On the morning of departure the ocean was calm, and a soft breeze filled the air. As the hours passed by, the clear, blue sky under the dominion of the yellow sun gave way to numerous clouds and the sun shied away. The wind gradually turned against them and the worn sails of the S.S Liki began to ripple loudly.

Throughout the day, members of the crew were busying themselves with various tasks. Yuna was surrounded by a crowd of admirers all asking her various questions about being a summoner and offering her their blessings. It was this sort of attention that she had very much wished to avoid as whilst she had appreciated (and to some extent, thrived on) the blessings and encouragement of the people, it made her feel too exposed and also false. She felt like she carried a great secret and burden, and she did. Whilst the people could praise her and pray for her and bow to her all they liked, knowing the great summoners sacrifice, they could never know the true nature of her journey. She was very aware of it, lying there in the depths of her bag, eager to be seen by the crowd. She wanted them to go away, so she could be alone with her thoughts.

After relieving himself of the gear he had carried on his back, Tidus soon found he was restless and had an abundance of energy. He was causing mischief and great inconvenience for the crew and to some extent, other passengers. He could be seen roaming the deck, snatching equipment out of their hands and inspecting them before throwing them back, apparently uninterested. When he grabbed a pair of binoculars from the hands of a member of the crew he was met with a look of disdain from Lulu, who was beginning to find him tiresome, and a nuisance. She thought he seemed very much like a child with a short attention span, snatching toys off of children before throwing them and moving on to something else. It confused her as to why Belgemine would request that such a foolish boy be sent on this noble and sacred journey with them. It dominated her thoughts, and she studied him carefully, with wary eyes. Tidus seemed to be the same age as Yuna, yet the difference in maturity was astounding. His clothes were unusual as well, she mused. He wore blitz clothing that was not unlike the overalls that the Aurochs wore, and yet there was something exotic, foreign, about it. His claims to be a blitzball player from Zanarkand were ludicrous, yet his skills had been proven. He seemed to be truly at a loss concerning life in Spira, and of Yevon. It was likely he had been in contact with Sin, but never had she seen a case of acute poisoning as severe as she saw now. Lulu watched with irritation as he observed his surroundings through the binoculars and spotted Yuna, who had managed to escape her idolisers and was flanked by Kimahri. Yuna spotted him and followed his gaze until he spotted her waving at him. In a haste to wave back, Tidus fumbled and dropped the binoculars, much to the amusement of the crew member who snatched them back as soon as he had relinquished them.

Wakka beckoned Tidus over, with a large grin on his face. He leapt down from the rails and approached Wakka on deck. He was stood not too far from Lulu, who satisfied that Yuna was safe with Kimahri, was eyeing Tidus like a hawk. He felt her eyes on the back of his head as he approached Wakka. He wondered how long he would have to endure her intimidating nature on this trip, he was already getting bored of the ocean. He wanted to feel his feet on dry land again and get away from Lulu's scrutinising stare. Tidus didn't even know when that would be, or where they were even going. Fortunately, Wakka seemed to sense this as well.
"I was jus' thinking, brudda. Come to think of it, I haven't told you where we're going! First to Kilika island, then we change boats and head for Luca. 'Fore that though Yuna's gotta pray at the temple. I'll be guarding. We'll be praying for the Aurochs' victory too, so you come along, ya?" he grinned and ruffled Tidus' hair.
Lulu, who had been listening in, sighed exasperatedly. "Great plan." she said, with a sarcastic undertone.
"Hey, it is a great plan!" Wakka declared indignantly, puffing out his chest. He turned to Tidus for reassurance who backed away and waved his arms frantically in protest. "Don't look at me!" he insisted. "So how long will it take to get there?" Tidus wondered aloud. He was already hungry, and fed up of the sea. He felt trapped and isolated, like an unwanted guest. He was surprised when it was Lulu, not Wakka, who answered his question.
"The journey to Kilika mainland is only a few hours away from Besaid port. However, because the Kilika docks and main village are in the north of the island, it can take over a day to reach it. If the weather is against us, it can take nearly two days. The same goes for the journey from Kilika to Luca. So you better find something to occupy yourself, quietly." she finished, firmly, emphasising the final word.
Tidus looked to Wakka, who shrugged apologetically. He turned away from Lulu and Wakka and walked the decks alone, restlessly. He looked over at Yuna, who was stood by the railings, surrounded yet again by a group of admirers. Kimahri was a fair distance away, as he was giving her space to be alone, or perhaps had little patience with the people who were shouting questions over each other. Tidus was curious and approached the group. He caught Kimahri's attention, but if the Ronso had any disapproval towards him, he did not show it. Tidus stood at the back of the crowd, behind two men engaged in conversation with each other, and listened in.
"Word is that summoner's got noble blood!" one said.
"I heard she's Lord Braska's daughter!" said the other, impressively.
"Ya don't say?" said the first, who appeared fascinated by the news.
"Lord Braska's...daughter?" Tidus interrupted, blatantly confused.
The two men merely turned their heads and grunted, unappreciative of the interruption. He moved away from them to hear what the rest of the crowd were saying. He listened very carefully.
"If anyone can defeat Sin, the daughter of Lord Braska can!"
"A summoners confident smile is always a great encouragement to us."
"For both father and daughter to become summoners - it must have been Yevon's will!"
Tidus spotted three of the Aurochs in the crowd talking to one another.
"Someday we'll earn some respect, just like Yuna." said Datto.
"man I wish we were half as popular as Yuna." sulked Letty.
"Hey, don't let it get to you. It's the same as always, ya?" encouraged Jassu, in a thick accent.
Tidus was curious about who Lord Braska was, why Yuna was so famous, and why it was so significant. He decided he would ask Wakka, and made his way back across the deck.
"So, is Yuna's father famous or something?" he asked.
Wakka eyed Tidus with surprise. He was aware of Tidus's complete ignorance to everything, yet he was starting to wonder just how extensive the damage from Sins toxin had been.
"She's the daughter of High Summoner Braska!" he sound, proudly. "You saw his statue at the temple. Lord Braska defeated Sin ten years ago. Yuna's the heir to a great legacy!" he explained.
"It's tough when your father's famous." Tidus mused.
Wakka looked at him with a confused expression, vacant of any sense of understanding.
"Wakka's...a bit lacking in the imagination department." said Lulu, with a hint of a smirk. Wakka simply stared with his mouth open, slightly.
Tidus laughed at his expression. "Thanks Lulu, I'll keep that in mind."
"Oh yeah," Wakka said suddenly. "you talk to Yuna yet? She had some questions for you."
In the corner of his eye he saw Lulu shoot a scornful look at him.

