Living Legacy

Chapter 3: Besaid and the Summoner

So it really was just like Sora had said. Zack and Sora couldn't both be lying. I mean, why would they?

Zack started laughing, and threw an arm around my shoulder, pressing his weight down on me, "But you, playing for the Zanarkand Abes? That was a good one."

My head dropped in depression and he chuckled again, "I'm not saying that team never existed, but you gotta figure, a team living in luxury like that'd be pretty soft, eh?"

I could appreciate the fact that he was trying to cheer me up, but at that time, all I could think about was everything that had happened to me—all this—started with Sin, and that maybe if I could find Sin one more time, I could go home. For now, I'd just live life until that time came. No more worrying about where, or when, I was. It was hard not to think of home, but I was starting to feel better already. A little better. Maybe.

"Hey, it's this way to the village." Zack called from up ahead, so I figured I had no choice but to follow him. He led me over to a short cliff, maybe 20 feet above a stretch of water that had cut into the island from the sea. It was really pretty looking, so I paused to take it all in.

"Would you look at that..." Zack mumbled, pointing at something in the water.

"What? What is it?" I asked, leaning over the edge to try and see whatever it was he saw. I was so busy trying to see anything that I didn't notice he was creeping up behind me. He pushed me, and I fell over the ledge into the water. He jumped in after me, a huge grin on his face, and his laughter echoing through the cavern.

"What's the big idea?" I complained, and he swam by me with a smirk.

"What's the matter, the Abe is afraid of a little swim an' a race?" His smirk widened.

It was so on. I showed him just how soft a Zanarkand abe really was.

After the race ended with me creaming him, and a while of what I thought was just aimless swimming, Zack stopped me.

"Hey, so listen...I've got a favor to ask you."

"Let me guess...you want me on your team?" I smirked, finally feeling like myself again.

"Yeah, well you see there's this big tournament coming up, all the teams in Spira will be there...It's gonna be huge, so I'm sure someone there will recognize you. Then you can go back to your old team. It'll be fun. Come on, what do you say?"

"Sure thing!"

"Sweeetttt, our team is going to rock!" He slapped the water happily.

I was beginning to think that Sin and Blitzball were the only two things that Spira and Zanarkand had in common. Which really isn't too far off either...

The waterway let out at the top of a huge hill overlooking a small village with a large temple overlooking the water.

"This is Besaid village, where I was born. I started blitz when I was around five. I joined the Aurochs at ten, a little more than a decade ago. Ten years, and we've never won a game."

"What? Seriously? But I just raced you, you had me running for my money."

"One guy doesn't make the team, you know?" He shrugged, then sighed, "Anyway, after least year's tournament, I quit the team. The time seemed right. But then, after quitting, even when I got a new job, every time I let my mind wander, it went right back to the game."

"Ten years without a single win will do that, I bet."

He chuckled, "I guess. My first match last year was my big chance, but something else was on my mind, and I couldn't focus." He looked a little down.