Proverbial Revitalization

Written by Whimsical Symphony

After a month, it is here – with some nice moments between Tidus and Yuna. Also a nice introduction to Wakka, because an FFX story is not a proper one without him. I need to incorporate my favourite line of his sometime in the near future – to give you insight, it's the one before the battle with Yunalesca. "Even in death, ya!" he says. I incorporated a different line of his in here, see if you can spot it – it's like 'Where's Waldo'!

Any comments and criticism is appreciated.

Chapter 8 – Apples and Oranges

Yuna woke up a bit late that morning and wanted to sleep in longer. She found it strange since she only remembered taking on the role of an early bird since the time she was a mere child who sat on her father's lap and watched as her mother watered the garden flowers near the Palace of St. Bevelle. She felt now like nestling back into the covers like a newborn chick curling into itself for warmth, its feathers a built-in blanket. Yuna remembered why she felt exhausted, and hid a small smile as she kept the blankets over her – Tidus walked her home after she spent some time at his house; she flushed, wondering if that happened to be a little bit inappropriate. Yuna never had much contact with men, ever, so etiquette of how to conduct herself failed her, she didn't know. Would Tidus think of her as easy? She shook her head, that man, with a sunny smile and such warmth would never use her – she knew that.

Then she remembered: Tidus. He asked her to watch him play today in the grand Blitzball Stadium she'd been dying to see for so long now, an aching feeling in her bones, in her veins. She could see him play, glide through the water like a dolphin and score, beautiful and touching like the first snow fall.

With that thought in mind, she got up and looked at her clock. The numbers stared at her mockingly.

"I'm going to be late!" She quickly hurried and got herself ready, trying to make herself look as clean as possible, and not the mess she seemed to look like, a major bedhead sticking up in all directions and wrinkled pajamas. "I can't go looking like this!"

And so she brushed her hair neatly and changed out of her clothes. Running downstairs she called out to her father, "Father, I'm leaving to watch Tidus play Blitzball at the Stadium!" and for good measure in case he locked himself in the office and was doing work for Grand Maester Mika, she wrote a small note explaining her whereabouts and taped it on the door with a small smile, then exited out to the streets.

She walked with a feeling of elation which bubbled in the pit of her stomach, imitating the feeling of a million butterflies of all colours twisting and turning and fluttering in an innocent ballet dance, quick and easy, soft and refreshing – revitalizing. Her palms brushed over the pass that Tidus had given her in her hands, all so she could see him play. She wondered what it would be like, watching a sight she'd wanted to see for so long now, so long it only seemed like a fleeting dream. A smile grew on her lips and a small flush as well, at the thought that her first sight of Blitzball would be Tidus instead of anyone else.

The crowd of people on the streets, bustling due to the time period of early afternoon, didn't frighten Yuna, as she looked with just her goal in mind. Her boots clacked against the paved roads, quickly as she almost jogged toward that lit up Stadium she saw – she could hear the screams from where she stood, the cheers, the love and affection for all the Blitzball players which seemed to rise into the air, high above the chatter of daily life, like an air balloon, eye-catching and filled all the way with burst of air torrents.

Yuna couldn't wait to be a part of it all.

The crowd size was indescribable – a mesh up of people of all types – avid sports fans with shirts depicting the Zanarkand Abes emblem, and small paper fans, along with Blitzballs in case they were lucky enough to meet one of the players to sign it. Yuna recognized the fact that getting anything of theirs signed by a member of the Abes made it into a priceless artifact of some kind. Everyone in Zanarkand held Blitzball highly, up as high as the stars, with fame that shone and glimmered just as brightly. To see players swim and dive and make themselves out to seem as if they lived and breathed the game, set their hearts on fire. It was the same way with Bevelle and prayers – the two walked hand in hand, though Yuna was sad that Blitzball wasn't held to as high esteem as it was here. She felt if she were born here among the lights and the stars, Blitzball and water and cheers that echoed through the entirety of Mount Gagazet, her life would be more than a bit different, she would be different.

Looking at all the women who could proudly show how they felt, confident and unyielding, she wished just a little she could be like them. Maybe expressing herself to Tidus would be easier then, to talk to him, to get closer to him, to not get so nervous around him…

Maybe it would be easier to get past the crowd and to the large translucent entrance which seemed to mimic the ripples of water without feeling as if she would be crushed.

