And here is the first chapter. It will probably be a little boring, but the story should kick up soon. Anyway, time to move on…
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Final Fantasy trilogy nor do I own any of the quotes that appear before each chapter.
CLAIMER: I do own any and all OCs and plot twists that appear in this story.
Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism…
Chapter 1: Star Player
"Just because everything's different,
doesn't mean anything's changed."
-Irene Porter
A shrill scream penetrated the sweet silence for what seemed like the fifth time. Sitting on a dark brown, wooden nightstand was a blue and white alarm clock. It continued to scream, alerting whoever was within the confines of the small bedroom that it had reached a specific time.
There was a pregnant pause; nothing but the sound of the screeching clock. But then the sound of a frustrated grunt echoed from the left side of the room. In the next second, a tanned hand shot out from a thick comforter and came to a stop above the object in question.
"Ugh, shut-up." A male voice groaned from the bed, as if uttering the word would silence it. It did not.
As punishment for the clock's impudence, the young man's fist came down on it, hitting the 'snooze' button hard. Another groan could be heard as the creature attempted to get comfortable.
Obviously, he was not very successful. After tossing and turning for at least five minutes, the being decided that there was no use in fighting. The alarm had won. Giving another sigh, a spikey-haired blonde sat up on his head, allowing the blanket to fall around him. The seventeen-year-old boy gave a deep yawn as he slid out of bed and onto his carpeted floor, stretching his arms above his head while doing so.
Tidus caught the switch tat hung from his ceiling fan and switched the overhead lights on. He was blinded momentarily, but soon regained his sight.
The room was a decent size. Not too big but not too small; just the way he liked it. There was a bed covered in white sheets and a khaki blanket; it was pressed against the wall. Beside it stood her dark wooden nightstand.
A desk was pressed against the wall across the room. Tidus's television sat on top of his dresser; he kept some accessories in it while the rest of his clothes hung in the nearby closet.
The blonde haired teen left the sanctity of his bedroom and crossed the dimly lit hallway, his travels bringing him to the bathroom. The door closed behind him as he entered and flipped the light on. Tidus wasted no time slipping his boxers off and hopping into the shower. He turned the knob and allowed the steaming hot water to erase the haze of sleep from his mind. Gotta big night tonight! The adrenaline was already pouring into his veins. He quickly washed his hair and body before turning the faucet off and hopping out of the shower.
The seventeen-year-old snatched a fluffy white towel off of the wrack and tied it around his waist as he returned to his bedroom, not even bothering to close the door behind him as he entered the room. Why should he worry about privacy when he was the sole owner of this house?
He switched the television on; a news broadcast was flickering across the screen. It wasn't hard to guess what it was about. While the anchorman began his report, Tidus threw the closet door open and began digging around for his uniform.
"Anyway…ten years later, the Jecht Memorial Cup tournament is today!" Tidus rolled his eyes. Jecht Memorial my ass. The anchorman continued the nightly announcement. "The two teams that have won through to the finals are, of course, the Abes from A-East, and the Duggles from C-South.
"I know there's a lot of people out there today to see the star of the Abes!" For some reason, his comment brought a smile to the teenager's face; he was busy getting ready for the big game.
"In just one year, he's become the team's number one player! He's Jecht's blood," Tidus chose to ignore that particular comment and instead absorb the endless praise, "and the new hope of blitzball! What kind of super play will he show us today?
"Will we see his father's legendary shot?" Nope. As if Tidus was about to humiliate himself in front of an entire crowd. "I don't think I'm the only one excited here, folks!"
The camera crews' focus was switched to the weatherman after that. Tidus tuned it out, not really caring about the forecast, and headed back to the bathroom. The teen snatched a brush and blow-dryer from the counter began fixing his hair. His pearly whites became the next center of attention after his hair regained its spikey form.
Once he was dressed, Tidus gave himself a once over. Aqua-blue eyes carefully scanned his appearance, making sure that everything was in order. His skin bore a deep tan, a testament to how much time he spent in the sun. He would have been shirtless if not for the small bright yellow jacket with a white hood. Bright blue and red leather mixed with the dark brown and black glove and gauntlet on his left arm. The other was bare, save for the black glove on his hand.