He looked over to Yuna and the crowd and saw that it had dispersed. Tidus took the chance and decided to make his way over again. She heard his footsteps as he approached her and turned around to see who approached. She had an odd expression on her face, a slightly forced smile which appeared tired and defensive. When she saw it was Tidus who approached her face softened and her smile became genuine. Yuna moved aside slightly, inviting Tidus to stand next to her, and she turned her gaze out to sea.
He slowly walked up to her side and stretched loudly and exaggeratedly, in feigned nonchalance. He rest his hands on the railing and waited. It was so quiet and they both listened to the silence, all that could be heard was the breeze and the soft sound of the ocean waves. Finally Yuna spoke.
"The wind...it's nice." she said, awkwardly.
"Mm." he agreed.
They both realised how awkward they sounded and struggled to contain their laughter, until they could contain it no longer.
"I sounded so silly!" Yuna giggled.
"Well I didn't exactly sound smooth either." Tidus laughed.
"I feel so embarrassed." she said, placing her hands over her reddening cheeks.
"Don't be! You're not the one who broke a load of temple rules and traditions to charge in and save somebody you didn't even know, only to find they weren't actually in danger." said Tidus, cringing at the memory that was still so fresh in his mind.
Yuna laughed. "Well, the temple were very forgiving for that, there was no harm done! Although when you mention it, it was pretty funny..." she tittered.
Yuna stopped laughing and looked at Tidus with a look of awe. "You're a blitzball player, aren't you? From Zanarkand, right?"
The question caught Tidus off guard and he turned to look at her with slight apprehension. "You hear that from Wakka?" he asked.
Yuna nodded.
He turned around properly, to face her and rested his back against the rails. He sighed. "Wakka doesn't believe me at all." he said, sadly.
Yuna stepped back and looked at him carefully. She had a curious look in her eye. "But I believe you!" she said. Tidus simply stared at her in surprise. "I've heard, in Zanarkand there is a great stadium, all lit up even at night! Great blitzball tournaments are held there, and the stands are always full!" her eyes glazed over, lost in her own imagination.
Tidus sprang to his feet. "How do you know that?" he asked in amazement.
"A man named Jecht told me. He was my father's guardian." she smiled.
Tidus's face became contorted, as if fighting a great struggle. He grit his teeth and turned his back to Yuna, muttering Jecht's name under his breath. Yuna hesitated and her arm hovered around his back, unsure whether to comfort him.
"My father...his name is Jecht!" he said, bitterly.
"Amazing!" exclaimed Yuna. She bowed to him, hurried over to his side and bent forward to look him in the eye. "You know, our meeting like this must be the blessing of Yevon!" she insisted.
Tidus remained unconvinced. "Sounds like him, but it can't be him."
"Why not?" Yuna said, taken aback.
Tidus's face fell. "My old man, he died. Ten years ago, off the coast of Zanarkand."
"I'm sorry." she said, turning her back to him, afraid that she had offended him.
"He went out to sea for training one day...and never came back. And no one has seen him since then." he finished.
Comprehension dawned on Yuna's face and she wheeled back round to face him. "Why, that's the day that Jecht came to Spira!" she gasped. When Tidus opened his mouth to protest, she interrupted him. "It's true!" she insisted. "I first met Jecht ten years and three months ago! I remember, that was the day my father left." she said. Tidus simply stared, and said nothing. When he did not comment she spoke slowly. "The date fits, doesn't it?" she said, uncertainly.
Tidus stuttered, flabbergast. "Yeah, but how would he get here?" he asked.
"You're here, are you not?" Yuna shot at him. She had a look of triumph in her eyes. Tidus was lost for words and Yuna giggled nervously, afraid she may have gone too far. They stood and watched the ocean waves for a short while in silence before Tidus decided to head below deck. She watched him go across the ship and down the steps, out of sight. Yuna caught Lulu and Wakka looking at her curiously but she merely smiled and turned her gaze once more to the sea.

