OK, I realize that in the game, you couldn't really talk underwater. But, this fanfic would be pretty lame without any dialogue, so just pretend with me, OK? ^_^
"A funeral?!," Tidus exclaimed in dismay, shaking his head, "I mean, of course I understand, Miyu, but . . . ah, man, this is a really bad time." The Crusader looked upset, but determined.
"I'm sorry. I will be back next week -- but it is very important for me to be at my grandmother's sending. I am sure you will manage somehow without me." She smiled wryly, and nodded to both Tidus and Wakka before leaving, her short-heeled narrow boots echoing crisply on the tile floor. Wakka let out a low whistle.
"That's almost half our team gone, ya? Since Linna's got appendicitis . . . guess it's time to find some alternates!" Tidus shrugged pathetically, somehow lacking his normal energy.
"I don't think we have time to look around - the Goers wouldn't let us reschedule, so we either play tomorrow morning, or we forfeit. And . . . it's bad, but I don't feel so good either," Tidus said, shivering despite the warm atmosphere of the Auroch's locker room.
"You're not getting sick on me now?!," Wakka exclaimed in alarm.
"It's not like I have a choice about when I get sick! Anyway, maybe we can find some substitutes among the Al Bhed on the ship."
Making their way down to the docks, Wakka and Tidus were almost to the airship when a tall, red-headed figure intercepted them.
"You look a little weak-kneed, Tidus," Bickson teased with a conceited grin, "Thinking about tomorrow's game?" Tidus managed a retort, but it was half-hearted.
"Bickson -- we're so good, we could beat you even if we only had Wakka on our team!" Wakka frowned,
"Oy, Tidus, you didn't just insult me did you?" Bickson just laughed.
"Sure, sure," he said, waving them off, "We'll see if you're still saying that tomorrow after the game!" Tidus scowled at Bickson's retreating back and began to stalk off towards the airship, with Wakka close behind. Wordlessly, they reached the airship, and, on the bridge, they noticed someone was missing. Turning to Cid, Tidus asked,
"Where's Brother?" At his question Rikku giggled quietly, and Cid sighed gruffly.
"Darn kid. Ran off a few hours ago with some girl . . . "
"Her name's Naida, dad -- he told you that!," Rikku corrected him.
"I know what her name is! Anyway, kid ran off and said he was getting married. Didn't even ask for my permission, or invite me to a ceremony, or anything."
"Da-ad! They're eloping! Isn't it romantic?" Rikku clasped her hands together and swung around cheerfully. Tidus felt like throwing up, and it wasn't all from his impending sickness.
"Well, at least she's not some Yevonite fanatic," Cid barked cynically. Tidus asked,
"But . . . why now? Couldn't this have waited until after everything was over? And . . . did he have to take Naida, our best defender?! That's two more of our players out of the game!"
Rikku chided him impatiently, "He said that he wanted to do it now, in case we don't make it back alive from fighting Sin. Duh!"
"But, who's going to substitute for them in our blitzball game tomorrow?," Wakka asked, unable to think of anything else.
"Oh, I see," Rikku said, and then tapped her finger against her cheek thoughtfully. "That is a problem, isn't it?" Tidus groaned a little and clutched at his stomach.
"I -- think I'm going to . . . go lie down . . . " He stumbled his way off the deck, and, with Yuna's help, managed to make his way to his quarters.
Wakka and Rikku sat in silent thought for a few moments, pondering where they could find five other blitzball players at the last minute.
"I know!!" Rikku exclaimed suddenly, making Wakka jump.
"What?," he asked, dreading some outlandish response, but also curious.
"We could all play blitzball! Me and Yuna and Lulu and everyone!" She grinned mischievously.
"Oh, no, Rikku, you've gotta be kidding me!"
"No! Just listen! It'll be great!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the locker room of the Besaid Aurochs, Wakka explained the plan one last time.
"Heavy on the defense, yah? But be on the lookout for a good offensive opportunity, cuz we need at least one. Then send that ball to me!"
"Remind me again why we are doing this?," Lulu asked with a resigned smile. Before Wakka could answer, Rikku cut in,
"It's for Tidus! He's put a lot of work into this team, and he needs us! Plus, how can we expect to beat Sin if we can't even beat the Luca Goers?" The warriors laughed nervously at that, and filed out toward the stadium.