Tidus wore a pair of leather black overalls and cut off shorts. The right leg remained firmly in place, with his crimson family crest sewn onto the front. The left leg was removed so that his shorter, dark blue swim trunks could be seen. Last of all, he wore a pair of black wool socks and a pair of low-cut yellow and dark brown boots.
Satisfied with his appearance, Tidus left the bathroom and headed to the living room; he paused only to switch his bedroom light off.
There was a couch sitting in front of the television with a coffee table placed in front of it. A lamp stood beside couch for when night fell. A few decorations added a little flare to the room. It was small but cozy. Tidus flipped the lamplight off and climbed the steps leading to his front door. He threw the door open and stepped out into the cool night air.
The sky was black with the night. The city lights were at their brightest and the air was a little cool, but not too cold for a midnight swim. Perfect for a game of blitzball.
Tidus took a deep breath before making his way across the deck. Unlike most of the people he knew, Tidus made his home inside of a boat. It was his parent's decision rather than his, and he never saw a need to buy another house, so his home remained on the place he loved most: the water. The blonde began making his way across the wooden deck and onto the bridge connecting his boat to the dock.
A large crowd of people were waiting for him. A warm smile stole across his face and he began waving at them. Their voices escalated in volume as they cheered, ecstatic to see the Abe's star player up and ready for action.
"Tidus over here!" a female voice called from the mass of human bodies.
Various comments rose from the cheering crowd as Tidus made his way towards a pair of teenage girls, both of whom were holding two white balls that were streaked with blue. Indentions were made on the spherical objects. Obviously, they were blitzballs.
"Hey there little ladies," the blonde teen flashed his best smile, "and what can I do for you tonight?"
One of the girls blushed as she replied to him, "Can I have your autograph?" She held the ball and a pen out to him.
Tidus took the pen and leaned forward, scribbling his signature on the rounded object as he spoke, "Coming right up!"
"Me, too!" the other girl squealed in delight.
"Of course." He signed the ball then handed the pen to the girl with the pink shirt, the first one to catch his attention.
"Tidus! Tidus!" a high-pitched voice cried from behind. A pair of hands gripped the older male's arm and began jerking him around; causing Tidus look at an excited little boy. "Can we have your autograph, too?"
The seventeen-year-old chuckled at the kid's enthusiasm while pulling his arm free, "Why not?" He paused and looked at the girl in the pink shirt. She giggled as she handed him her pen. Turning back to the boy, he quickly signed the child's blitzball.
"Me too!" another of pair of small children shouted in unison.
"Okay, okay." This, of course, was the normal routine for Tidus. Especially when a game as important as the Jecht Cup was on the line. The name made him want to gag, but he could not deny its significance. He quickly signed the boys' blitzballs.
Soon, even more people started asking for his autograph, which Tidus gladly gave. They could be irritating at times, but Tidus still enjoyed all of the attention he received from his fans. How could he not? Especially when all of the hype surrounding status as the Abe's star player was rightfully deserved. It took him only a year to earn his place and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.
A man of at least twenty-one wandered up to Tidus's side and threw one arm on the boy's shoulder, "Hey there Tidus," he gave him a quick punch on the shoulder, "how 'ya been?"
"Great!" he returned the warm smile, "How 'bout you?"
"Fine, fine," there was a short pause, "so you excited about the big game tonight?"
"Naturally."
"Getting kinda nervous?"
Tidus put on a show of courage, "No way!" No way indeed. The blonde refused to show his anxiety to the crowd. It was bad for the image, and it would only make him even more nervousness to see his closest fans nervous as well.
"Heh, that's the spirit!" He gave Tidus a quick pat on the shoulder, "with you on our team, there's no way the Abes'll lose."
"Yeah!" A man cried in the background, "Let's give it up for the Zanarkand Abes!"