It was crowded below deck, full of loud chatter. Yuna was still the conversation of many in the corridor.
"Lord Braska's daughter? She just might have a chance!" said a traveller.
"We'll get her to Kilika, we will!" chimed in one of the crew whilst he was passing by.
There were a lot of curious people on board. Many of them must be travellers, Tidus thought to himself. It was possible some of them were guests from the party who were very late to leave the island. Tidus was shocked at how slowly things seemed to move in Spira. Next to the door at the end of the hall, stood two men. They both wore worn looking armour that had appeared to have seen many battles. He recognised them both as the crusaders he had met on his first day on the island, at the small lodge on Besaid village. As he approached them, the eldest stepped forward to greet him.
"Ah, Tidus! How are you? Have you any luck with your memory?"
"Ahh, 'fraid not Luzzu." he said.
"That is too bad, what brings you down here?" he inquired.
"Just thought i'd take a look around." shrugged Tidus.
"Well this is a restricted area! Our operation depends on this cargo! Why don't you go topside? The fresh sea breeze might help with your memory!" interjected Gatta.
"I've already been up there for hours." Tidus sighed. "What are you guys doing anyway?" he asked, taking note of their secretive behaviour.
"We're not at liberty to talk about our plan. If people think you're with us, you'll be excommunicated too! Some things you're better off not knowing. Take it from me." said Luzzu.
"You were...excommunicated? From the temple? Why?" demanded Tidus.
Luzzu chuckled darkly. "You accompany a summoner so you may have learned that people believe summoners are the only way of defeating Sin. We believe otherwise, and have associated ourselves with people who believe the same. They are heathens in Yevon's eyes. They cast us out, but our resolve will not falter." he said, sternly.
"You should not speak anymore about the matter, sir!" Gatta chimed in.
"You are right." he agreed. "Is there anything else we can do for you?" he added, to Tidus.
As he opened his mouth, his stomach growled, much to the amusement of Luzzu.
"So it's food you want? You'll find the mess hall on the other end of the corridor through the door on the right hand side.
"Thanks guys! And good luck!" he said, and he made his wall down the hall.

The mess hall was not as full as the corridor and there was no que for food either, much to Tidus's appreciation. The only thing that dampened his spirits was Lulu sat alone in the corner of the room, sipping soup. He despaired at how difficult it was to evade this woman, and wondered when the torture would end. When he made it back to Zanarkand, no doubt. He grabbed a tray and passed it to the steward who gave him a small portion of rice and chocobo meat, laden in a spicy sauce. He looked at the small portion on his tray and at the steward, who smiled apologetically.
"Sorry, you missed the rush. This is just the left overs, and we still have the crew to feed later. If you want more you're just gonna have to get here earlier tomorrow."
Tidus walked away, looking at his pathetic portion sadly. When he looked around for a place to sit, something caught his eye. He looked over at Lulu, who gestured with her hand to the seat opposite. Not wanting to cause any more tension with her by refusing the seat, he made his way timidly over to the corner of the room and sat down. No sooner had he sat down, Lulu spoke.
"I don't know who you are, or where you came from. If you interfere with Yuna's pilgrimage, we won't take it lightly." she said coldly. She rose from her seat and made to walk off. "Belgemine has some trust in you it seems. I have great respect for her, and her judgement is often sound, but in this case I believe she is mistaken. I hope I am not proven to be right." she added, and stalked off, leaving Tidus alone.

