Chapter 5

The First Week.

He knew it was too easy.

The woman he'd seen, he'd chased, he thought he'd found, was not Yuna. She was an older woman, with similar hair and height, but that's it. Her eyes were dark brown, black almost, and she had freckles that scattered her nose and cheekbones. The crow's feet around her eyes stood out the closer Tidus got to her, revealing she wasn't as young as he thought she was.

He was sure that it was her. He made himself look like an ass chasing her and sidestepping his fans to get to her. Once he'd gotten closer, she turned and smiled at him. At that moment, his high hopes were shot down and crash-landed with a thud.

That would have been way too easy.

He smiled and excused himself, turned and heading back in the direction he came from, a red blush creeping up his neck and ears. How could he be so stupid? How could he think he would find her on the first day?

He found a spot on the short wall near the sphere theatre. Plonking himself down, he grabbed a flask of water from his pack and took a swig, letting the liquid cool his body. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, a reflex he'd adopted when he was flustered or frustrated. He was watching everyone walk by as if the whole of Spira was on this strip. The mid-afternoon sun was high in the sky, beating down with a heat that Tidus wasn't used to. The humidity wasn't as bad as Besaid, but the heat was hitting him all the same.

"I could go for a cold drink.." Tidus glanced at the road leading to the main square. He'd known of a cafe that was tucked away, small and hidden from the crowds. They served the best Lucan tea, topped with ice and tropical fruits. His belly gave a low grumble, which gave him a reason to get up and head toward the cafe.

After ordering a burger and a mixed leaf salad, he found a seat in the corner, away from the small crowd gathering at the bar. He watched the people come and go into the cafe, waved at people who recognized him and just generally relaxed.

He thought about going to a com sphere to see if he could get a hold of Wakka and Lulu, just to let them know he was at Luca.

"Nah, they're probably not worried." He said to himself, running his hand through his hair. He'd decided that, after a couple of hours of sitting in the cafe, he would go to his hotel room by the Stadium and think of what he would do tomorrow. The sun was starting to set and he was getting tired. He'd had a busy day; he had wandered around Luca, got mobbed by fans in the market, and thought he'd found her. It was definitely time for some rest and privacy. Not wanting to waste his half-eaten burger, he wrapped the remainder in a napkin and stood, heading for the exit.

His hotel room was nice. Not too big but not too small. The view was of the stadium was a sight to see. The early evening skies were a deep red and purple showing the few stars scattered in the sky. The stadium lights we on, but dimly lit. During the off-season, the lights didn't shine their brightest. It added a subtle, warm aura around the stadium, giving it a feeling of calm and relaxation.

Tidus' bag was on the chair by the desk, carelessly flung there as soon as he walked in the door. There wasn't anything valuable in it; a few changes of clothes, some food, a water flask, and some gil. The valuable item was in his pocket, as it had been all day. Digging deep into his pocket, he viewed it once more. It was the first time since being on the boat, and the image of Yuna filled the sphere's magic liquid. He'd watched it back so much that he could quote it word for word.

Placing it on the desk, he stood ad stretched his shoulder. It was still aching and needed a good workout. It was full of kinks and knots, but all Tidus could do was do a few shoulder circles to ease it a bit. He then placed his hands behind his head, deep in thought.

"Hey, I'm Tidus," he started to himself, "I'm here to take you back to Seymour because you're his property." He stretched his hand out for a handshake, a small smile on his face, "Hope you don't mind?"

He dropped his hands then, shoulders shlumping forward slightly. His features took on a frown, thinking of something else to say that didn't sound like that.

"Hey, I'm Tidus," He gestured to an invisible Blitzball in between his hands, reached his leg back and pretended to kick it, "star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" He then stepped forward and extended his hand out again for a handshake, "You're Seymour's girl, right?" He shook his hand as if someone was actually shaking it, bowing slightly. "So, he's paying me to take you back to him. Let's go!" He then reached forward and grabbed the air, imitating throwing her over his shoulders and walked a few steps forward. Again, he then dropped his hands and shlumped forward.

"Oh sure, treat her like a sack of potatoes."

He ran his hand through his hands out of frustration, trying to come up with some idea of a way to approach her when he did find her.

"Hi, I'm Tidus. And you are?" He seductively asked the empty room, one eyebrow raised in confidence. Frowning again, he placed his hands on his hips and turned towards the desk. "What am I doing?"

"I'm Tidus." He stooped and took his boots off, looking at the sphere as if it was Yuna sitting there. "I'm a Blitzball player." He took the half-eaten burger and unwrapped it, "Something happened to me that has changed my life," he took a bite, not looking away from the sphere, "and I think that I met you for a reason.." He then threw his hands up in the air. "Of course I met you for a reason. You're Seymour's girl!" His head dropped slightly, looking down. "You're Seymour's." he repeated lowly to himself, "but I say screw Seymour!" He raised his head again, almost shouting at the sphere, "You shouldn't be with him! You should be with me!" He pressed his hands into his chest, "You shouldn't be with him. You should be with someone who can treat you right, not like a piece of property. Someone who would protect you from the harm of this world. Someone who will love you, and prove their love every moment of every day."