Entering the slightly warm water of the arena, Yuna breathed as comfortably as on dry land. She took up her position as middle forward nervously -- it was up to her to make sure they got the blitz-off. Gingerly, she tread the water, the resistance of her sleeves making movement more difficult. Examining the other team, she couldn't help but notice how they all seemed to move with such ease and grace, clearly at home. As she glanced at her teammates, the contrast was so patent that she had to cover her mouth to suppress a giggle.
Wakka and Rikku were swimming naturally enough on either side of her, but Lulu, as goalie, had to continually flap with her arms like some awkward bird to keep from sinking under the massive weight of her belts. Auron insisted on keeping his left arm captive in his kimono, and therefore he kept drifting to one side and had to use his free hand to correct his movements. Kimahri's fur rippled gracefully in the calm currents, but his side braids floated up like thick antenna on either side of his head.
Apparently the Luca Goers found them amusing as well, for they whispered and snickered a little while they got into position. As the referee's whistle sounded, Yuna stopped laughing and turned her attention to the game. For Tidus, she thought, readying herself to jump, facing off the continually smirking Bickson.
The whistle blew, the ball was in, but Yuna just couldn't jump high enough, so it was Bickson who got the ball.
"So, Wakka, looks like we'll see if Tidus was right -- the only blitz player on your team is you!" For answer, Wakka, Rikku, and Yuna all closed in on him. Rikku swirled around him, feinted, and then tried to steal the ball from behind him. Wakka tackled hard, but Bickson withstood it easily. Balling up her fist, Yuna burst forward with all her might and managed to grab the ball away while the other two distracted Bickson.
"Aaah! Rikku, what do I do now?!," Yuna asked, swimming with all her might towards the enemy goal.
"Pass it over here! Let me or Wakka take it in!" But Balgerda and Abus had already closed in on her. Frantically, she heaved the ball across the court, but Balgerda anticipated her move and snatched the ball out of the air. Passing it easily over Yuna's outstretched arms, the ball sailed across the arena to Graav, who was nearing the Auroch goal. He was met however, by two imposing defenders -- Kimahri and Auron. The Ronso growled and aimed a vicious kick at Graav, but the Lucan forward managed to keep a hold on the ball.
"I strongly suggest you give that to me," Auron threatened calmly, but before he could make good on his threat, Graav tossed the ball up in the air, whirled around in a giant somersault, and kicked the ball towards the goal. Auron managed to tip the ball, but it still sped on towards the goal. It was aimed low, but it headed straight towards Lulu. With a confident smile, she let the ball catch in the belts of her dress, and then calmly picked it up and tossed it to Wakka.
Feinting left, he then swam wide, coming almost to the border of the arena before turning in towards the goal.
"Wakka, I'm open! Over here!," Rikku shouted, waving her arms from where she tread water, alone, near the Luca goal. Apparently they did not think she was much of a threat. Ignoring the pleas of the young Al Bhed to pass the ball, Wakka drop-kicked a shot. But, unbeknownst to him, Bickson had been coming up behind him and just now shot a hand out, sending the ball off into the arms of the Luca offense.
"WAKKA!," Rikku screamed in frustration, "You didn't listen to me!" She swam with incredible speed to intercept Abus, and after Auron knocked the wind out of the would-be attacker, she managed to snag the ball away. She zig-zagged across the court, up and down, searching for an opening. The clock ticked down the minutes until halftime at an alarming rate, and Wakka shouted at her impatiently,
"Rikku, if you're going to do something, do it now!"
"Right!," she agreed, and sped in with full force. She sensed the Goers behind her, on the right and the left. She spun around, and, just as they were about to try to tackle her, she threw something into their midst. In a flash of smoke and light, they were blinded, and she was free to shoot. With a grunt and a kick, the ball sped toward the goal. The goalie looked surprised, apparently not expecting a shot from anyone but Wakka, and the ball sailed passed him. They had scored!
After the Auroch's goal, Bickson started with the ball, and in the few seconds before halftime, he blew through the forwards and launched a shot before the defenders could reach him. Lulu readied herself to catch the ball, but then, suddenly, it spun unpredictably, and she was no longer sure which way to jump. At the last minute, she jumped to the left, and although the ball brushed her fingertips, it still went through just as the buzzer for halftime sounded.