After his small meal, Tidus retired to the passenger cabins early. He felt low, Lulu's words had scathed him. He chose to spend the night in the Aurochs cabin, as he did not wish to intensify any tension that was already there. The Aurochs made good company. They laughed and joked together and for a while it helped put Tidus's mind at ease, reminding him of all the fun he had with his team, back in Zanarkand. Around about late evening, Keepa vanished for a while and returned with several bottles of rum, much to the delight of the team. Tidus had experience with liquor, although nothing compared to the strength of the rum he had been offered. The strength of it hit him instantly, and after several gulps he began to feel light headed. Spirits were high in the Aurochs room that night and they joked and cheered into the early hours of the morning. The team enlightened Tidus on their history, and all the games they had lost. Despite their terrible performances, they did not see too abashed, they simply laughed it off and said "Next time, brudda!" The Aurochs motto, they said, was to do their best, and as long as they did just that then they could walk away happy. It was a refreshing change, he thought. In Zanarkand the only goal was victory, and that was to be achieved no matter what. As the night progressed and the bottles gradually emptied the Aurochs became rowdy, even Tidus became enthused and in good cheer, able to forget his woes for a time. They cheered and cheered. Tidus had many questions, and they happily answered. He was eager to know how many blitzball teams Spira had, as he had already heard of two. He learned that there were six teams in Spira; The Besaid Aurochs, Kilika Beasts, Luca Goers (there was much gritted teeth and disgruntled muttering when talking about them), Guado Glories, Ronso Fangs and finally, the Al Bhed Psyches.
"The Al Bhed, who are they exactly?" Tidus drawled, by now the rum had hit him hard, and he felt very drunk.
"Heathens, ya?" slurred Keepa.
"Ya!" agreed the Aurochs.
"How are they heathens?" Tidus asked.
"They use the forbidden machina!" said Jassu.
"Wakka told you what that is already, ya?" asked Datto.
"Yeah I get that. And it goes against Yevon's teachings?"
"Mhm." came the general response around the room.
"But all machina is forbidden? We saw plenty at the party, and what about the blitz stadium, in Luca?"
"Not all machina is forbidden, there's machina, and then there's forbidden machina, get it?" said Letty.
"Oh...right, okay, yeah I'm with you." said Tidus, deep in thought.
"They are enemies of Yevon, they threaten everything that we stand for." said Keepa.
"Some even say that Sin is still around because of them! We must atone for our crimes, all of us." said Jassu, angrily.
"They aren't human, they can't be." said Keepa, shaking his head.
There was a murmur of agreement amongst the Aurochs about this.
"Well I don't know about heathens and forbidden machina or even not being human but I do know that Al Bhed saved my life, before I was washed up on Besaid." said Tidus.
There was a stunned silence. It was late and eyes were drooping, speech was slurred and yet everyone became more alert.
"They saved you?" Keepa frowned.
"Was this before or after you played for the Zanarkand Abes?" asked Letty.
The Aurochs roared with laughter, Tidus joined in, although he knew the Aurochs meant no harm, he couldn't help but feel sad.
"So they saved you?" asked Datto, seriously.
"Yeah, it's kinda a long story." Tidus said, rubbing his neck apprehensively.
"Tell us, brudda!" encouraged Jassu.
"Yeah come on, Tee!" said Keepa.
"Tee? You serious, brudda?" said Letty, slapping Keepa playfully over the head.
Tidus thought carefully. He didn't want to talk about Zanarkand without arousing any more cause for concern.
"The first thing I remember is waking up in a very cold, dark place. It looked like some sunken ruins. When I swam into the water I was chased by a giant sea monster, but I managed to escape and get into the ruins. They looked like they had been empty for years. It was so cold, so I searched for things I could use to make a fire. The fire attracted another monster and I had to fight for my life. It was then that the Al Bhed rescued me.
They hit me over the head and knocked me out at first, I thought they were going to keep me prisoner, or worse. I woke up again on their ship. They all had guns pointed at me. One of them started shouting instructions at me in a language I didn't understand. When they realised I didn't know what they were saying, that's when I started to get really scared. Luckily an Al Bhed girl who was apart of the team who rescued me understood what I was saying.
'He said you can stay if you make yourself useful.' she said.
It seemed my only option at the time, so I agreed. The girl and me, we jumped into the water and swam to the bottom, there were some more ruins or maybe something else down there. We fixed one of the machines and the whole thing came to life, all these lights started turning on. When we came back up to the ship she gave me food. I ate it so quickly I almost choked!
'Hey! It's 'cause you eat too fast!' she said.
It was only then that I really noticed her. 'Hello there. What is your name?' I said.
She told me her name was Rikku. I was so happy she could understand me I grabbed her and started laughing like a maniac.
'Whoa! You really do understand! Why didn't you say so earlier?' I remember saying.
'I didn't get a chance to! Everyone thought oui were a fiend.' she explained.
'uhh..."we"?' I asked.
'Oh, "oui" means "you".' she explained.
'Who are you guys, anyway?' I wondered.
'We're Al Bhed. Can't you tell?' she asked.
'Wait. You're not an Al Bhed-hater, are you?' she asked.
I had no idea what an Al bhed was, and I told her that.
'Where are you from?' she asked.
When I told her that I thought I was from Zanarkand she went really quiet. She asked me if I hit my head, which I had, they hit me. She asked if I had been hit before that, and I couldn't remember. She asked me about my life, so I told her everything I remembered. I told her all about Zanarkand, and she stayed quiet the whole time.
'Did I say something funny?' I asked.
'You were near Sin.' she said, shocked. 'Don't worry, you'll be better in no time. They say your head gets funny when Sin is near. Maybe you just had some kind of dream?'
'You mean I'm sick?' I replied.
'Because of Sin's toxin, yeah.' she said.
I asked her if she was sure and the reply did not make me feel any better at all.
'Yeah, there is no Zanarkand anymore. Sin destroyed it a thousand years ago. So...no one plays blitzball there.' she said.
'What do you mean, a thousand years ago? But I saw Sin attack Zanarkand! You're saying that happened a thousand years ago? No way!' I insisted.
Rikku seemed to really want to help me.
'You said...you play blitzball? You know, you should go to Luca. Someone might know who you are, or you might find someone you recognise.' she suggested.
When I didn't know what Luca was, she groaned, but she promised that she would find a way to get me there. She warned me not to tell anybody I was from Zanarkand because according to Yevon, its a holy place. It was when I was thinking over everything she'd said that Sin attacked the ship. It created a huge whirlpool of some kind and I got thrown in from the force of the water against the boat. That's when I woke up on Besaid." he finished.
The Aurochs all stared, wide eyed with their mouths ajar. They had been a great audience all the way through, even though they had drank a lot of rum.
"That's some story!" Keepa said, in awe.
"Yeah, brudda!" agreed Jassu. "I wonder if they made it out okay?"
"That means you've been close to Sin twice and survived, ya?" said Datto,
"Lucky, very lucky." nodded Letty.
"I don't know what happened to them, after that I woke up in Besaid." Tidus said, sadly.
"Well I know I don't like the Al Bhed, but I wouldn' wish Sin on anyone, ya?" said Jassu.
"Mm." Letty agreed.
"I just wish we knew what to do to get your memory back, Tee." said Keepa.
"I'm stating to think there's no hope on that one." said Tidus.
"Come on Tidus!" said Datto. "You've been close to Sin twice! It will take time to get your memory back!"
"Yeah, maybe." he said. Right now he didn't care. The ocean had become choppier during the night and the ship was rocking, it was very soothing and he began to desire nothing more than a comfortable bed. Botta on the other hand, who had remained silent for a very long time due to seasickness, got up suddenly and made for the door.
"Ugh...I-I've gotten seasick...I think I'm gonna hurl." he managed. He made it to the door and down the corridor when they heard him vomit.
Keepa chuckled. "The crew won't like that in the morning. My fault for giving him the rum I 'spose."
"How much have we got left?" Letty asked, groggily.
"Bottle and a half." grunted Keepa, who had now crawled onto his bunk.
"We should save so for tomorrow." said Letty.
Everyone had gotten into their bunks and nobody was awake enough to agree nor disagree, so they merely grunted.
Tidus was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open. He slipped into his bunk and fell into an instant sleep.

