FicWad

The Al Bhed were really, really polite. Unfortunately, I didn't understand them very well.

I tried the few words I knew; 'sorry', for one, and I think I didn't quite get 'I beg your pardon?' right. (One of them was thrilled that I could speak their language and began talking so fast to me in Al Bhed and the only thing I could do was shake my head at him in confusion.)

"It's not such a complicated language," Ifrit mused. "Maybe, my lady, you should try telling them you have a match to attend and they will lead you back to the stadium?" The Al Bhed were taking me to a boat, gesturing me to get into a room on the deck. "Let's see . . . that will be aqlica sa, hmm, dra kysa ec . . . I wonder what the word for blitzball is?"

I told him that I didn't know and I didn't think that they were going to let me go back to the stadium. The Al Bhed looked at me, puzzled, and I gave them a wan half-smile---surely they must have thought that all Yevon's disciples were crazy, and having a silly summoner talking to the wind probably just proved it to them---before they shut the door. It was rather dark, and I contemplated about trying to cast Fire on the door, but thought better of it. Summoning the aeons would probably be disastrous in such a cramped space. And Lulu would probably scold me for not thinking thoroughly before acting---I could almost hear her voice in my head. Practising your magic on a door, Yuna! Whatever were you thinking?

"Why?" Ifrit suddenly asked, forcing me to collect my haphazard thoughts. For a fraction of a moment, he seemed human through and through, and I had a glimpse of a man: a soldier, young and brave and honourable and true. It made me wonder---did he have a wife once, and little children laughing by the sea? Did he have a lover once, waiting patiently for him to return? Did he have parents and siblings and neighbours and friends; did he chose to become a fayth or was he chosen? I pushed away such questions (but surely curiosity is not blasphemy?) from my mind, terrified that I was putting the fayth at the same level as us mortals.

Valefor sighed, and her feathery touch was like rain on a warm afternoon.

Ifrit was an aeon again, brimstones and fire and power and strength. I was imagining things.

I addressed my answer to him. As far as I could tell, I told him, they were kidnapping me. Apparently they wanted the Aurochs to throw the match.

Ifrit was mildly alarmed by the information. Valefor seemed more amused than actually worried. "I do not think that such measures would have been required, all things considered." She should know. She had watched the boys play blitzball all my life, all Wakka's life, and all those other lives before ours, already forgotten by memory. I wondered if she remembered all those games. I chided her, even as I felt the distance between her knowledge and mine, telling her that we were going to win the Crystal Cup this time. She didn't seem convinced.

I peered out of the keyhole---the boat still hadn't moved and I still had no idea what the Al Bhed were planning. I called out to the man standing on guard, saying that I had to get out of the room.

"Fro?" he asked, and I flailed around for a reason.

"Spiders," Valefor suggested, and I told her, somewhat crossly, that I wasn't afraid of spiders and I doubt that the guard would fall for that. "You have any other brilliant ideas?" she asked, her tone mild, and I knew that she knew that I didn't have anything better, so I told the guard in broken Al Bhed that there was a spider in the room and I was terrified of them.

The man gave a long-suffering sigh. Perhaps he had a niece who was terrified by spiders; I don't know. I had no idea why he decided to take me seriously. I stepped back flat against the wall as the door was pushed ajar. When I gave no response to his question to where the spider was, he came in to check on me and I hit him with my staff. It sounded like it hurt, that thwack to his head. It made me feel a bit sorry for him. Silly kidnappers, thinking that I only used the staves for summoning. He crumpled to the ground without a sound. I was searching if he had the keys on him when the outer door opened, and this time Lulu was there.

"I hope you hurt them," she said, looking at the unconscious man.

I smiled at her. A little, I told her, and as always, Lulu approved.