Prologue
Narration: Listen to my story. This may be our last chance.
Zanarkand
Dock in front of Tidus’ house boat
[crowd noise, fans run towards Tidus’ house and wave as he emerges. Creepy Little Kid steps out of nowhere and joins crowd.]
Woman w/nerdy specs: I’ve been a big fan of yours. From the very beginning!
Tidus: I won’t let you down.
Woman: Th-thanks!
¬G-Good luck!
Man with Spiderman jacket: Hey, how are you feeling?
Tidus: Great as ever! Thanks!
Man: Yeah! We’re cheering for you!
¬You’re Jecht’s son! I’d be crazy not to cheer for you!
Skate rat, man in yellow pants, another kid: Good luck!
Woman in long skirt: Are you gonna show us that shot tonight?
Tidus: Uh…I donno. Maybe.
Woman: You should do it! For us!
¬The Jecht Shot. I’ll be waiting!
Creepy Little Kid: The game tonight…It’s very important.
Woman in pink top: Can I have your autograph?
Tidus: Of course!
Redhead w/UFO hat: Good luck tonight!
Tidus: Nothing to worry about! Oh, if I score a goal… I’ll do this! (raises arms) That will mean it was for you, okay?
Both: (Titter)
Tidus: What seat?
Woman in pink: East block in the front row!
Redheaded woman: Fifth from the right!
Tidus: Got it!
Kid w/bandana: Can you sign this?(Holds up ball)
Tidus: No prob!
Kid in Abes T-shirt: Please?
Tidus: Alrighty.
Kid w/dreads: Me too!
Tidus: Take it easy.
¬Can I see inside next time?
Kid w/bandana: (Giggle) Thanks for the autograph!
¬Get lots of goals, okay?
Kid in Abes shirt: Hey, show me how to play!
¬I want to be a blitzer, too!
Redhead (AKA “5th from the right”): Can I see you after the game?
- You bet!
- Great! I know this great place…
- Maybe next time.
- Yeah, sure…
¬Be careful, okay?
Girl in pink top: Thank you for the autograph!
Tidus: Well, gotta go! Cheer for me!
Kid w/bandana: … two, three!
Kids together: Teach us how to blitz!
Tidus: Hey, I got a game to play!
Kid in Abes shirt: Then teach us after!
Tidus: Maybe tonight…um…well…
Creepy Little Kid: You can’t tonight.
Tidus: I mean…tomorrow.
Kid w/dreads: Promise?
Tidus: Promise!
(Three kids do odd bow / Yevon prayer)
A Street in Zanarkand
[Tidus walks along, snorts at outdoor screen displaying Jecht’s portrait.]
Voiceover (Zanar): I was in a coffee shop, running away from home when I heard the news. Our hero, Jecht, gone. Vanished into thin air! My dad must have been his biggest fan. I knew how sad he’d be. Heck, we all were that day.
“Zanar,” I says to myself, “What are you thinking?” I went running straight back home. We sat up talking ’bout Jecht all night. My dad and I never talked so much.
Whoa… Didn’t mean to reminisce, folks. Anyway… Ten years later, the Jecht Memorial Cup tournament is today! The two teams that have won through to the finals are…of course, the Abes from A-East, and the Duggles from C-South.
I know there’s a lot of people out there today to see the star of the Abes! In just one year, he’s become the team’s number one player! He’s Jecht’s blood, and the new hope of blitzball! What kind of super play will he show us today? Will we see his father’s legendary shot? I don’t think I’m the only one excited here, folks!
Guy in yellow pants: It’s gonna be a killer game tonight. I know it!
¬Tonight’s game is gonna be one for the history books!
Guy in Spiderman jacket: You’d better hurry! The game can’t start without you!
¬Show us your moves out there, man!
Woman in pink top: Hurry up! The game’s about to start!
¬We’re counting on you, ace!
Kid w/dreads: You’d better win tonight, or I’ll deck you one! Pow!
¬I wanna play on your team when I grow up, Tidus!
Man sitting in roadway: They say you’ve got some tricks even your old man couldn’t do!
¬Dinner’s on me if you win! I even saved a table for you.
Another guy in yellow pants: Well, well! If it isn’t Jecht junior!
¬From the look on your face, you’d think you already won!