The next day, several things happened at once. The Aurochs and Tidus all woke up to agonizing headaches and angry shouting. Not only this, but they also heard a loud crash and a commotion in the corridor outside. One of the stewards had decided he would do a good deed and serve breakfast to Yuna and her guardians. What he had not anticipated was the vomit on the floor, which lead to him slipping and flinging rice and sauce all over the corridor. Also, one of the crew did supply checks first thing in the morning noticed several bottles of rum missing from the stockroom. This lead to a ship wide investigation early in the morning. It didn't take them long to piece the evidence together. Missing bottles, rowdy blitzball players in the night and then vomit on the floor. Members of the crew burst in to the room to discover six hungover blitzball players. Luckily, as Tidus was a companion, and not a guardian, no shame fell on Yuna or the rest of the group. Unfortunately, the crew deemed it necessary to condemn the Aurochs and Tidus to spending the morning cleaning, whilst the crew members who were normally responsible for those duties got some much appreciated time off.

Although no shame had fallen on Yunas party, Lulu still felt it was necessary to shoot Tidus disdainful looks whenever he had the misfortune of being in her line of vision. Despite the fact that he had merely been in the room and joined in, she seemed to act like it was entirely his fault. Wakka, however, roared with laughter when he heard what had happened. Apparently that sort of behaviour was not unusual for the Aurochs, or for blitzball players in general, Tidus was glad that Zanarkand and Spira had some things in common, after all. Although Yuna had to have a certain composure as a summoner, as well as be diplomatic, she also found it amusing, although did not openly admit it.

