Here's the next chapter. This one's long again, but whatever.
Read, review, and enjoy.
Chapter Seven
In the morning, everything seemed fresher. The sky was bright blue, washed clean of the blood from the day before. The inn had few rooms left, but the innkeeper had been more than happy to welcome a summoner and her guardians. Before turning in, Wakka had said that a night's sleep and a new day would make all the difference, and now that a new day had dawned, Tidus couldn't help but agree.
Sunlight streamed through the window in Tidus' small room in the Kilika inn. He lay in his bed a few moments, wondering what time it was. He wondered, even hoped, that the sending last evening had just been some kind of horrible dream. But he knew it wasn't. And lying in bed wouldn't change that.
Tidus walked cheerfully into the inn's main reception room. He stopped at the bottom of the stair and stretched, trying to work the night's stiffness out of his muscles.
"Tidus! Hey, you awake?" Tidus quickly diverted his attention to one of the Aurochs, who stood near the doorway. If he remembered Wakka's introductions properly, then this one was Datto.
"Cap'n Wakka's waitin' for you!" Datto exclaimed. "We better get movin'!"
"Oh, right then!" Tidus answered, following Datto out the door. The blitzer ran quickly over the wooden planks on the pier, eager to rejoin his captain. Tidus shook off his sleep and did his best to keep up. The bright sunlight in the clear blue sky gave an air of hope to the wrecked town. Though it didn't feel wrecked anymore; everywhere people were pitching in, doing their part to restore the town. When Tidus and Datto found Wakka and the Aurochs, even they were hard at work, repairing a fishing vessel.
"Ah, there you are!" Wakka turned and smiled at Tidus and Datto. "Besaid Aurochs! Huddle!"
The rest of the team immediately dropped what they were doing and crowded around Wakka. Wakka bore his usual big grin, his cheerfulness and good nature spilling over onto everyone else. "On to the temple," he announced, "where we pray for victory!"
The Aurochs cheered and instantly sent off down the pier, making their way inland, towards the thick forest rising in the distance.
"High Summoner Ohalland used to live in the Kilika temple here." Wakka explained to Tidus as they followed the enthusiastic blitzball team. "Yep, Lord Ohalland was once a great blitzer, you know?"
Wakka looked straight ahead, seeming to enjoy himself greatly. Tidus felt the rush of hope, but still couldn't forget all the death just the night before.
"Wakka…" he started.
"Hm?"
"Praying for victory's all good…" Tidus sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "But is this right?"
"Something wrong with enjoying blitzball?" Wakka asked, folding his arms.
"Is this really the time?" Tidus persisted.
"This is the only time!" Wakka exclaimed with his usual enthusiasm. "The players fight with all their strength; the fans cheer for their favorite team. They forget pain, suffering… only the game matters!" Wakka seemed to grow more emphatic the more he spoke. "That's why blitz has been around for so long. Least that's what I think."
Wakka's speech was convincing, but…
"Whatever you say…" Tidus sighed, trying not to look too forlorn.
"Let's play… and win! Right?" Wakka grinned. Tidus would have thought he was faking it to cheer him up, only he wasn't sure Wakka was capable of faking anything. Nevertheless, it worked. Tidus smiled back.
"Right!"
The Kilika woods buzzed with life. The calls of a thousand birds and insects blended into a single rhythm, proclaiming the unbroken wildness of the jungle. The thick canopy of dark green leaves blocked all but a few rays of brilliant sunlight. Those stray beams of golden light caught the pollen and dust in the air, giving it a magical glow. Unlike the jubilant forests of Besaid, Tidus felt almost unwelcome in the serenity of the jungle at Kilika. It was like a painting, or a story, or some other unreal place. I guess everything in Spira must be strange and beautiful, he thought, not entirely unhappily.
"Temple's just beyond the jungle there," Wakka called out, grinning as widely as ever. "Let's go!"
The Aurochs all nodded excitedly. Tidus got the feeling they had been here many times before.
Wakka took the lead as they moved down the forest path. The trail seemed more likely to be made by woodland creatures than by men. There were a thousand smaller trails veering off, but Wakka seemed to know just where they were headed. They walked a short ways down the tortuous path, and Tidus was just beginning to wonder where Yuna and the rest of her guardians were when he spotted them the summoner and Lulu up ahead. Wakka came forward to meet them.