With that, Tidus held up his hands and started giving people high fives, cheering the name of the Abes along with them. He came to a stop in front of a small boy, who may have been no older than ten to eleven years. His skin was deeply tanned and he wore a dark purple, tattered shirt with a hood that hid his face from view. A pair of capries hung around his legs, and his footwear consisted of a pair of sandals.
The boy provided him with a small smile, "I wish you luck on tonight's game," he held up his hand so that Tidus could finish his rain of high fives. "Keep in mind that this is really important."
"Yeah." I've never seen him before. He turned away from the child and moved on to the rest of the crowd.
It was not long until he caught the two girls ago, both of them fluttering their eyelashes at him. Tidus strode towards them, a cool expression on his face. The blonde put on his best smile as he struck up a conversation with them. "So, what're you ladies doing tonight?"
"Oh, nothing important," the second girl giggled, her eyes were glued to his toned chest, "why'd you ask?"
"Well I was…" But he never finished his sentence.
"Tidus!"
The blonde's head jerked in the direction of the familiar voice. The teen in question watched as the crowd slowly split apart to reveal an irritable young woman, who seemed to be around the same age as him.
Her dark red hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Unlike Tidus, her skin was rather light. She was wearing a black and yellow diving suit with some dark blue leather armor for extra protection. A pair of goggles hung around her neck.
The seventeen-year-old female stomped up to him and grabbed his arm, "C'mon, 'ya attention starved…"
"Hey, calm down Keiss," the blonde male chuckled as he pulled his arm away from her, "what's the big rush?"
"What's the rush?" She repeated, her eyes narrowing a little, "the game's going to start in a few minutes, that's the rush!"
Surprise replaced the carefree smile that was ruled Tidus's face. "What!?" Shit! I lost track of time! He quickly turned to the group of people; it would've been rude to leave without saying goodbye.
"Uh sorry guys, but I really need to go," Tidus was slowly inching away with Keiss, "like now. So I'll see you after the game!"
"Wait!"
There was an annoyed sigh from Keiss as Tidus turned to look at the three boys. All three of them ran up to him, each holding his own blitzball. "Two…three…!" one of the boys counted, "Teach. Us. How. To. Blitz!" The trio shouted simultaneously. They must have practiced that.
Unfortunately, it was Tidus's job to dash their hopes of learning to play blitzball in only nine minutes. "Uh, oh…sorry, but I kinda don't have enough time," he quickly added, "I'll be late for the game."
"Then teach us after!" one of the kids said.
"He can't."
Tidus and Keiss looked to see the boy in purple, the one from before. The half-smile returned to his face after a moment of silence. "He won't have time tonight."
The blonde stared at the boy in confusion. Who the heck is he…? "Uh…then, tomorrow?" For some reason, Tidus did not sound as sure as he should have. What the boy in purple said threw him off.
"Okay." One of the children agreed to his offer, which was a relief.
"Come on Tidus." The redheaded female urged.
He nodded in her direction, "Right." And took off running with her at his side. The both of them left the docks and headed straight towards the streets of Zanarkand, the metropolis that never sleeps.
Both Tidus and his female counter-part were sprinting as fast as they could down the road. They only had a few minutes before the game would start, so they needed to hurry. The teenagers gasped for air as they ran down the concrete sidewalks.
An irritated look crossed Keiss's face as they headed towards the stadium, "We wouldn't be so pressed for time if you didn't spend all your time flirting, 'ya know."
"Sorry," his expression betrayed his apology, "Couldn't be helped!"
She rolled her eyes at him, and then skidded to a stop, gasping for air. The run from the stadium took quite a bit out of her; going back at this rate would be a challenge. Tidus slowed to a stop so that she could catch her breath.
His aqua colored eyes started to wander along the tall buildings that made Zanarkand the great city that he knew. He caught sight of a blinking billboard with a scruffy long-haired man on the front.
"Tidus, come on!"
He paused only to glare at the image before complying. Hmph. Both he and Keiss found themselves running along the road once again, both of them silent as they did.
Pedestrians waved to them as they ran by. Tidus offered them a quick wave and a smile as he ran by, while Keiss remained concentrated on the task at hand. It was not long before the stadium came into view.