Stepping forward, he sat at his desk, looking at the sphere again.

Taking another bite from his burger he pressed the activation button and watched the image of Yuna through the glass liquid. Seymour's voice could be heard, with Yuna moving away from his intended kiss. He frowned at this and his breathing changed at the thought of Seymour touching her like that. He was agitated and was desperate to find her now more than ever.

He had made his decision. He was going to find her and he was going to be with her. He wanted to be with her. He wanted her to be with him. He wanted to protect her from Seymour. He would fight for his chance to be hers.

"You should be with me."


After an hour of tossing and turning, he sat up in bed feeling cold. The night air had turned chilly, and his blanket wasn't keeping him warm enough. He untangled his legs from the sheets, stood and went to his pack, pulling out his thick hoodie from the Abes merchandise stalls. It was white, with a marble pattern of yellow, blue and purple on the sleeves, finished off with the Zanarkand Abes symbol across his back. It was enough to take the chill away from his skin. Pulling his hood over his head, he got back into bed and fell asleep almost instantly with the new warmth his hoodie brought him.

His eyes opened again to the light of the morning sun. It was a few hours later, and Tidus felt rested enough to start the day. He stood and stretched, untwisting his hoodie that had tangled and almost turned on him fully so the symbol of his blitz team was on his side. His shoulder was tense as he twisted and stretched it out.

After his shower, he quickly dressed and grabbed his essentials; a bit of money and the sphere placed them in his pockets and left his room. He was headed for the market place again, this time to just peruse and maybe get a few more items of clothing.

He passed the stadium's help desk, where he was met with different faces from the day before. He headed to the market the same way as he had the previous day, passing the stall selling breakfast pastries and fruit drinks. His hunger getting the better of him, he purchased a star fruit pastry, topped with powdered sugar and a cold drink.

Three or four stalls in at the market and he had managed to gather up 4 new outfits with nowhere to store them. His pack was only big enough for the two, maybe three outfits he already had back at his room, so he opted to buy a new bag. The stall had hanging bags from the Blitzball merchandise shops; every team was printed on bags, hoodies, shorts, sweatbands and everything in between. He noticed a blue backpack with yellow and green shells scattered across the whole material. What stood out was the Besaid Aurochs symbol just on the upper left part of the bag. It was a large bag and would fit everything that Tidus had bought with him from Besaid and in the market place.

For Wakka.he thought to himself. With a small smile, he purchased the bag and placed the outfits he'd been carrying in it. He adjusted it on his shoulders, careful not to twinge or overpower the weight on his injury.

The next few days passed very much the same as his first day; visit the market, buy a few things he liked, went for lunch somewhere and wandered around like a flush of air throughout the city. He was wearing a plain white vest, denim shorts with his Zanarkand Abes hoodie wrapped around his waist. The afternoon sun beamed down between the smattering of clouds in the sky. It was warm and the humidity wasn't as heavy as it had been. He was enjoying the small Sphere Break tournament that was taking place in the main square.

"I hope you've joined so I can show you how it's done."

He'd heard that voice before, hadn't he? Curiosity got the better of him, so he turned and faced the voice.

"The boy is enjoying watching, stop being so competitive." The second voice scolded with a light tap on the shoulder.

Dennard and Samia were stood rather close, arms interlinked with each other for balance. Samia's smile filled her whole face; her eyes squinting almost closed, dimples deep in her cheeks. She wore a sunhat that shaded her face, but her eyes shone bright with seeing Tidus out and about. Dennard chuckled and grabbed his belly in jest and extended an arm out for Tidus to shake.

"How have you both been?" Tidus asked, standing and shaking Dennard's hand. He stepped toward Samia and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek as a greeting.

"Oh, so-so. You know how it is." Samia fanned her face with her hat. "So have you found her yet?"

Dennard rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the game happening nearby.

"Not yet." Tidus shrugged, "I thought I saw her in the market when I got here, but it was someone older." Suddenly, there was a huge cheer coming from the nearby game. Dennard turned back to his wife, a big grin on his face.

"Did you see that? Oh boy, what a move!"

"You'll find her," Samia continued, ignoring her husband's excitement, "Have you only been here? You could try the Mi'hen Highroad..."

"I was going to in a couple of days. I have a hotel room for another two nights, already paid." Tidus smiled, silently thanking Samia for her concern. They both turned their attention to Dennard and the game he was closely watching.

They stayed there after the sun went down. He'd treated the older couple to dinner, fetching them each a plate of something from the nearest food stand. It was fish, grilled, doused in lemons and placed on top of a bowl of sticky rice.

"How have you been sleeping?" Dennard asked between mouthfuls of food. Surprised, Tidus glanced up at him, not expecting that sort of question. He was the kind of guy who suppressed his feelings a lot, but on a rare occasion, he would show he cared.