"What's up?" he asked, noting the serious expressions on their faces.
"Yuna's saying she wants you with us." It took Tidus a moment to realize Lulu was talking to him.
"Huh?" He wasn't sure exactly what the mage meant.
"I want to ask you to be my guardian," Yuna said, her gentle voice writ with sincerity.
Tidus had no chance to even contemplate a response.
"Yuna! What?" Wakka exclaimed. "This is no time for jokes, ya? He may be a blitzball whiz kid, but up against fiends, he's a newbie."
"Not a guardian, then…" Yuna said gently, looking down at the ground. "I just want him nearby."
Wakka was visibly surprised, to say the least.
"What?" It was Tidus' turn to be shocked. "What do you mean?"
"It's just that, well…" Yuna didn't meet his eyes.
"We're all going to the temple anyway," Lulu cut in. "Can't this wait till later?"
Yuna nodded silently, then lifted her gaze to Tidus.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have…"
"There's nothing to be sorry about," Tidus reassured her. "I'm just not really sure what's going on."
"My apologies," Yuna responded quickly.
Kimahri marched silently towards the group from farther down the path. He stopped and folded his arms, face stony as usual. Yuna looked up at the beastly guardian and nodded, as though she understood what he was trying to say.
"Let's go," she said calmly, and Kimahri set off at once. The rest of the group followed, and Tidus brought up the rear with the Aurochs.
She wants me to be her guardian? Tidus still could barely wrap his head around the request the young summoner had made. A guardian…
"Hey, Wakka! Aren't those the Crusader guys you mentioned back in Besaid?" Tidus called, pointing up ahead. On the path up ahead stood the two men who had met Wakka and Tidus on their way into Besaid village only a few days ago.
"Yeah, that's them," Wakka answered nodding. "Luzzu, and that kid Gatta."
Tidus frowned at them. "What are they doing here?"
"They were probably following Sin," Lulu answered.
"Why would someone want to do that?" Tidus asked, confused. Here I am, clueless again…
"The Crusaders' job is to fight Sin and keep the cities of Spira safe," Lulu explained, though Tidus could sense her patience growing short.
"And it's a summoner's job to defeat Sin?" Tidus asked, feeling the pieces finally fall into place.
"That's right!" Wakka seemed ecstatic. "You remember that on your own?"
"No, Lulu said something about it at the sending…" Tidus felt bad for crushing Wakka's hopes. The blitzball coach really did what to help Tidus recover his memory. That is, if I'd lost it in the first place.
Wakka sighed. "Oh, well. You keep trying hard, and I'm sure you'll get your memory back!"
Tidus plastered a smile over his face. He hoped it looked convincing enough.
Footsteps thumped down the pathway ahead. Tidus shifted his gaze from Wakka to see Luzzu and Gatta rushing down the path towards them. Given what Wakka had said, he could only assume the younger one was Gatta, and the older one Luzzu.
"Whoa, what's up?" Wakka exclaimed. "Something wrong?"
"Fiend!" Gatta panted, pointing back.
"That fiend is Ochu, Lord of the Wood," Luzzu stated, far calmer than his companion. "We've had trouble with this one before." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Remember, discretion is the better part of valor. It may be best for her lady summoner to find some other route through the wood."
"There will be fiends aplenty off the trail," Lulu sighed. "However, this fiend seems as though it may give us trouble."
"Come on! It's just one fiend!" Tidus exclaimed. "How hard can it be? Fighting seems better than getting lost in this jungle!"
"He's got a point," Wakka said, folding his arms. "It's your choice, Yuna. What do you think we should do?"
"If this fiend has caused trouble for many people, then…" Yuna hesitated for a moment. "Then I think it is our duty, as summoner and guardians, to defeat it."
Tidus grinned. Yuna's quiet yet unquenchable strength shone through her tender nature like the sunbeams trickling through the canopy above.
"What are we waiting for, then?" he asked, still grinning. Tidus swept out the shining blue blade that Wakka had given him at Besaid. "Let's show this monster whose boss!"