"Excuse me…" she muttered as she headed through the crowd, trying not to accidentally push or shove anybody. Yuna, however, knew her tendency for unluckiness and misfortune to gravitate toward her like flies to honey. And just like that, when she reached near the entrance, when it was right within her grasp she bumped into two of the women she was eyeing – she could even see the guard out front, a man with strange orange hair, muscular and tanned, to whom she had to show the pass to, so he could lead her to the back entrance! They were beautiful women dolled up in pretty dresses of soft pastels and hair that was expertly curled, bright hair like Rikku's, blonde. "I'm so sorry!" She bowed, as was habit for her.

"Ugh, this bint bumped into us – I almost spilled my drink. What if Tidus'd seen?" Both looked impossibly cross and annoyed, though this one more so – a woman who wore heels to the stadium and stood with her weight distributed on one side as she held her hip. "Well, are you going to apologize more? You'd better – I almost lost my chances with the Star Player because of you!"

Yuna wondered if the woman knew Tidus. She wouldn't be surprised, Tidus seemed to know everyone. Every time they walked together, he greeted little children, the elderly, and fans of his. He definitely had popularity and for some reason, that thought made Yuna wonder if he saw her as anything different, whether he saw the woman in front of her as any different. Did Yuna have no chance to be a special friend to him like Rikku?

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Yuna strung together – a hopeless bullet of apologies as she grew more and more flustered, redder and redder like a tomato. She kept her head down, as tears were about to spill from her eyes. She never before got someone so angry that they would call her anything nasty – she wondered if that concept was normal in Zanarkand.

"Dang, and what's she wearing? It looks so damn prudish – does she really think she's going to catch anyone's attention this way, with a skirt that long and all that white? Makes her seem like she's wearing a bed sheet," the other snorted snidely, looking Yuna's attire up and down.

Yuna didn't reply, but kept her fingers entangled in the skirt they mocked, willing her burning eyes not to let one drop fall, not at all. She knew they gathered a crowd now, as some others started to look, or pointedly ignored them, not wanting to pay attention. Yuna thought about what they noticed and idly flitted through the possibility that they may have wanted to help her – but she knew, her own desperation took over. They either watched or did nothing, some snickering, agreeing with the girls. No one wanted to help her, not at all.

"Well, she'd certainly never be able to catch any of the Abes' attention with that ugly shade of blue, Tidus and Cetan 'specially – and Kiryl as well," the first one she'd bumped into said, sneering. "As if they would want to look at a plain woman – I mean you have nothing to offer!"

That hurt. She let her fingers fall from the fabric of her skirt which she saw as so beautiful, so blue like the feathers of a peacock. Belgemine stitched all the embroidery on it herself, the white symbols, and even beaded the ribbon which wrapped around her waist so securely. Her eyes burned more and her first tears fell, streaking down her face so cold and wispy, not calming in the least like spring rain, only like hail. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, feeling just a bit more dead. Her skirt, it was the exact shade of blue her mother used to wear too, as she'd dance and sing in the garden, in Al-Bhed, and tell her and her father to join in. Her heart burned too, like a volcano erupted from deep within its recesses.

They laughed at her tears, and other voices joined in, thinking the whole ordeal only made itself out to be a joke.

"That's enough, ya!"

When Yuna looked up, she saw the stern face of the man who stood at the entrance. He didn't look pleased at the women who were mocking her, nor the people who laughed at the side, not paying her feelings any mind. Weakly, she handed him her pass, just wanting to go inside, just wanting to get away from the women she'd thought to admire when she arrived, women she knew for certain Tidus would have liked, not a little girl like her.

He gave her a small smile and said, "I know, ya. Ti' told me to watch out for you! Lu' also told me 'bout you. Told me you were a sweet girl, told her what she needed to hear, you know?" He took her hand and led her away from the girls.

"But Wakka, what're you doing!" one voice called. Many others murmured in agreement, complaining about her privilege to go in ahead of them, and without paying no less.

"This girl here, she has a pass, you know? She can get in for free, and she gets to meet the players, ya," Wakka explained to them a bit smugly. "I don't think the players would like a special guest picked on, ya. Yuna's also daughter of Lord Braska, so being mean isn't good."