"Um.." Tidus swallowed his full moth of food, "Okay I guess?"

"You look tired."

The truth was, Tidus was restless. He was confused, agitated and hopeful. His nights had been filled with occasional dreams of Yuna, the more frequent one is of him in place of Seymour in the sphere, except when he went to kiss her, she didn't flinch or turn away, instead welcomed the kiss with a smile. Right as their lips would touch, he would jolt awake.

"I guess I miss Blitzball." Tidus lied. He couldn't bring himself to say the words about his dreams. He wanted to hold on to them, they were his private thoughts, his wishes. He worried that if he voiced them, it wouldn't come true.

"Mmph," Dennard grunted, not completely convinced of Tidus' answer. He didn't push it. If Tidus wanted to talk about it, he would in due time.

"Uhm," Tidus stood then, collecting the empty bowls that the couple had placed on the short wall around the center of the square and put them in the trash. Raising his hands behind his head to stretch his back, his weight shifted to his left leg as he shook and put his hoodie on to keep the chilly wind out. "It's getting cold. I'm gonna call it a night."

"Thank you for dinner young man!" Samia stood, dusting her laps off for any crumbs or remnants of food that had gathered there. "Come see us before you move on, okay?" She turned and pointed to a building just off the square. "We're there, our names will be on the entrance books."

In a final farewell, Tidus raised his thumb in promise for a visit before he went to the Mi'hen Highroad and on toward Djose. In a light jog, he headed back to his room for another night of dreaming and wistful distractions.


As promised, Tidus had gone to see the old couple before he left Luca. He'd been up late the night before watching the Luca Goers practice in the sphere pool. That was what he missed. He hated being away from his team in Zanarkand. He just wanted to get back and start training. But he couldn't. He knew that it would be a while before he returned home to play with his team.

With his Besaid Aurochs backpack on his shoulders, he had checked out of his room. He was greeted by Elden, the young girl at the reception desk by the stadium entrance.

"And how was your stay in Luca?" she asked,

"It was ok," he replied, signing the paperwork that was in front of him, "It's good to see the city from a different view. I usually see it when there's a Blitz tournament on. It's nice to slow down every once in a while."

"Where are you off to next?" Elden was curious about the young Blitzer; she'd hoped she could get to know him more but hadn't really seen him around. "Will you be back soon?"

"Uhh, I don't know." Tidus wasn't lying; he didn't know how soon he'd be back. Or, if he was back, would it be with his team, or her?

"Well, I'm sure you'll be here for the tournaments? I just know you'll take home another win for the Abes. That's why you're the star player!" Elden clapped her hands in excitement.

In all honesty, Tidus wasn't sure if he would be with his team the year. After his injury, there was no set time that his coach had told him he could be back. He was off the team until further notice. He assumed it was until his shoulder was better and he could play again, but his injury was serious; it had been knocked and twisted so much that it took a dozen healing potions and a lot of rest before he could even start training again. It was months before he could even move it comfortably. That's why he went to Besaid, they weren't in the tournament this year, so he could train and work his shoulder back with the Aurochs.

"We'll see." Tidus just nodded in her direction. "Thanks for your help. I'll see you around!"

Taking off towards the steps that lead to the Mi'hen Highroad, he opted to go to the sphere theatre. He'd seen that they have com spheres there to contact different parts of Spira. Making a payment to the clerk, he adjusted the frequency to contact Besaid, just to let his friends know he was moving on.

The static crackled and the hum of life confirmed that it had connected. He just needed to wait for someone to walk passed it to get their attention. Besaid wasn't one for locals to be wandering around the hills, but he had to try.

After a few minutes, he spotted a small boy walking by.

"Hey, kid!"

"Who," the child turned toward the sphere, shocked someone was talking through it. Hardly anyone called their island sphere, "Me?"

"Yeah, do me a favour? Go get Wakka or Lulu?"

"You didn't say the magic word, ya?" The kid was bold, crossing his arms and tapping his foot, something he'd clearly gotten from his parents.

"Please?" Tidus exaggerated, rolling his eyes in slight annoyance.

With that, he ran off in search of the requested couple. Moments later, Wakka's face appeared on the screen.

"Yo, bruddah! Where are you? Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm at Luca, she's not here." Tidus seemed disappointed, but had hope that he would find her soon.

"That would be too easy, eh?" Wakka winked. At least, it looked like a wink.

"Uh-huh. I just wanted you to know that I'm okay. I'm heading out to the Mi'hen Highroad now so I'll try and contact you in a week or so."

"Keep safe, ya?" Wakka's hand went to his head in a salute, "Lulu sends her love. Vidia was being awkward, so she stayed at home."

"You as well, stay out of trouble!"

"Trouble? Me?" Wakka laughed his deep belly laugh. "No way!"

With a small wave, the sphere disconnected with a hum. He felt a little better after talking to his friend.