Woman clasping hands: Whoa… I got the shivers. Maybe I’m coming down with something…
¬Do you feel cold? Nah, maybe it’s just me. Never mind.l
Woman in long skirt: Careful, the Zanarkand Duggles mean business tonight!
¬I hear the Zanarkand Duggles play dirty!
Redhead: Hey, Mr. Star Player of the Abes! Do your stuff out there tonight!
¬Their defense won’t know what hit them!
Girl running from person to person: Man, tickets for tonight’s game cost an arm and a leg!
¬The tickets were all sold out! I hope someone’s got some extra.
¬Can’t you get me a ticket? I want to see the game up close.
- Sure thing.
- R-Really? You’re the greatest! How can I repay you? Here, have this!~Potions
¬They’ll let me in if I say “Tidus and I are buds,” right?
¬I won’t tell anyone else. It’ll be our secret! - Sorry.
- Oh, well. It was worth a try.
¬Aw, too bad… I would have cheered for you.
¬It’s okay, really! I’ll be fine here…alone…
Guy squatting by curb: I don’t feel so good…like I’m on a roller coaster going down.
¬Maybe all this excitement’s gotten to me.
Kid w/bandana: Hit ’em with a Jecht Shot, okay?
¬Your dad was the best, Tidus. I wish I had a dad like yours!
Kid w/dreads: The Zanarkand Abes rule!
¬My mom’s a big fan of yours, too! She said to invite you to dinner!
Kid in Abes tee: Good luck, Tidus!
¬Come on, you’re gonna be late! Hurry! Hurry!
Another guy in yellow pants: All of Zanarkand’s watching now, so put on a show for ’em!
¬Show them what blitzball’s all about!
Another woman in long skirt: I’m sure you’ll get MPV this year.
¬You are Jecht’s son, after all!
Another redhead: The Zanarkand Abes are counting on you! Don’t let them down!
¬You’d better hurry… Or are you just trying to warm up the crowd?
Front gate of stadium…
[Tidus shoves his way through admirers gathered outside]
Tidus: Make way, make way! Coming through, sorry! Hey, I’m gonna be late! Hey, let go of me!
Blitzball game. Enter Auron. Sin arrives and shreds the city. Tidus falls with a squawk as the stadium explodes.
Outside Ruined Stadium
[Screaming spectators flee stadium like rats leaving sinking ship. Tidus staggers to feet, approaches figure leaning against rubble.]
Tidus: Auron! What are you doing here?
Auron: I was waiting for you. (Walks away)
Tidus: What are you talking about?
Zanarkand — Overpass
[Tidus staggers along, opposite direction from running people. There’s a flash, and Creepy Little Kid appears.]
Tidus: Huh?
[For an instant the running figures and the whole city are frozen.]
Creepy Kid: It begins.
Tidus: Wha?
Creepy Kid: Don’t cry.
[Flash of light. Kid vanishes. Movement/chaos resumes.]
Tidus: What the…?
Tidus: (Spots Auron) Hey, wait!
Tidus: (Catches up to him) Hey, not this way!
Auron: Look!
Bubble of water hovers over Zanarkand.
Auron: We called it “Sin.”
Tidus: “Sin”?
Sin-tentacle punches through building and sheds sinscales.
[Sinscales fall on road surround them. Tidus bats at monsters, falls down. Auron holds out sword.]
Auron: Take it.
Tidus: (Takes sword, stands up, can barely lift it)
Auron: A gift from Jecht.
Tidus: My old man?
Auron: I hope you know how to use it.
[First battle]
Auron: These ones don’t matter. We cut through!
[More Sinscales]
Auron: Don’t bother going after all of them. Cut the ones that matter, and run!
[Boss Fight: Tentacles]
Tidus: Get out of my town!
Auron: Some can’t wait to die!
[They run up the road past the viewscreen with Jecht]
Tidus: What are you laughing at, old man?
Tidus: Auron! Let’s get out of here!
Auron: We’re expected.
Tidus: Huh?
Auron: (Runs ahead again)
Tidus: Gimme a break, man!
[Fight: surrounded by even more Sinscales]
Auron: Hmph. This could be bad.
Auron: That–knock it down! (Points at contraption — “Tanker” — against curb)
Tidus: What?
Auron: Trust me. You’ll see.
[Knock down tanker, triggering explosion]
Auron: Go!
[Both run. Tidus leaps as road collapses and catches far side, dangling by hands.]
