter?" Jecht's voice held an over-exaggerated tone of mocking. Tidus looked up to see him standing on the beach, Yuna and Rikku on either side of him.
"Gonna cry again?" Jecht asked. "Cry, cry. That's the only thing your good for!"
The little boy on the pier whimpered. "I hate you," he whispered under his breath, the words bitter in his mouth.
"Huh? What'd you say?" Jecht asked, sounding genuinely confused.
"You have to speak loudly," Yuna encouraged.
"I hate you!" Tidus shouted, his voice still sounding small.
"Eh?" Jecht still looked confused, even a little hurt…
"That's the spirit!" Rikku cheered, seeming weirdly distant.
"You can do it!" Yuna joined in, but she sounded nothing like she had the night before, her voice holding none of its kindness. Tidus suddenly felt sick, and he shut his eyes as tightly as he could before shouting out again.
"I hate you!" Tidus jerked awake, glancing around the tent where Wakka had shown him his bed. Tidus had fallen asleep almost immediately and drifted off into dreams. Tidus panted, shaking his head.
Come on, snap out of it! he chastised himself. Enjoy your first real night's sleep in forever.
"He's dead, okay? Dead!" a shout form outside caught Tidus' attention. The voice sounded like the black-haired woman guardian he'd seen in the Cloister of Trials. Quickly slipping off his cot, Tidus made his way over to the tent flap and peeked curiously outside. Who's dead?
Outside, the moon was just barely rising over the trees in the distance. Crickets and other nighttime insects chirped loudly, their calls blending together into a single noisy chorus.
Beside a small flickering fire, Wakka and the female guardian were talking quietly.
"He does look a lot like Chappu," the black-haired woman sounded distressed. "I was surprised, too, the first time I saw him." She paused for a moment, breathing deeply. "But no matter what he looks like, he isn't Chappu." She snapped her gaze back to Wakka, eyes glittering with contempt. "You shouldn't have brought him here in the first place!"
"Yeah, but… he needed our help," Wakka defended.
"Excuses again?" the woman's indignation seemed to grow with every word she spoke.
"Yeah, but-" Wakka couldn't finish his sentence.
"That's it," the woman snapped, cutting him off. "No more. Enough, Wakka!"
She strode away without another word, her long dark dress dragging through the short grass. Wakka looked like he might run after her for a moment, then hung his head. With a sigh, he glanced towards the tent, and Tidus was sure he'd been discovered. When Wakka walked into the tent, Tidus decided not to play innocent.
"Scary!" he commented as Wakka entered.
"Lulu?" he asked, then chuckled. "Yeah."
"So, who's Chappu?" Tidus asked hesitantly.
"My little brother, Chappu," Wakka seemed almost like he was talking to himself. "He looked like you."
"He's dead?" Tidus couldn't help but be surprised. Wakka walked over to one of the beds lined against the wall and sat down.
"He was with the Crusaders when they fought Sin last year," Wakka stared at the floor. "He… didn't make it."
Wakka lifted his gaze from the floor and stared off into the distance, and Tidus sat down on the bed opposite him.
"I first heard on the day of the tournament," Wakka sighed.
"Oh, so that's why," Tidus suddenly felt guilty about what he'd said earlier.
"I became a guardian to fight Sin, ya?" Wakka explained, still seeming distraught.
"Revenge, then?" Tidus asked.
"That was the idea," Wakka sighed and hung his head. "I'm more worried about a stupid game now than avenging my brother." Wakka sighed again, but less heavily. He raised his head to look Tidus in the eye.
"Well, after the next tournament, I'll be a guardian full time. I know it kinda looks like I'm using you, but I'm not." Wakka hung his head once more.
"Don't worry," Tidus said reassuringly. "I mean, I owe you a lot. You really helped me out, you know?" Tidus extended his hand for a shake. "What I mean is… thanks, Wakka."
Wakka almost took the offered hand, but then pulled back.
"Oh, stop, you're embarrassing me!"