Before their reactions could even be seen, Yuna was dragged off by Wakka to the back entrance, a small and significantly less ornate. Yuna thought back to the conversation earlier and blinked. "Wakka… wait then you're… Lulu's…"

"I'm Lu's husband, ya," Wakka said, grinning. "Used to play Blitzball myself until I injured myself. Then, I got married to Lu', and I started to work in a restaurant – got pretty high up there, I'm a manager, ya. It's always been hard to give up Blitz though, it was my life, just like it was for Lord Ohalland, you know? He was a Summoner but still played," Wakka explained. Indeed, she heard of Lord Ohalland and how he played Blitzball as well, which is what baffled her about why the sport held such small amounts of recognition in a city like Bevelle. Ohalland accomplished so much as a Summoner while doing what his heart told him to. Wakka opened the door and led her down hallways with offices – employees inside working on what looked like complex paperwork. He saw where she looked and said, "They're working on ticket sales and how to maximize them, ya. They're also working on team budgeting and salaries as well as a lot more. More goes on with Blitzball than just the sport, ya."

It amazed her how much went on, how suited employees rushed by her, clearly sleep deprived as they held coffee in their hand and piles upon piles of paper hugged to their chests.

"How did you get involved with Blitzball again after you stopped?" Yuna asked curiously, finally finding the voice after having her appearance and her precious skirt insulted so gravely. She still felt sombre and the tears still trailed down her skin, albeit slower.

"Havin' drinks at the Machina, ya. I met Ti' there who said he'd seen my team play – we weren't all that great, lost a number of times back in the day. He said we all had skill though, that we just had to think about winning and not to just try our best. He also said he saw my skill, ya. The guy charmed me into working here, as well as the rest of my team since we all retired. We all work around here as managers and extra hands part time," he explained, scratching his head sheepishly. "It's more of a volunteer position, you know?"

"Tidus seems to… charm a lot of people, he's a good person. He must've known how good you were if he wanted to have you advise him in Blitzball, you know? And you seem like a very encouraging person, Wakka!" Yuna said, smiling weakly. Even though she knew this, that Tidus had an exceptional amount of good people gravitate toward him because he himself was good, almost like a strong magnet that could lure in everyone, she wondered if she were any different – like Wakka and Rikku and Lulu, or if he just saw her as a fan, or whether everyone was equal toward him and no one special. Yuna thought now, perhaps her core knew no extravagance, only plainness like what those girls said. What did she have to offer?

He noticed her tears then, and how she furiously tried to rub them away. He looked even more flustered. "My brother always used to say that there'd always be people like that – best not let it get to you and be proud of who you are, ya." He nodded once, remembering his brother.

Yuna knew then that he kept whatever his brother said to him close to his heart, remembering him even after he passed away. Chappu's death greatly wounded Lulu and Wakka, and they both held onto the fragments. "Thank you, Wakka."

"No problem, ya. I don't think Ti'd wanna see you crying," he told her, still embarrassed. "He'd probably smack me one if I didn't comfort you, you know? I'd agree with him. Leaving someone crying's the worst."

Yuna smiled a little. "You're… a very warm person, Wakka." He did know what just to say to make her feel a little better. The fact that he implied Tidus cared more for her than she thought, made her feel just a little more wanted. At the same time, she hated the selfish feeling of wanting to be special, to be like all of Tidus' friends were to him, like Lulu, like Wakka, like Rikku. She wondered if Tidus would confide in her more – she knew she would listen to him, without any complaint.

"Hey, bnaddo ke-kenem-keanenym?" a voice called, and as expected Tidus sprinted down the hallway cheerily. He looked a bit flustered because he himself knew he had no clue how to pronounce that second word. That terrible Al-Bhed accent could only be him, no one else. Regardless, he called her pretty – that made her flush a bit, no matter how funny he sounded. She gasped, wondering when she'd become such a terrible person, making fun of someone else's issues with the language when they wanted to get better. Yuna frowned, pondering how much of a good person it would be to laugh out loud- and chuckled slightly, hoping to remain undetected.

"Hey, you're laughing!" Tidus said, pouting. "Dang, and I was hoping to actually impress you this time." He sighed, ruffling his hair with his gloved hand. "I practiced but only the first word came out right… kind of," he tacked on sheepishly.