Lord Ochu, huh? Tidus thought mockingly as he faced the massive mess of writhing tentacles. Seems like an overgrown garden weed to me.
He, Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri stood in front of Yuna, who began her summoning dance. Tidus had no time to marvel at the swirling light as the great plant-fiend lurched towards them. Wakka seemed to take great delight in bouncing his blitzball off the creatures hulking form. From experience, Tidus knew how much a well-aimed blitzball could hurt. It certainly wasn't enough to kill the beast, but it slowed it down significantly.
Swoosh! A swath of fire wreathed around the Ochu for a moment, singeing its vine-like tentacles. It let out a squealing sound, and Lulu raises her arm, preparing for another spell. Tidus and Kimahri worked together, slashing their weapons into the creature's fleshy hide. It retaliated, swinging its arms.
"Watch out!" Wakka cried, and Tidus jumped to avoid the hook-like talons on the end of one of the Ochu's vines.
Just as Lulu hit the fiend with another fire spell, the trees above parted to allow the aeon, Valfor, into the jungle below. The great bird-like creature dove at the Ochu, ripping off two of its arms. The Ochu squealed again and swung its remaining arms. One found its target, and the aeon let out a cry. It didn't stop fighting, though. Swinging back around, Valfor began to gather a ball of light on its beak. Tidus and Kimahri scattered, leaping out of the way just in time as the aeon shot a beam of energy at the Ochu, searing a long slice in the creature's side.
Tidus kept his muscles tense, ready to be pulled back into the fight at any moment. Kimahri had been struck by the Ochu on one arm, and Yuna was quickly healing his wound.
Valfor dove at the Ochu again, this time sinking its claws into the fiend's body. The Ochu writhed, but it managed to tear at the aeon with its three remaining tentacles. Crippled by the blows, Valfor lost its grip, and Ochu flung the aeon across the ground. Valfor crashed into a tree and lay still for a few moments. Then the aeon slowly grew transparent, like glass, fading away as pyreflies rose. In moments, only broken earth showed where Valfor had lay. Yuna looked stunned at first, but quickly regained her composure. The Ochu was still there.
Tidus sprinted back into the fray, shining sword swinging. Though it had defeated Valfor, the Ochu was now severely injured. Kimahri followed Tidus, and the two resumed swatting at the great creature while Lulu and Wakka bombarded it from afar. Lulu singed the Ochu with another blast of fire, and the creature stumbled back. Tidus and Kimahri leaped on the opportunity, thrusting their weapons upon the downed fiend. Tidus breathed out a sigh of relief as the massive plant erupted into pyreflies.
"Wow," Tidus panted to regain his breath. "Luzzu wasn't kidding about that Ochu. That was hard!"
"Whoa!" Gatta's astonished voice reached the battle-weary comrades.
"A summoner and her guardians," Luzzu said with a smile. "Very impressive."
Tidus pushed back up to his feet and joined the rest of the group.
"Sir, we should've fought, too!" Gatta exclaimed, and Tidus couldn't help but agree.
"We'll get our chance soon enough," Luzzu responded in a tone that made Tidus uneasy. The two Crusaders turned and left, marching away back towards the port.
"Come on, guys, let's get to the temple," Wakka said, not seeming overly tired. Tidus shook off his weariness and nodded. He turned to Yuna, and she nodded, too.
"Let's go."
…
"These stone steps have a history, you know?" Wakka grinned and gestured towards the stairway of stone that rose out of the jungle to the temple beyond. The sun shone high in the sky now, not quite at its peak.
"Yep, Lord Ohalland trained here at his peak," Wakka folded his arms, smile. Tidus could sense some kind of hidden meaning behind his words. The rest of the Aurochs began to stretch, chuckling mischievously.
"A race, huh?" Tidus felt himself smiling, too. "Think you can beat me?" Wakka grinned and chuckled. Tidus realized he had begun to think of Wakka as a friend, a good friend. The rest of them, too. Back in Zanarkand, Tidus hadn't had any real friends. There was Auron, but he was more like a mentor than a friend. Tidus' smile widened as he lined up with Wakka and the Aurochs at the foot of the stairs. Having friends was nice.
"Yuna, if you would," Wakka asked the summoner. Yuna smiled and walked up to the steps. She held up her arm, ready to drop it to signal the race's start.