Tidus still smiled. Really, Wakka; I don't think I'd be here without your help. Thanks.
Tidus yawned, stretching his arms in the morning sunlight. A long night's rest and hearty breakfast had done him a world of good.
He stood just outside the tent, breathing in the wonderful odor of morning breeze off the sea. Birds twittered bright songs to welcome the new day, pulsing with life and hope.
Today we're leaving for the blitzball tournament in Luca, Tidus thought with anticipation. I can't wait to get back in the sphere! This game will be tight, too. I don't think I've won a tight game, ever! Man, this is gonna be fun!
"Hey! Sleepyhead!" Wakka's voice rang through the clear morning air. "Something I want to give ya!"
Tidus raced over to where Wakka stood with the black-haired guardian, Lulu. He held a sword out in front of him.
Tidus took the blade hesitantly. He had lost the sword from his father in the ruins, but his weapon was much different. The blade was made of some kind of blue crystal, and the way the sunlight ripple through it, he could have believed it was carved of water from Besaid's turquoise sea. The edge was sharper than his old sword, glinting brightly in the sunlight.
"Whoa!" Tidus breathed. "You're giving this… to me?"
"Yeah!" Wakka smiled. "Use it well!"
"That's the sword you gave Chappu," Lulu commented quietly. Tidus looked up from the stately weapon in surprise.
"Well, he never used it," Wakka sighed with a shrug. He quickly glanced around, searching for something. "Where's Yuna?"
"We're taking the same boat as Yuna, right?" Tidus asked. "Why do we gotta wait here?"
"Yuna came to this village ten years ago, when the last Calm started," Wakka explained.
"The Calm?" Tidus asked, but no one seemed to hear.
"Since then, she's been like a little sister to me and Lulu," Wakka nodded towards the woman behind him. "But she had the talent. She became an apprentice. Now, today, she leaves as a summoner."
"This is our journey," Lulu spoke with gravity. "We should leave together."
The creaking of a heavy stone door at the top of the rise signaled that someone was exiting the temple. The young summoner, Yuna, walked slowly down the temple steps, dragging a large suitcase behind her.
"You really don't need all that luggage!" Lulu called up to her.
"They're not really my things," Yuna seemed a little flustered. "They're gifts for the temples we're to visit."
"This isn't a vacation, Yuna," Wakka's voice held a heaviness Tidus didn't understand. Whatever it was, Yuna seemed to get it.
"I guess…" she sighed, staring down the path out of the village. "I guess you're right."
She left the bag where it was and walked slowly down the path to join the three.
"Okay! Off we go!" Wakka called lightly, trying to disperse the solemn air that had gathered. Tidus didn't really understand what was so important. Sure, Yuna's leaving home and won't be back for a while, but it's not like she'll never come back, right?
Once they reached the cliff overlooking the town, the group of four paused. Tidus was again impressed by the view, at how perfectly the village blended into the forest all around. Yuna stood on the edge, staring at her home with a distant look in her jewel-colored eyes.
"Take your time," Lulu said quietly to the summoner. Yuna didn't look up, or make any response to her guardian's voice. She just stared over the village while the sea breeze played with her hair.
"Let's get going!" Tidus said to Wakka, not understanding what was so important.
"We're going to wait," Wakka said solemnly, folding his arms over his chest. Tidus didn't ask why. He couldn't shake the feeling he'd said something wrong.
Yuna forced her gaze from the rustic little village and walked over to Wakka.
"Are you ready?" he asked. Yuna just nodded silently, then kept walking. Tidus followed her and the others without protest.
A little ways away, Wakka stooped to kneel in front of a stone statue whose features had been long since worn off by wind and rain.
"What's going on?" Tidus asked.
"It's an ancient custom," Wakka explained, still making prayer gestures to the statue. "People leaving the island pray here for a save trip." Wakka paused for a moment, both his speech and his gestures. "Chappu didn't pray that day. Said he'd miss his boat."
Tidus stood silently. He wasn't about to join Wakka's prayer but didn't argue. Lulu and Yuna remained in a respectful silence.