By early afternoon they were released from their duties and were free to laugh amongst themselves about the events that transpired the night before. Wakka wanted to hear everything and the boys did not hesitate to tell Wakka all the details. He had a booming laugh which could be heard on the other side of the deck and he grabbed Tidus when he appeared and ruffled his hair.
"Man I wish I'd been there with you, boys!" he said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
"We still got some left, Cap'n." Keepa said quietly, as he was aware Lulu was in earshot.
"Ahh I can't anyways, I'm a guardian. It wouldn't be right." said Wakka, with the air of a person trying to resist a great temptation.
"It would just be like old times cap'n Wakka." said Datto.
"Cap'n Wakka is right." said Letty, wisely. "He's gotta guard Lady Yuna."
"Somebody has got to." Lulu said loudly, giving Wakka a scolding look.
"Uhh...why don't you guys go practice or something, boys?" said Wakka, rubbing the back of his head, nervously.
The Aurochs all muttered their farewells, avoiding Lulu's cold stare, as she approached Tidus and Wakka. When Tidus tried to shuffle away Lulu stopped him.
"No. You stay." she said.
"Wakka. You are a guardian. Act like one." she said it bluntly. "This isn't Zuke we are guarding. It's Yuna." she emphasised her name. "This careless behaviour was not okay then, and it is certainly okay, now."
"But Lu.." he began.
"Look at you, you're stood here laughing with your friends, and encouraging the boy. Kimahri is guarding Yuna, I am keeping look out and you are here laughing with your old team mates. You aren't even armed. Where is your weapon, Wakka?" she demanded. Her words cut like a serrated edge.
He stuttered at her for a moment, speaking nonsensical words, and failing to form a coherent sentence. She waited patiently for a response and although she appeared calm by her behaviour and body language, her eyes appeared fierce with fury.
"I'm sorry, Lu." he managed. "I didn't think to carry my weapon because we're on a ship, ya? Yuna's safe, ya?" he looked at her, pleadingly.
"The point of being a guardian is to be prepared for anything. Remember that, Wakka." she said, casting him one last disapproving look, before turning to Tidus. "And you. I don't know what you're playing at. I hoped you'd listen to my advice. You joined them last night, and as a result Yuna could have been implicated. You may not be a guardian but you're still a companion, no matter how much I disapprove. Be more respectful or we'll leave you at the next village, regardless of what Belgemine says." she stormed of, and did not say another word.

Tidus and Wakka exchanged exasperated looks.
"Told you she had a short fuse." he laughed, weakly. "Anyways, I better go get my weapon. Come on you better get the sword I gave you, you don't want to give her another reason to get mad at you."
"Yeah, good idea." Tidus agreed.
They went below deck to the luggage compartment.
"So you guarded a summoner before?" Tidus wondered.
"Yeah, Father Zuke, he's a priest. He used to be at the temple in Besaid before he decided to journey. After he quit he decided to be a wandering missionary."
"Summoners can quit?" Tidus asked, surprised.
"Sure they can, its not an easy decision to make, to go on pilgrimage. Many summoners die on the road, or lose heart, like Zuke did."
"Huh. I guess It just seemed like this was a big deal, with Sin and all. Why would summoners give up half way, what could be more important than defeating Sin?"
"It's not an easy decision to make." said Wakka quietly.
Tidus thought Wakka looked deeply upset about something, but when he bent down to his backpack and pulled his axe out of its holder, he appeared in good spirits.
"I had no idea that was your weapon." Tidus said, honestly, eyeing the axe curiously.
"Well, what did you think I'd be using?" Wakka asked.
"Hmm, a blitzball, maybe?" suggested Tidus.
Wakka burst out laughing. "That toxins giving you serious grief, ya? You wouldn't kill any fiends with a blitzball, you may give them a headache though!" he teased.
"Alright, alright." said Tidus, feeling silly.

Above deck they both sought Yuna, and found her by the bow of the ship. Wakka decided to keep his distance and took his place by the stairs leading to the upper deck, which overlooked the main deck. Lulu eyed his axe, and then him, but revealed no emotion, and said nothing.