"Ready?" she asked, and bit of mischief glittering in her eyes. Tidus tensed, ready to run. Just before she dropped her arm, Yuna sprinted up the steps, giggling. Lulu sighed, and Kimahri shook his head.
"Hey! Hey!" Wakka sprinted up the steps with the Aurochs at his heels. Tidus quickly followed, bringing up the rear. Even losing, he was still smiling. He didn't think he had ever felt this lighthearted in his life, even with the destruction of Kilika the day before. Zanarkand felt like a lifetime ago.
"Look out!" one of the Aurochs players shouted, sprinting back down the steps. The fear in his voice shattered Tidus' good mood.
"Everyone, quick!" Tidus heard Wakka shout. "Sinspawn!"
Tidus had no idea what a Sinspawn was, but it didn't sound nice. He hurried up the steps while the Aurochs fled. Lulu and Kimahri rushed up behind him.
Reaching the top, Tidus saw what he assumed was the Sinspawn. It was a massive creature, with two thick tentacle-like arms and a stony grey shell. The thing seemed to be planted in the ground, and it didn't look friendly. Yuna and Wakka stood before it, weapons raised.
Tidus sighed and drew his own sword. He felt like he'd barely caught his breath form the battle with Ochu, and here he was, fighting again. Spira might be pretty, but it sure is deadly!
Lulu stood at the edge near the stairs, one arm raised, ready to cast a spell. Kimahri didn't stop running, instead sprinting right up to the monstrous fiend. He swung his lance, only to have the weapon clank off the creature's hard shell. Lulu's arm dropped, and a blast of fire singed the fiend's body. It growled and whipped out one tentacle, longer than it seemed, and slapped Lulu aside. Yuna gasped and rushed to help her fallen guardian. Tidus charged forward to help Kimahri, seeking a weak point in its shell.
"This might take a bit!" Wakka shouted, hurdling his ball towards the fiend's head. "Just hang in there!"
Tidus sucked in a sharp breath. Well, I guess we don't have much of a choice.
Tidus dropped to one knee, leaning on his sword and panting. Exhausted as he was, it was undeniably satisfying to see the massive fiend finally burst into pyreflies.
"Yeesh!" he gasped, struggling to get his breath back.
"Sorry about that!" Wakka called, looking spent himself. "Hope to break you in a little slower."
"Being a guardian's tiring!" Tidus pushed himself back up to his feet.
"You handled yourself pretty well," Wakka praised. "You got talent."
"Nah," Tidus shook his head at Wakka's praise. "So, what are these 'Sinspawn,' anyway?"
"Fiends," Lulu explained. Yuna had long since healed her wounds. "They fall from Sin's body, and are left behind in its wake."
"Leave 'em alone, and Sin comes back for 'em," Wakka said. "You gotta be quick!"
Wakka turned back to Yuna. "Yuna, you okay?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," Yuna answered with a nod. "Come, let's keep going. The temple is close."
Everyone followed Yuna up the next flight of stone steps, and Tidus took the rear again. It was that moment, when Wakka told him he had talent in battle, that he started seriously considering becoming a guardian.
"So, uh… they got fiends in Zanarkand, too?" Wakka's question pulled Tidus from his thoughts.
"Oh, just a few," Tidus answered distantly. "It's a big deal when one shows up, though." Tidus let his gaze drift to the forest canopy below. The jungle looked like a great green carpet from up there. Then something clicked in Tidus' mind. He quickly turned back to Wakka.
"Hey! Since when have believed me about Zanarkand, anyway?"
"I been thinking," Wakka sighed and stopped. The rest of the party halted, too. "Maybe people Sin gets to don't die," Wakka explained. "Maybe Sin carries 'em through time, like a thousand years through time. And then, one day, maybe they just pop back, see?"
"Amazing. Simply amazing," Lulu's sardonic reply cut through Wakka's happy tone. She stood with her hand to her forehead, shaking her head.
"You come up with one theory after another, refusing to face the simple truth," Lulu glared hotly at Wakka. "Sin didn't take Chappu anywhere. Sin crushed him and left him on the Djose shore! Your brother won't just pop back."