[Tidus dangles, calling for help. Sin looms above, sucking up debris like black hole.]
Tidus: Auron! Auron!
Auron: (Looks at Sin) You are sure? (Hoists Tidus)
Auron: This is it. This is your story. It all begins here.
[Auron is drawn into light, Tidus screams and gets pulled in too.]
Sin — Dream’s End (or beginning, in this case)
Dreamlike, deserted Zanarkand. Flaming Abes symbol hangs behind a partial stadium.
Jecht: (Disembodied voice) Hey!
Jecht: HEY!
Tidus: My…old man?
[Tidus swims towards fuzzy image of Jecht standing on platform. Jecht turns into Tidus as a child.]
Narration: I thought about a lot of things… like where I was, what I’d got myself into. I started to feel light-headed… and then, sleepy. I think I had a dream. A dream of being alone. I wanted someone– anyone, beside me… so I didn’t have to feel alone anymore.
Baaj Island
Submerged Ruins
[Tidus wakes up on pile of half-submerged rubble. Lightning flickers over large structure in distance.]
Tidus: Anybody there?
Tidus: Auron!
Tidus: Heeey!
[Tidus swims towards structure]
=Introduction to Al Bhed=
Find Al Bhed primers to help you decipher the strange Al Bhed language. Master the Al Bhed language! Best of luck!
On blue plaque in righthand ruins:
In the land where bolts of light
illuminate the blackest night
With Macalania behind
the fourth pillar you sight
look not on the left
but on the right
Tidus: What do we have here? Nope. Can’t read it.
[Boss Fight with underwater monster, which almost swallows him.]
Tidus: Whoa!
[Tidus flees into tunnel which collapses behind him.]
In Baaj Ruins — Hall
Narration: I had made it out of the frying pan…and into the freezer. I thought I was going to die in this place.
Tidus: Cold…Need…fire.
[Gets a fire lit]
Tidus: I need food! (Dozes off.)
[Auron stands in the doorway of Tidus’ houseboat]
Tidus: What do you want?
Auron: It was a bad call. Your team lost because of you.
Tidus: You came to say THAT?
Auron: It’s been…ten years. I thought you’d be crying.
Tidus: Who, me?
Creepy Kid: (Creepy kid suddenly in Auron’s place) You cried.
Back in Baaj — Hall
[A shadow skitters around upper level. Tidus awakens, discovers fire’s dying.]
Tidus: Hey, wait! Wait! Don’t go out on me! Just hold on. I’ll get more wood!
[Monster attacks. Boss battle.]
Tidus: Gimme a break!
[Five Al Bhed arrive. Rikku helps.]
Tidus: You on my side? Cool!
[They finish off monster]
Tidus: Whew! That was close.
[Bearded Al Bhed grabs Tidus.]
Tidus: Hey, lemme go!
Al Bhed in blue cap: What is this?
Spiked blond hair: A fiend! In human disguise!
Bearded Al Bhed: Yes! It is so!
Gas mask guy: We kill it?
Rikku: Wait! What if it is human?
Gas mask: They are the same in death.
Rikku: I forbid it! We bring it with us.
Rikku: (Walks up to Tidus, whispers… ) Sorry. (Thwack)
Al Bhed Salvage Operation
Nighttime, Deck of Ship
[Tidus wakes up and starts to rise]
Spiked blond hair: Sit, captive! (Thwack)
Tidus: Hey, that hurts!
Gas mask guy: No moving, hear?
Tidus: Whoa… Okay.
[Brother comes on deck with Rikku]
Brother: Search him!
Rikku hoists Tidus to his feet, Brother gestures vigorously, mimes diving and swimming]
Tidus: Right. Whatever.
Brother: Do you not speak? (Hands Tidus a breather and mimes for him to put it on)
Tidus: I said I don’t understand!
Spiked blond hair: Insolence! (Thwack)
Rikku: Wait!
Rikku: He said you can stay if you make yourself useful.
Tidus: You…You understand me?
Gas mask: (Thwack)
Tidus: All right, I’ll work!
Tidus: What’s this? Some kind of crane?
Brother: Hey, you! Get away from there!
Tidus: All right, all right! You don’t have to shout!
Brother: Move it! Get to work, immediately!
Spiked blond hair: If you’re near death, really near death, use this! ~Potions
¬Go on, earn your pay.