"That should do it!" Wakka announced, climbing back to his feet. "Let's get down to the docks."
Tidus hefted the weight of his new sword, enjoy the way it swung. With one blow from the sharp, radiant weapon, the last of the attacking dog-like fiends dissolved into the air with a yelp. As a small group of only two, Tidus and Wakka had made their way to Besaid Village with little difficulty. Because of this, Tidus had been surprised when a group of canine creatures attacked the summoner's party.
"Good work, Tidus!" Wakka praised.
"Thanks," Tidus panted. He sucked in a deep lungful of air, happy to get his breath back. Still, he almost felt disappointed that the combat was over. Tidus had never wielded a weapon until a few days ago, and he was surprised to find how much he enjoyed a little swordplay.
"It's not over yet," Lulu pointed to a bubbling patch of foliage where some sort of blue goo was forming. As the jelly took shape, Tidus charged for it, ready to decapacitate the odd creature. It had just barely taken shape when Tidus slashed his sword through it just below its eyes and sinisterly grinning mouth. The blade slid cleanly through the ooze and out the other side, and Tidus smiled. But the creature didn't fall apart or dissolve into glowing lights; in fact, it was unharmed. It just started glowing slightly and a pulse rippled through it.
"Tidus! Get back here!" Wakka shouted. Tidus leaped backward, frowning in frustration.
"Why can't I hurt that thing?"
"We need magic for that kind of fiend," Wakka said quickly. "Lu, show us what you've got!"
Lulu scoffed and raised one arm over her head. A swirl of light enveloped her for a moment, then vanished as she dropped her arm. Following the motion, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and the jelly-like creature exploded into multi-colored lights.
"Whoa," Tidus' eyes were wide. "That was cool. How'd you do that?"
"I'm a mage," Lulu answered, as if that explained everything.
"Um, what's a mage?" seeing the annoyance in Lulu's eyes, Tidus felt sorry for asking.
She sighed. "Someone born with a natural talent."
"Talent?" Tidus felt clueless and foolish for the first time that day. "Wakka said Yuna had 'the talent.' Is that the same thing?"
"Of course not," Lulu shook her head, holding a hand to her forehead. "Do you really remember that little?"
Tidus cringed a bit at that remark.
"Come on, Lulu," Wakka implored. "Maybe if we tell him enough, he'll start remembering."
"Fine," Lulu growled. "Mages are born with the natural ability to control the elemental forces of fire, ice, thunder, and water. We can extract traces of these elements from the atmosphere and concentrate them for use in combat. This is different from a summoner's talent. Summoners manipulate pyreflies."
"Pyre… whats?" Tidus rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. Lulu let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head.
"Do you know nothing at all?" she seemed to be growing irritated. Well, Tidus thought, more irritated than before.
"Pyreflies are tiny units of energy that exist all around us," Lulu explained. "Normally, they are too diluted to see. Fiends are made of pyreflies, and the lights you see when they die are highly concentrated pyreflies. Pyreflies also exist inside each of us. You follow?" Tidus nodded like a good schoolboy, and Lulu continued.
"Summoners can control pyreflies with their minds. Using these pyreflies, summoners can heal wounds, call aeons, and send the dead. Is that enough information for you?"
Lulu's "explanation" had left Tidus with more questions than answers, but he wasn't going to ask the mage for any more information at the moment.
He just nodded dumbly.
"Good," Lulu said firmly. "Let's keep going, then."
The journey went by mostly in silence. The closer to the beach the party got, the fewer fiends they ran into. Tidus still couldn't help but marvel at the scenery, even after the initial trip to the village with Wakka. The lush foliage and trickling waterfalls still seemed like something out of a painting.
eventually they passed underneath some large ruins, and Tidus recalled what Wakka had said about the machina cities destroyed by Sin.
A thousand years ago this place was a lot like Zanarkand, Tidus thought as he watched the overgrown ruins.