It was placed on a small island that was only reachable by a man-made bridge; of course, the entire city was constructed by humans, right in the middle of the ocean. The stadium a giant dome with the moon shining high above it in the background. Stars shimmered in the distance like diamonds sewn into a large blanket dyed black. A perfect setting for tonight's game. Tidus and his female cohort quickly began making their way towards the stadium.
Unfortunately, the crowd massing at the entrance would be a challenge on its own. As soon as they saw Tidus, they ran for the two blitzers, intent on not letting them enter the stadium. Which was strange considering they hoped the two would win the game for them. How could they live up to the fan's expectations if they wouldn't even let them in the stadium?
This is when ones' own fan base became a nuisance. "Get out of my way!" Tidus shouted over the screaming people.
"Move it!" He could hear Keiss calling from somewhere in the crowd. "Ow, who stepped on my foot?"
"Hey, I'm gonna be late!"
"Lemme through!"
Someone caught Tidus's arm as he was nearing the large double doors. He tore his arm away from the girl, a look of agitation on his face, "Let go of me!" With a clean break towards the doors, he quickly took his chance, relieved to see that Keiss survived the onslaught as well when she climbed out of the horde of fans and followed after him.
Two security guards opened the doors for the blitzers and allowed them inside, and then shut the doors before they could be swarmed again.
Sighing in relief, Tidus popped his neck in a few places and then followed after Keiss, who was not wasting any time reuniting with their team. Like the outside, the lobby was a sight to behold in its own right. The floor was crafted from sleek white marble. Beautiful statues and tall pillars added to sheer beauty that was the stadium. The front desk was made of mahogany, and that was where fans would receive their tickets. It was obvious that the stadium had already sold out.
Trophy cases could be seen. Tidus admired the many trophies they passed on their way to the meeting place. A security guard was standing near the doors both Tidus and Keiss were heading towards.
Upon seeing them, he realized who they were and quickly gave them clearance to enter. He opened the doors and the two teens ran inside of a small white room.
It was empty save for two metal doors and a black rack. On the rack were numerous pairs of goggles and small oxygen masks that would cover their faces from the nose down. Even though the Abes' coach trained them in holding their breath for a long amount of time, it was required of all blitz ball players to wear an oxygen mask. No-one wanted to be responsible for a death that could have been controlled.
"Ready?" Keiss seemed to calm down now that they were at the stadium. She slipped a mask on and covered her eyes with the goggles.
"Yeah," he did the same, his voice now muffled. His eyes were no longer sensitive to the water, so Tidus did not need a pair of goggles. "You?"
The redhead moved towards the door to the right, "Uh-huh."
The door slid open with the slightest touch. Both teens stepped inside of what seemed like a darkened corridor. Water sloshed around their feet as they headed towards the nearest source of light.
As they drew nearer, the screams of anxious fans grew louder. Now the fans would be cheering for not only the Abes but for the Duggles as well. It was a mixed group, but even if there were a few fanatics out there, Tidus would be safe from the swarm for a while.
He and Keiss came to the front of the circle shapped stands, which was the closest to the 'field'. The so could field was made up of several metal rings, which would fall away when the time was right.
The Abes were all lounging on the benches, waiting for the game to start. They looked up when they heard Tidus and Keiss wadding their water.
One of them fixed the two with a glare, "Took you long enough."
"What can I say?" Tidus shrugged his shoulders and smiled at the young man, "I'm fashionably late, as usual."
"Yeah," the eighteen-year-old replied back, "well don't get too cocky."
Tidus plopped down on the benches alongside Keiss and rested his head. He began to clear his mind of everything, so that he would have a clear head during the game. Sounds began to die down. His internal clock continued to tick away; the game would start in just a minute.
Now, all he could hear was the sound of the screaming fans. The thrum of his own heartbeat. Water dripped from his blonde locks as he waited for the game to start.
For some reason, Tidus felt the urge to open his eyes. The air felt a little strange, different from usual. He left it up to nerves.