Tidus approached Yuna, who was once again being watched by Kimahri, who stood not too far from her. She turned to smile and him and beckoned him over. She laughed openly. "You finished cleaning then?" she teased.
"Heh. Yeah, nothing to worry about!" he said, puffing out his chest in mock pride.
Yuna giggled. "Well I'm glad, I thought they might decide they want to keep you on for longer, like permanently!" she said, in pretend shock.
"It wasn't even my fault!" he said, indignantly. "It was Keepa, he took the rum from the storeroom, and he didn't even tell us how he got it!"
Yuna laughed. "It did sound pretty funny. When I heard the steward slipped when coming to serve us food, I did feel bad but at the same time I was really trying not to laugh!" she said, giving Tidus a mischievous look.
"Well I won't trust Keepa for a while." He spoke in a grave tone, which caused Yuna to laugh.
"I'm sorry, you just looked so serious!" she joked.
Tidus laughed with her. "Yeah I guess I did."
They stood awkwardly for a minute, unsure of what to say to each other. They kept avoiding each others eyes, and then looking at the ground when they met.
"So." she said. "Can you tell me...about Zanarkand?" she asked, shyly.
"Zanarkand?" Tidus looked apprehensive. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything!" she said excitedly, her eyes were bright with wonder. "I want to hear about the lights, and the buildings, and blitzball! And the cheering and the laughter!"
They spent a long time walking slowly, around the ship whilst Kimahri kept his distance at the rear. He told her everything he could think of about Zanarkand, anything that came to mind. He told her about all the lights, and how he would go down to the sea, before the sunrise. He told her how the lights would go out, one by one, and the stars would fade. The horizon would glow, like a rose coloured flame. The glow would cover the ocean, then disperse across the sky, and then the entire city. The light would keep getting brighter, until all of Zanarkand radiated with light. He told her of the great parties he would have at his house with his team mates, even the losing side were welcome, if they were graceful enough to accept the invitation. Tidus recalled all the screaming, adoring fans who would wait outside his house before and after every game, just desperate for a glimpse of him. The entertainment in Zanarkand was beyond anything anywhere had ever known, he told her. There was no hour of the day where fun could not be found, and had, in Zanarkand. Bars stayed open all hours, as did great buildings filled with fun and games. He explained the concept of video games to her, much to her delight and awe, and of theatres. Gigantic screens which showed wondrous scenarios, without the need for on stage actors. And then blitzball itself. The stadium was always filled, the fans would scream so loud, it was deafening. The music filled the air and could be heard for miles. All the teams in Zanarkand would play in various tournaments and leagues, and each part of the city was loyal to their respective teams. The thought of Zanarkand pained him, and he did not continue, as he did not wish to recall Sins attack. Yuna noticed this and commented on his abruptness.
"Sin attacked, didn't he?" she said, miserably.
"Yeah." he sounded hollow.
"I see. I'm sorry." she said it simply, she did not know what else to say. She looked at him apologetically, as she very much wanted to speak to continue their previous conversation, but she did not wish to upset him further. However, she could not contain herself.
"It just seems so odd. First Jecht comes into contact with Sin, and ends up here. Now here you are." she mused.
"Mm." Tidus said, equally thoughtful.
Yuna was relieved to see he was reacting the same way as he had the day before.
"But why?" he said, suddenly frustrated. "Why am I here? Why nobody else? And why him?"
"Maybe there isn't a reason." Yuna suggested. "Maybe you are here simply because you are."
"Well, that doesn't help me at all." Tidus complained.
"I know. I'm sorry." Yuna hung her head. "I wish I could help you find a way back to your Zanarkand."
Tidus shook his head. "No, it's okay Yuna. I'm sorry, I shouldn't complain. I'm alive. I keep thinking about everything that has happened to me. All this, started with Sin. Maybe if I can find Sin one more time, I can go home! For now I'll just live life until that time comes. No more worrying about where, or when I am. Sure, it's hard not to think of home. But I'm starting to feel better already. A little better...maybe." he grinned at Yuna and gestured with his fist, positively.
Yuna nodded at him and smiled.
They stood there, back at the bow of the ship, looking out at the ocean again. Yuna noticed the sea had become rough. The waves became violent, as if there was a storm. The wind remained calm, and as she looked to the sky, she saw that the clouds remained white, and pure with the faint glow of the sun behind them. Tidus took note of the oceans turbulence.
"Seems like a storm's coming." he said.
Yuna was not convinced. She appeared troubled, and her heart became heavy with dread. "This isn't a natural storm." she gasped. She backed away and screamed at Tidus to do the same. No sooner had he backed away, a massive ripple in the water appeared and a gigantic, scaly fin emerged.
"SIN!" a sailor screamed.
Fear immediately spread across the ship. Frantic shouting could be heard and passengers ran for cover, to the deck below. As the fin emerged from the water, it created great waves that came crashing down. The ship tipped sideways, and rocked, violently, causing waves of sea water to splash on deck. The force of the water knocked Tidus and Yuna to their feet. Kimahri rushed to Yuna's side, struggling to remain balanced as the ship shook, and wrapped his arms around her. Lulu and Wakka ran to Yuna's side as quickly as they could.
"Yuna, are you okay?" demanded Lulu.
Yuna nodded hastily.
"What are we going to do?" Wakka said, desperately, clinging on to the harpoon gun.
The crew had began to mobilize. For a passenger ship it was well armed. It had multiple harpoon guns location at the hull, and the stern of the ship, as well as on the upper deck. The ships crew had brought crates onto the deck and were unpacking what looked like very aged guns, and they began to position themselves on deck.
"What in Yevon's name are you doing? Those are forbidden machina!" Wakka exclaimed.
Another sailor ran up to the harpoon gun and started aiming it towards the fin.
"What do you think you're doing? Stick a harpoon in him and we'll all get dragged under!" Wakka yelled.
"Sin is going for Kilika! We gotta distract it!" yelled a sailor, wielding another harpoon gun across the deck.
"Our families are in Kilika! Forgive us, Lady Summoner!" the sailor next to them whimpered.
Yuna nodded solemnly.
The sailors fired the harpoon guns at the fin, as Wakka cried out in protest. The harpoons hit their mark and the ropes quickly strained. The ship became victim to a great force, as it was now in Sins control. The ship was dragged from side to side, crashing into wave after wave. The deck became soaked with sea water and it was almost impossible to stand. Orders were being shouted, guns were being fired but it was impossible to hear or see what was going on amidst all the chaos. The fin steadied and the in turn, the water relaxed. They could see the fin clearly now. It towered above them. Its skin appeared hard, rough and scaled. The fin appeared to start cracking before their eyes and at first, the crew hoped that the harpoons had injured it. Their naivety was punished when the cracks in its fin appeared to be alive, and creatures began to pour out of it. Masses of them were shot towards the ships decks.
"Sinspawn!" Lulu shouted.
Carapace like shells crashed onto the decks surface, and creatures of an insectoid like appearance emerged. They had four legs, and large wings, with numerous, purple eyes and long feelers. They had what appeared to be small mouths, which had small but sharp, vicious teeth.
They swarmed all across the deck and down below. The sounds of gunfire and fighting could be heard all across the ship. The influx of sinspawn left the group isolated, as they were positioned at the bow.
Wakka yelled and brandished his axe. He swung his weapon forcefully, hitting a spawn in the side of the head. It twitched violently, and lay motionless on the floor. Blue ooze began to protrude from its body, spreading across the already soaked deck. Beautiful, bright and transparent orbs of light burst out of it and rose into the sky. Tidus wielded brotherhood and began to slash his way through the spawn. He felt overwhelmed, adrenaline surged through his body. He had seen these sinspawn before, and was familiar with them. These were the very same creatures that had attacked him in Zanarkand. He slashed his sword at one, severing its wing, causing it to stumble to the floor. As it struggled to get up he thrust the sword into its torso, and it writhed in pain before it was still and silent. He kept cutting violently through. He swung his sword with no particular skill, as he was not a fighter, and he was clumsy. Still, he made progress.
Lulu appeared to pray to the sky and great bolts of lightning came firing down in a great flash, to the sound of roaring thunder, killing many spawn and clearing a path. They continued to fight their way through the chaos, and Kimahri swung his great halberd and cleaved through spawn that attempted to swarm them. Wakka hacked down spawn after spawn with mighty blows from his axe until the blade was covered in their blue innards.