Lulu took a few steps forward, passing a dejected Wakka. For a moment Tidus thought she would continue up the stairs, but then she stopped.
"Oh, and one more thing," she looked back at Wakka, eyes glittering coldly. "No matter how much you want it, no one can take Chappu's place. No one can replace Sir Jecht, for that matter. And there's no replacement for Lord Braska, either. It's pointless to think about, and sad."
Lulu ended her tirade with a sharp tone and continued her stride up the stairs. Yuna and Kimahri followed her, leaving Wakka and Tidus on the stairs. Tidus wondered what he should do or say. He felt a little guilty for triggering the argument.
Wakka plopped down on the stone, giving the stair under him a solid punch of frustration. "I…I could never be what Chappu was." There was awkward silence for a moment, then Wakka sighed.
"Well, stuff happens. Best not to worry."
Tidus wasn't sure if any of Wakka's words were directed at him, and he watched in confusion as the blitzer followed the rest of the group up the steps.
Wakka, Lulu, and Wakka's brother, Chappu, Tidus tried to sort out the matter in his mind. Something happened between them a long time ago, I'm sure of it. Tidus shook his head and started up the stone stairs, not wanting to be left behind. Well, whatever it was, it's none of my business, that's for sure. Best not to go there.
The temple at Kilika was both different and similar to the one at Besaid. It stood high above the surrounding area and had heavy stone doors, and Tidus was sure the inside must be just as dark as Besaid's temple. Several people in varying attire stood around the courtyard, some chatting and others gazing out at the jungle so far below. Tidus looked back down the stone steps that had brought him and his friends up to the mountain peak. It must have taken a while to build those, especially without any machina, he thought.
A creaking sound attracted Tidus' attention. The temple's door ground open, and a trio wearing purple blitzball uniforms walked out. The leader wore a cocky expression.
"You here to pray for victory, too?" Wakka asked the leader good-naturedly.
"Us? Pray?" the leading man scoffed. "Who needs to pray? The Luca Goers always win!"
"Oh, yeah?" Wakka arched an eyebrow "Then why are you here?"
"We've been praying for some competition this year!" the Goers captain replied. His smirk grew more acute. A smile that smug should be illegal, Tidus thought.
"So what's your goal this time?" the leader continued. "You gonna 'do your best' again? Ha! It's too bad your best isn't good enough! Why even bother showing up?"
Tidus couldn't stay his tongue any longer. "This time, we play to win!" he shouted emphatically.
"Ooh!" the Goers captain said mockingly. "Just remember, even kids can play, boys."
With that, the Luca Goers shouldered their way through the group towards the stone steps.
"See you in the finals!" Wakka shouted after them.
"We'll beat them," Tidus said sharply. "We have to!"
"You know that team?" Yuna asked, walking over to Tidus. Tidus couldn't say that he did.
"Putting people down…" Tidus sighed and gritted his teeth. "They're as bad as my old man!"
"But, Sir Jecht was a kind and gentle man!" Yuna replied, sounding offended.
"Not my Jecht!" Tidus retorted, more angrily than he intended. Yuna said nothing, only followed the others who were headed towards the temple doors.
Even after two years… Tidus thought with a sigh, just thinking about my old man gets me angry. Well, maybe that's just my way of keeping him… Nah.
As Tidus had expected, the inside of the Kilika temple was much the same as the one at Besaid. Inside was all dark and shadowy, walls lined with solemn statues. Just like in Besaid, a door stood at the top of a wide staircase. I bet that's the Cloister of Trials. I guess Yuna's got to go through another one of those things.
Tidus spotted Wakka and the rest of the Aurochs kneeling in front of one of the statues, making prayer gestures. Yuna, Lulu, and Kimahri stood around them, silently waiting. Tidus walked over and joined them.
"Lord Ohalland, guide our feet," Wakka murmured. Tidus stood and watched along with the others, arms folded.
A creaking noise sounded over the hum of prayers, and Tidus looked up to see the door to the Cloister of Trials open. A woman in odd attire emerged, followed by a large muscular man. They stopped at the bottom of the steps, and the woman set a sharp gaze on Yuna.
"A summoner, are you?" her voice sounded almost mocking.