"You were close!" Yuna encouraged and then chuckled. "The second word is pronounced keaynm. Remember?" She smiled shyly. "I know you'll get it next time."

"I know I will – I'm definitely a genius at it," he joked, about as vain as even a snow white swan.

"Ti' your Al-Bhed would scare off even a shoopuf," Wakka told him dryly. "It's why Rikku told you once to never try again, and her old man laughed at you, ya."

"Hey! Like your Al-Bhed is any better," Tidus retorted, narrowing his gaze at Wakka who stood his ground. Wakka locked his arms around Tidus' neck in a headlock. Tidus struggled and said, "Hey, let me go!" Wakka, however, wasn't having any of it.

"I never tried to learn, ya!" Wakka stated, holding Tidus' neck tighter. "But when I do – you'll be the dumb one. So, hold your chocobos 'till then, ya."

It was then, when Yuna stared at them with a small smile, laughing inwardly at their antics, that he noticed the redness of her eyes and the trace of tears on her skin – tears which, really shouldn't' have been there. "Hey, let go, Wakka," he said, uncharacteristically serious. Wakka did so, and Tidus asked, "Yuna, were you crying."

"I…" she started, but clamped right back up. To be honest, she didn't know what to say – that she felt like crying as many tears as pyreflies the Farplane had, floating aimlessly whispering promises and singing songs in unison, that his fans made her feel like retching in a corner at the same time, so nervous and anxious that she was just an extra star amongst a sea of stars, light years away, unable to reach him in whatever far off galaxy she'd planted her feet in.

"Your fans said some pretty nasty things, ya – called her plain, said she'd never be good enough for you – that she had nothing to offer," Wakka supplied, looking a bit morose himself as he said it. He kept his hands in his pocket, brushing his fingers against an old charm he kept with him, one which used to belong to Chappu.

"You… didn't believe them, did you?" Tidus asked. One look at her face and he knew she did believe them. He kept his hands on her shoulders. "Yuna, look at me." She did, with those beautiful, different coloured eyes, though she looked about ready to dart at any second like a rabbit planning its first footsteps on a patch of snow new and old alike, falling from the cedar branches up above and from the grey, wintry sky. "They can be really petty, but you're not like them, you know? You're better. Trust me – I want you watching me play Blitz more than anyone," he admitted softly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Really?" Yuna asked softly, staring up at him earnestly.

Another thought shot through him about just how cute the girl in front of him really was. He felt a bit reluctant to introduce him to his teammates now – what if Kiryl suddenly decided that he needed a cute girlfriend like Yuna, what if Suzam who rarely dated thought that he discovered love while with her? He sighed as he wondered why on earth he had all these selfish thoughts when it came to her. He knew she needed to open up her world considering she came from conservative Bevelle, so introducing her would help her, he definitely knew. And he was her friend, so he should try to help her – after all, his thoughts were irrational. Sure, Yuna definitely beat Dona when it came to potential girlfriend material, since the woman treated him like the trash on her stiletto heels, but that didn't mean he felt that way for her.

With that thought in mind, he opened his mouth to speak, but Wakka beat him to it. "Cut out the mushy stuff, ya. It's givin' me a stomach ache!" Wakka did look a bit sick, and probably would have turned green, had he actually been. Yuna flushed very deeply at the thought. Tidus grinned and wondered if he should have continued for the sake of seeing the red blossom on Yuna's cheeks. A sick Wakka was an amusing bonus as well. "Ti', you should introduce her to the rest of the Abes. I gotta get back to work in manning the doors. I was supposed to be a sub door guard today, ya."

"Alright – you go do that. I'll introduce her to my teammates, y'know, besides Cetan 'cause he's the asshole that she's already met," Tidus said just a bit bitterly, thinking about lost times with Yuna that all happened because Cetan barged in like a lumbering gorilla. He grinned at Yuna. "We're not all like him – most of us have manners. Come on, I'll take you to them, Yuna."

"Okay!" she replied, just a little flustered, but she had no time to think about it as Tidus grabbed her wrist and darted down the hallway.

Yuna only hoped she wouldn't get a stitch in her side by running after him.

Words: 3 533

Al-Bhed Translations

Bnaddo kenm/Pretty girl