001: Arrival [Video]

[nomark1or2]

[The feed snaps on, but it shows no one. Instead, it pans around the horizon, taking in the surroundings. Someone's using it as a video camera, more or less.]

Wouldja look at that. First new sight I've seen in years. I dunno what's goin' on, but I guess my journey's not over.

Or maybe this is the Farplane.

Naw.

[The image wobbles slightly as

Comments

[Video]

[swordplaying]

[The harder Tidus fights it, the more stubborn the tears seem to become, blurring his vision and threatening to spill from his eyes. He ducks his head, ashamed, before looking at Jecht head on. The numbness in his voice is a glaring contrast to the distraught look on his face.]

I beat you to it.

[Video]

[nomark1or2]

[Wait, did his sphere just...]

[Naw. Naw, it couldn't -- but damn. That isn't the kid he remembers. Time's passed. The kid'd be about that old, now.]

[Either this is a crazy joke... and after Spira, Zanarkand, Sin, everything, this was a hell of time for the crazy things to start being jokes. Or...]

[Jecht throws back his head and laughs.]

After everything that happened, you're cryin' in my sphere.

[He picks the device up to appraise the image in it.]

And you're still all bones. Hah.

[Video]

[swordplaying]

Shut up...

[So he doesn't remember. Tidus knows about it, the different timelines. He figures that's what's happened with his old man. He glares into the sphere with the same retort he always uses.]

I hate you.

[He doesn't want to do this again. Before, there wasn't enough time. He doesn't want to think back to before. He hates thinking back to how it all went down, and it's still too recent. Do things get better in time? They didn't seem to for all the people he met.

Maybe now, he can confront him again. On his own terms. Even now, it's hard to keep meeting Jecht's eyes, but he does it anyway.]

Yeah? You're the one who's gotten lost. Where the hell are you?

[Video]

[nomark1or2]

Yeah, I know.

[Doesn't seem to bother him much as he studies the image further.]

You've... really grown.

[He deliberately looks away at the surroundings, taking his image out of the feed.]

Well how should I know? I close my eyes for one minute and here I am! Some town, I guess. Looks more like Spira than Zanarkand.

[Video]

[swordplaying]

[He hangs his head, shying away from his gaze. He mumbles.]

You told me that.

[He shakes his head, throwing his own. The image distorts before showing only his feet.]

This isn't anywhere near Spira!

[Video]

[nomark1or2]

What're you talkin' about? I never told you anythin' 'cept to man up and be less of a brat! Throwin' things...

[His voice gets a little lower and less rough.]

Guess you got to Spira too, then, huh. Somehow I kinda thought you would, someday. How'd ya do it without ridin' Sin, though? Auron find some way? I wouldn't put it past the guy.

[Video]

[swordplaying]

It can take it.

Yeah. Auron did. You helped.

[Video]

[nomark1or2]

There ya go with the crazy talk again. Look, I don't know what yer thinkin', but I haven't been helpin' anybody for years now.

[Jecht turns away, crossing his arms.]

Look, uh, if you've been to Spira... I don't know what Auron's told ya. But if he hasn't, I guess I ought to. Now, here. While it's safe. Yer old man is...

[Yeah. He has every intention of saying it. He really does. But how do you just admit something like that? To your son?]

[Video]

[swordplaying]

I know what I saw.

[He edges toward the device, footsteps slow and lacking his normal quick bounce. He pauses, then grabs it with his hand, staring at the image. An array of emotions run through him all at once. His free hand clenched into a fist, he averts his eyes, but doesn't interrupt.]

[Video]

[nomark1or2]

Look, this goes back a long way. You gotta have heard about Braska, right? High Summoner? Brought about the last Calm there? Well, I was one of his guardians.

He thought it was a big joke. Disgraced summoner, monk who failed at politics, guy from a city ruined for hundreds of years. I mean, the guy was serious about beatin' Sin. Anyway, I...

Never mind. The point is, you break Sin, you buy it. Braska summoned his Final Aeon and bought it. And, uh...

Well, uh. That was me.

Damn it, I wish Auron had told you this crap.

[Video]

[swordplaying]

Yeah, I already know. I know everything. You were Sin and we had to beat you. We did. Look, you don't have to give me a repeat on the whole history lesson. Auron did that enough whether I wanted to hear it or not.

[Video]

[nomark1or2]

[Jecht pauses, then looks over his shoulder into the sphere with such weary irritation in his expression]

You knew all this and you just let me babble on? [A grunting sort of groan as he puts a hand to his face.]

Yeah. You get it.

[Video]

[swordplaying]

[He gives a shrug and glances away, sounding as weary and irritated as Jecht looks.]

You could have asked. I can't read your mind.

[Video]

[nomark1or2]

Oughtta learn. Might make things easier.

[He spikes his sword into the ground with a grunt, then turns to half-sit, half-lean on the crosspiece at the base of the hilt, arms crossed.]

Now go back to you claimin' I helped you get to Spira.

[Video]

[swordplaying]

[He tries crossing his arms, finding it a bit awkward to hold the thing at the same time. He does so anyway, glancing uncertainly into it.]

It happened during a Blitzball game. Looking back, I wonder if that was intentional. But, yeah. You shot some thingies that made things explode. I fell, found Auron. He wasn't any help in explaining it but we fought Sin Spawn and stuff. Then when I was about to fall, again, he dragged me up and you swallowed me or something because things got very surreal after that.

[Video]

[nomark1or2]

Uh... no.

That doesn't make any damn sense. I don't... I don't always have control, but I know what's going on. And I've only been back there once. That was when I was haulin' Auron there, to... take care of things.

[Like looking after his son.]

Somethin' weird's going on here.