Final Fantasy X: The Novel (ON HOLD)

Chapter Two: Lost and Found

I opened my eyes and found that I was under water. I looked around and saw the symbol of my father. It was a giant J. For Jecht obviously. I looked all around me and saw Zanarkand below me. The city was underwater. Yet, I was breathing easily

What was this place? I thought.

“Hey!” I heard my old man’s voice. I started swimming toward it. I came to him. He was standing on one of the tops of the buildings. As I came closer, his figure changed. Instead of my father I saw myself as a young boy.

I started to think about things. Like where I was, or what I’d gotten myself into. I started to feel light-headed, and then, sleepy.

I woke up laying half way in the water. It was dark and all I saw was a bird on one of the rocks. I looked at my surroundings. All I saw was ruins.

“Anybody there?” I called out into the night, “Auron!”

I started to panic. I took a deep breath and watched the bird take off towards a temple of some sort. I needed shelter. A safe place to think.

I never felt so alone. I wanted there to be somebody next to me. Anybody.

I started swimming through the rubble. These buildings and designs didn’t look anything like Zanarkand. Where was I?

I finally found some stairs that lead out of the water. I walked along the cracked surface toward my destination. I didn’t like this place at all. I kept walking, but the path curved and twisted because of the rubble.

I found my way back to the path and noticed I was right at the building. It didn’t have any clear entrances. There was a bridge leading halfway to it. Over more water. This section looked really deep. There might be a way in if I swam around the building.

The bridge finally collapse and I fell into the water. Good thing I had made up my mind about this. There was no turning back now. I swam closer to the building when I saw a large group of bubble come to the surface.

I wasn’t alone.

As I turned around, I saw it. It was huge. A water creature of some sort with tentacles and claws that could easily crush me, I had to get away. I pulled out my sword to defend myself. I was glad that I was a blitzball player. I wouldn’t have been able to fight in the water without that skill.

It took swings at me while I swam away. This was pointless. I looked for an entrance and finally found one to the building. I started swimming as fast as I could. The creature was closing in behind me. It had its mouth open ready to suck me in.

I was close to the building. The creature was closer to me. I felt my feet hit the mouth of the creature, my hands were in the building. The creature crashed against the entrance while I shot through the door. The force of the impact was so great, the entrance closed in on its self.

I looked around my new environment. More cracks and ruins. I figured I was going to die in this place. I turned and pulled myself over some of the rocks and found some stairs. I walked up them and found a stone doorway. I walked through and found myself in the center of the building.

“Cold..” I mumbled to myself, “need… fire”.

At the very center of the room, there was what looked like the remains of a campfire. I needed some flint and tinder. The wood we well enough to be able to start a new fire. That meant I had to explore this place.

I looked and saw a door. I shivered my way towards it and pushed it open. Water was pouring through the room. A crash of lightening lit up the room as it started to rain. I found an old beat up table with a drawer sticking out.