Low growling echoed off the walls of the ruins, and Tidus wondered what kind of fiend was lurking in the shadows of the ancient structure. Lulu, Wakka, and Yuna paused, but didn't seem all that alarmed.
A thumping sound came from behind, and Tidus wheeled around to see and blue-furred beast-man thing leaping down from the ruins.
It's that weird guy I saw in the Cloister! Tidus realized as he watched the creature land on the sandy path and let out a ferocious roar. I completely forgot about him!
Just as Tidus was wondering whether this thing was friend or foe, the beat-man charged at him, swinging a wide arch with his lance. Tidus gasped and blocked the quick blow with his sword, though the impact still pushed him back a few paces. The beast-man let Tidus have no rest, immediately swinging his lance back around for another blow. Tidus jumped backward, doubting he could beat this creature alone. What's going on? What is this guy, anyway?
"That's enough!" Wakka shouted, and the beast halted his attacks. He glared at Tidus with his sharp yellow eyes for a moment, then turned and walked away down the path.
"What's with that guy?" Tidus frowned after his opponent.
"Kimahri Ronso, of the Ronso tribe," Lulu answered calmly. "He's learned the fiend's way of fighting."
"That's not what I meant!" Tidus retorted.
"He's another of Yuna's guardians," Wakka explained.
Tidus' eyes widened. That thing? A guardian?
Yuna let out a light tinkling laugh. "Sometimes we don't understand him either," she said with a smile. "Kimahri doesn't talk much, anyway. But he has protected me since I was a child!"
Tidus glanced up at where Kimahri had stopped a few yards away. The tall, cat-like man stood erect with his muscular arms folded over his broad chest. He watched the group with a still, emotionless gaze.
"Come on, let's all get going!" Wakka called, striding on ahead. "We're gonna miss our boat!"
Yuna and Lulu followed without complaint, and Tidus walked along behind them.
A winless blitzball captain, a cranky mage, a creepy cat thing, and a lovely young summoner, Tidus thought with a shake of his head. Quite the group we've got here.
The boat rocked under Tidus' feet as he watched the crowd of townsfolk gather on the beach. They all seemed sad and forlorn, and some of the children were even crying. Tidus couldn't figure out why this whole event was so sad. Tearing his gaze from the beach, he looked up at Yuna. She waved back at the townspeople, even preforming a few prayer gestures. Tidus could see a look of sadness in her eyes, but it was overruled with strength.
"Goodbye!" Yuna called out as the boat began to pull out of the harbor. She waved one last time, then let her hand drop to the railing. The young summoner was still for a moment, watching her home drift farther away. Wakka and Lulu were talking quietly a little ways off, and Kimahri silently watched the sea. Only Yuna stared after the island slowly shrinking on the horizon. She looked so sad, Tidus wanted to say something to comfort her.
I'm not sure what I'd say, though, he argued with himself. We've only really talked once. Wakka or Lulu is better suited for this task.
Yuna's glaze of sadness lasted only a moment. She left the railing and turned towards Wakka and Lulu, a gentle smile on her lips.
"We're off, Yuna," Wakka announced. "How do you feel?"
Yuna was silent for a moment before answering. "This is what I have prepared for my whole life," her voice was quiet but firm. "I am glad to be on my way."
"I'm very happy to hear that," Lulu answered, stepping closer to Yuna.
Tidus backed off, allowing the summoner to talk privately with her guardians. He crossed over to the other side of the ship, staring out over the open sea. A few feet away Kimahri stood, solemn and silent.
"We'll be in Luca soon," Tidus voiced his thoughts out loud. He doubted Kimahri would repeat them, and it felt good to pretend someone was listening to him. "I wonder what I'll do when Wakka finds out I don't have a team there. I wonder if Luca will be like Besaid." A smile crossed Tidus' face.
"Or maybe it'll be just like Zanarkand!" He sighed and glanced back towards Kimahri. The tall man showed no signs of having heard, still staring out across the sea.
I wonder if he even understands me.
Tidus sighed again and turned back to the sea. "I'll get back to Zanarkand, you'll see. I will get back home. I will."