"My name is Yuna," Yuna replied pleasantly. "From the Isle of Besaid."
"Dona," the other summoner replied. "So you're High Summoner Braska's daughter. That's quite a name to live up to." Dona's gaze wondered from Yuna to the group of people gathered around her.
"My, my, my…" she sighed, shaking her head. "And all these people are your guardians? My, what a rabble!" Tidus frowned. This Dona was beginning to get to him.
"As I recall, Lord Braska had only two guardians!" Dona sighed again. "Quality over quantity, my dear. Whatever were you thinking?"
Yuna frowned; Tidus could tell Dona was irritating her, as well.
"I have need of only one guardian," Dona said with a smirk, glancing back at the large man behind her. "Right, Barthello?"
The man gave a short wordless nod. Kimahri broke away from Yuna's group and faced the man, and Tidus marveled at how similar they seemed.
"I only have as many guardians as I have people I can trust," Yuna responded, keeping her tone level. "I trust them all with my life!" Yuna's hard expression melted away into a smile.
"To have so many guardians is a joy, and an honor! Even more so than being my father's daughter. Of course, I would never think of questioning your ways, either." Yuna paused a moment and breathed deeply. "So, Lady Dona, I ask of you, please leave us in peace."
Dona let out an exasperated sigh. "You do what you want. Barthello, we're leaving."
Tidus could tell by how fast she left that Dona didn't appreciate losing. He looked back at Yuna, whose face glowed. A guardian is someone a summoner can rely on, he thought. I wonder, does Yuna feel that way about me?
Yuna lifted her gaze to meet Tidus and smiled softly. What's she smiling about?
"The Fayth is below. Let's do it!" Wakka cheer enthusiastically. The whole group stood just beyond the door to the Cloister of Trials, ready to begin. Unlike Besaid's, this Cloister had a large elevator at the beginning.
"Wait, the 'Fayth?'" Tidus asked in response to Wakka's exclamation, but no one seemed to hear him.
"But first, the Cloister of Trials," Lulu said. "Kimahri? Wakka? Ready?"
The two guardians nodded.
"Strength, everyone!" Yuna encouraged. Tidus could feel the well-established comradeship of the traveling party as they all walked onto the platform. Tidus moved to join them, but Kimahri shoved him back roughly.
"Hey!" he protested. "What gives?"
"You're not a guardian yet," Lulu said plainly. Oh, yeah, right.
"Um, we'll be back as soon as we can, okay?" Yuna said contritely. Tidus couldn't answer before the platform lowered and the party disappeared.
"Oh, sure!" Tidus sighed. "Soon, like, tomorrow soon, I bet!"
He watched the platform return, then turned to leave. But as he turned, he saw Dona and her guardian, Barthello, blocking the exit.
What are these guys doing back here? he thought. Didn't they just do the Cloister of Trials?
"Where's Yuna?" Dona asked sharply. Tidus pointed absently to the platform. Dona's glare increased.
"Then why are you here?"
"Hey, I'm not a guardian, so I'm not supposed to go in, right?" Tidus retorted.
"Not a guardian, you say?" an almost wicked grin spread over Dona's face. Tidus began to feel uncomfortable. This doesn't look good…
Dona made a quick hand gesture, and Barthello strode over to the platform. Before Tidus could realize what was happening, the massive man grabbed Tidus and lifted him into the air.
"Hey Wait!" Tidus shouted. "Lemme go!" Barthello chucked him onto the platform. "Hey! What's the big idea?"
Dona still wore that creepy smile. "Just a little game."
Tidus had no chance to respond as the platform sank away, bringing him straight to the Cloister of Trials.
"This is bad." Tidus said to himself as he watched the platform rise back up without him. "Really bad."
Dona had stuck him as the vindictive type, but this? All because she lost an argument with the summoner he was accompanying? Tidus shook his head and sighed. No time for this now.
"Only guardians allowed, and I'm sure no guardian," Tidus sighed aloud. He took a moment to take in his surroundings. There were only two ways out of the plain stone room he stood in; The elevator that had already left, and a set of carved stone doors.
"Well, I guess it's too late now." Without another moment's hesitation, Tidus shoved his way through the wide doors into the Cloister of Trials.