Gas mask: You afraid of the sea? Weakling!
Rikku: Oh, almost forgot!
[Sphere Grid Tutorial]
Gas mask: You want to hear again? [Yeah. | What?]
Rikku: We found some ancient ruins right beneath us. It’s not active now, but there should still be some power left. We’re gonna go down there and activate it…and then we should be able to salvage the big prize!
Tidus: Mm-hm.
Rikku: Okay! Let’s get to work!
Tidus: Roger!
Rikku: We’ll go as soon as you’re ready!
Handy bug: Spikey will give more potions every time you re-surface!
Underwater Ruins
[Tidus and Rikku power up ruins, fight Nautilus, glimpse airship on sea bottom.]
Back on Salvage Ship
Bearded guy: We found the airship!
Gas mask guy: The records were right.
Blue cap: Now, how to drag it up?
Tidus: (attempts to follow them below)
Blue cap: You, outside! (Thwack)
Tidus: Hey! Hey, I helped out, didn’t I?
[Fast forward, Tidus lying on deck.]
Tidus: Uhh…hungry.
Rikku: (Wakes him with a kick, puts down tray of food)
Tidus: Whoa! Right on! (Gobbles too fast, chokes)
Rikku: Hey! (Offers canteen) It’s ’cause you eat too fast!
Tidus: (Laughs, gets up and stretches)
Rikku: Hey!
Tidus: Hello there. What is your name?
Rikku: Rikku.
Tidus: Whoa! You really do understand! Why didn’t you say so earlier?
Rikku: I didn’t get a chance to! Everyone thought oui were a fiend.
Tidus: Uh…”we”?
Rikku: Oh, “oui” means “you.”
Tidus: Um… Who are you guys, anyway?
Rikku: We’re Al Bhed. Can’t you tell?
Rikku: Wait. You’re not an Al Bhed-hater, are you?
Tidus: I don’t even know what an Al Bhed is.
Rikku: Where are you from?
Tidus: Zanarkand. I’m a blitzball player. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes!
Rikku: Did you hit your head or something?
Tidus: Um, you guys hit me.
Rikku: Oh, right… Do you remember anything before that?
Narration: So I told her everything there was to tell about Zanarkand…About life there, blitzball, and Sin’s attack…and about how Auron and I were engulfed in this light. I just said things as they came to mind. But then I started to wonder.
Tidus: Did I… say something funny?
Rikku: You were near Sin.
Tidus: Mm-hm.
Rikku: Don’t worry, you’ll be better in no time. They say your head gets funny when Sin is near. Maybe you just had some kind of dream?
Tidus: You mean I’m sick?
Rikku: Because of Sin’s toxin, yeah.
Tidus: You sure?
Rikku: Yeah, there is no Zanarkand anymore. Sin destroyed it a thousand years ago. So…no one plays blitzball there.
Tidus: Huh?! What do you mean, a thousand years ago? But I saw Sin attack Zanarkand! You’re saying that happened a thousand years ago? No way!
Rikku: You said…You play blitzball?
Tidus: Uh-huh.
Rikku: You know, you should go to Luca. Someone might know who you are, or you might find someone you recognize.
Tidus: Luca?
Rikku: (groans)
Tidus: (sigh)
Rikku: (wanders around a bit, then pats his shoulder) Okay, leave it to me! I’ll get you to Luca, promise!
Tidus: …
Rikku: (laughs) You’d rather stay here?
Tidus: Uh-uh!
Rikku: Okay, I’ll go tell the others. Wait here.
Rikku: Oh, and one thing. Don’t tell anyone you’re from Zanarkand, okay? Yevon says it’s a holy place. You might upset someone.
Tidus: Oh… uh-huh.
Rikku: Hm.
[Rikku leaves him alone on deck…]
Narration: My Zanarkand, some kind of holy place? Yeah right, I thought. Since when?
Narration: Yevon? Sin? Luca? I thought Sin just took me to a faraway place, that I could go back in a day or two. But a thousand years into the future?
Tidus: No way! (Kicks side of ship)
[Ship shakes…]
Tidus: Wh-whoa!
[Al Bhed rush on deck]
Bearded guy: Sin!
Gas mask: Sin is come!
Spiked hair: Under us! Under us!
Tidus: Whoa!
[Wave sweeps Tidus overboard]