As soon as his eyes opened, one of his teammates threw him the ball, and the machinery controlling the field buzzed to life. The screams of the crowd grew stronger and louder when it became obvious that the show they had been waiting for was about to begin. Tidus's heartbeat sped up as he stepped up to the diving board, all of his teammate's right behind him. Pure white electricity that was tinted blue began to dance to life in the center of the field. The blonde watched as the light grew brighter and brighter, before it finally exploded before his very eyes, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked him off of his feet.
The rings dropped downward so that they were replaced with a giant bubble of water that hung in midair. This performance earned a scream of excitement from the crowd, which was more riled up then ever before. His heart was beating like crazy as the lights for the goals and the markings flashed on.
It was time. Tidus received a reassuring pat from Keiss, who was standing right behind him, "You can do it." She whispered into his ear.
Maybe I'll show them after all. Tidus thought to himself; he was contemplating as to whether he would perform the shot or not. He nodded back at her before turning to face the field. Activating the knob on the mask, Tidus took a dive, and plunged into the cool water of the sphere pool.
It felt so good to be inside of the crystal clear liquid. Tidus took a deep breath as he swam towards the center of the pool, the Abes all following after him after diving off of the board. The Duggles, all of whom were dressed in black, dark brown, and a dark red, were waiting for them in the center of the pool. Tidus set the ball between himself and the leader of the Duggles. The two exchanged a handshake as an act of sportsmanship before taking their places across from one another.
The timer cried out three seconds later. Both the leader of the Duggles and Tidus shot forward at that moment and reached out for the ball. The blonde was faster; he managed to grab the blitzball and keep it away from the opposing team.
The blitzers clad in black and red rushed at Tidus. He quickly passed it to the waiting arms of Jason, who then passed it to Keiss.
She began swimming away in a fashion that resembled a dolphin, all of the Duggles on her tale. Jason and Garret quickly flanked her sides so that she would have someone to pass to if the need should arise. Tidus could see Jules floating several meters away. He quickly swam after Keiss, Jason, and Garret.
A dark haired Duggle swam at Keiss from beneath, and kicked the ball out of her hands. Tidus took his chance and rammed into the boy in red, sending him flying right out of the sphere pool and into the stands! Tidus crossed his arms over his chest and nodded his head, holding a cool pose for the sake of the audience after his move, and then swam after the ball. Unfortunately, a female on the Duggles caught the ball while spinning in the middle of the water, and took off towards the Abe's goal.
Jules flanked by Garret and Jason caught up to the girl while Keiss rushed at her, soon followed by Tidus. She expertly evaded the both and continued towards the goal, only to be impeded by a Garret.
He delivered a swift kick at her side, scaring her into letting of the ball, and then snatched it away and headed towards the Duggles goal.
The rest of her team finally managed to catch up to the Abes. They went after Garrett while his team members went out of their way to watch his back. Just then, three Duggles caught Garret, forcing him to pass. Jules swam overhead and held his arms out, ready to take the ball from Garret. Two of the Duggles caught the ball just as Garret threw it, but then Tidus swam between them and kicked the ball so hard that it flew right out of the sphere pool!
Tidus sped after the ball then propelled himself out of the water. Gravity fought against his body, but he managed to stay in midair as he did a quick flip, his eyes set on the ball. He was about to kick the life from that poor ball until he noticed something in the distance.
What the…? He never managed to finish his thought. Far off in the distance, Tidus noticed a horde of fireballs were flying right towards him! A few of them laid waste to the buildings around him.
The teenager could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat as all four of the remaining spheres of flame flew straight passed him and onto the stadium around him. Cheers of excitement immediately melted into screams of utter horror as the flames crashed into the stadium walls and the stands. Tidus lost his balance, and gravity took its toll on him; he began falling towards the field, which was begun to fall in on itself due to the damage it was receiving.
"Whoa-oh!" he caught the ledge of a nearby pillar and held on for dear life, trying to pull himself up all the while. Sadly Tidus lost his grip, and everything went to black as he plummeted into the darkness…