A passenger came running out from below deck, screaming.
"Help us! They have overrun the lower deck!" she cried. She rushed up the stairs, to the relative safety of the upper deck where members of the crew were gunning down spawn from above.
"Looks like its up to us, ya?" Wakka said.
"We need to secure Yuna's safety." Lulu insisted, as she stood close to Yuna, with her arms around her, whilst Kimahri flanked them, felling any remaining spawn.
"The only way she'll be safe is if we get these things of the ship!" Tidus yelled.
He met Lulu's eyes for a moment and received a flash of anger, but she did not protest.
The corridor was littered with dead spawn and human corpses. It appeared as though members of the crew had died trying to protect passengers, but had failed to save all of them. The floor was slippery from entrails and blood, and the group struggled for strong footing as they worked their way along. When they reached the end of the corridor, Lulu tried to open the door to their room, but the door would not yield.
"It won't open, it's blocked from the other side!" she said.
"Step aside, Lu." Wakka said. He slammed his axe down against the doorknob, which dislodged from the door. He pressed his weight against the door, and still it would not yield. Kimahri stepped closer to him, and placed an arm on his shoulder, gesturing for him to stand aside. Everyone stepped back. He let out a mighty roar and thrust his body weight into the door. The door gave way, and a loud crash was heard inside the room, along with several screams. The group moved inside. Several passengers had barricaded themselves inside the room, and blocked the door with the nearby cabinet. When Yuna stepped into the room many of the passengers exclaimed and bowed.
"Forgive us, Lady Yuna!"
"They overwhelmed us, we did not know where to go."
"Praise be to Yevon that you're safe m'lady!"
Yuna shook her head, and raised her had, signalling them to stop apolgising. "I am not mad. How could I be? You did what you had to do in order to be safe. Praise be to Yevon that you are." she bowed.
"Thank you Lady Yuna, you are truly gracious." one of the female passengers said.
"The spawn, are they all gone?" Lulu looked at them, sharply.
"Yes, it seems that way, although we heard fighting down the hall, only moments ago." said another passenger.

The group checked it out whilst Yuna stayed in her room with the passengers with Kimahri guarding her. The Aurochs were found in their room safely, although they bragged they had held off the spawn with their own might, when really they had simply barricaded themselves in tightly. Tidus noticed the remaining rum had been drank, but chose not to point this out. Some other passengers had made it to the security of other rooms, as well as the power room. Luzzu and Gatta were found in the mess hall, injured, although not fatally. They both looked pale and troubled. Unfortunately the mass hall had suffered casualties, and one of the stewards had been killed. Tidus recognised him as the one who had served him the previous day.

Above deck, the fighting had stopped. There was no sound of gun fire. When they had been down below, Sin had pulled away from the S.S Liki, having snapped the harpoon gun off the ship and headed in the direction of Kilika. Whilst this had caused momentary relief for all on board, the anxiety levels were now high, as they feared for their families lives in Kilika.

The ship had received its fair share of casualties. Both crew and passengers helped collect the dead and lay them above deck. Yuna did not wish to count them, it was such a tragedy. It was the first stretch of her journey, and she had already encountered Sin. A harsh reminder of what she must do. "I will defeat Sin. I must defeat Sin." she said, slowly and determinedly. Her face was contorted with emotion and tears escaped her eyes.