Stargate SG1 Fan Fiction / Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Stargate: Atlantis Fan Fiction ❯ April Ninth ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

And we're back on the air…

“HEY LUCA GOERS! WE'RE GONNA KICK YOUR ASSES LIKE THE BALLS YOU WISH YOU HAD!” Tidus bellowed on top of the cargo containers through his megaphone. He the jumped up and whooped, much to the amusement and excitement of many in the crowd.

In addition to the exasperation of one Lt. Colonel John Sheppard.

“Oh for… What is that moron thinking?” Yuna giggled next to him.

“Well, at least we're getting some attention. Look! We're on the sphere!” Jassu pointed out with a grin. John followed his finger and looked up at the large displays dotting the area. He grinned.

“Hey… TV! Cool.” Yuna looked at John confused.

“TV?” John coughed, and tried to find the proper translation in Ancient. None forthcoming, he went with,” It's like the spheres… Only, in boxes.” Lulu raised an eyebrow.

“Boxes?” John nodded.

“Or flat screens. Some even bigger than those ones,” he said, pointing up at the huge, building-covering screens. “A LOT bigger. You should see the Jumbotrons at our football stadiums.” Wakka shook his head.

“Everything's bigger with you, ya?” Sheppard grinned.

“Pretty much, yeah.” Yuna hid a grin as Wakka rolled his eyes.

“Well, let's be getting to see the Maester, ya?” The blitzballer headed off, the rest of his team following, along with the Summoner and her guardians. Tidus looked over at Yuna curiously.

“So, what are these Maesters anyway?”

“They're the leaders of Yevon, who interpret and govern according to the Book of Yevon,” Lulu explained, rolling her eyes. “Are you sure you weren't brain damaged before you were poisoned by Sin?” John couldn't help but snicker at that, even while he got an annoyed glance from Tidus.

“Hey! Like I'm not the only one lost here,” he pointed out. John shrugged.

“Yes… The difference is, I actually stop talking and listen, before I open my mouth. It's a good skill to put on your sphere grid.” Tidus glared at the colonel, even as they finally arrived at the Maester's dock with hundreds of other people all clambering for a look at the leaders of Yevon.

“Woah… Who does he think he is, the Dalai Llama?” Sheppard muttered upon spying Maester Mika, stepping off the boat surrounded by guards and priests. Tidus grimaced.

“And what's with that guy's hair?” The Zanarkander asked, indicating the tall, blue-garbed man who followed Maester Mika.

“I would like to introduce you all to Maester Seymour, who recently assumed the title due to the unfortunate passing of Lord Jyscal, of the Guado Nation,” Mika spoke, his voice amplified by some unseen method. Seymour looked out into the crowd, and his gaze settled on Yuna, who blushed and looked away at the intensity of his stare. John blinked and frowned, staring back at the Maester while covertly moving himself in front of her. The Maester approached, and Wakka hissed at John,”Hey! What are ya doin? Move! He's comin'!”

Bad vibes. Seriously bad vibes, Sheppard thought. Nevertheless, he moved out of the way, allowing Seymour to look upon the still flustered-looking Yuna.

“Lady Yuna… It is an honor to meet the daughter of Lord Braska,” Seymour stated in a smooth and regal tone. Yuna did the Yevon prayer, her eyes still facing away.

“Maester Seymour… It is an honor to meet you. My condolences for your father,” she spoke, finally getting her eyes up to the Guado's and speaking in a clear, polite voice. Seymour smiled at her, a smile that made John tighten his grip upon his P90 involuntarily. Seymour looked over at Sheppard, raising a single, elegant eyebrow.

“Hm… I do not recognize those markings upon your uniform,” the Maester stated. John shrugged.

“They're a bit out of date,” he replied nonchalantly. He nodded respectfully. “Lt. Colonel John Sheppard. I'm with Lady Yuna.” Seymour's smile became more pronounced. Sheppard could feel Tidus tense up behind him, and was secretly glad that he wasn't the only one getting a bad feeling from this Maester. He had a perpetual expression of knowing something you didn't, something that you really needed to know.

“A military man, then? You do not appear to be of the Crusaders.” Yuna stepped forward, smiling kindly.

“He is a member of the United States Air Force,” Yuna explained cheerfully. “A nation… Very far from Spira. He ended up here by accident.” Seymour nodded.

“ United States? Do they know of the enlightenment of Yevon?”

John bit back the first reply that came to mind, and instead said, “Er, we've heard good things about it. I think we'll wait for the movie to come out though, before we make any long-term decisions.” Seymour looked momentarily puzzled, before Maester Mika called out to him from behind. He demonstrated the prayer to Yuna, which she returned (as did Wakka, Lulu, Khimari, the Aurochs, and John, just so he wouldn't attract any more attention than he had), and went on his way in slow, measured steps.

“Now there's a guy who's never in a hurry,” John commented. Wakka frowned.

“Hey, he's a maester of Yevon! Show some respect, ya?” John blinked innocently.

“What? All I said was that he couldn't be in a hurry… What with those robes? He might trip… And fall… And mess up his hair…?” Wakka continued to glare, thought Tidus was hiding his laughter behind his gauntlet. John shook his head.

“Nevermind… Just, nevermind…” He'd dug himself in far enough.

After the team was situated in the locker room, Tidus, Yuna and Lulu headed off to go find Sir Auron, apparently an old friend of Yuna's father. John suited up into his Blitzball gear, largely stuff borrowed from the other team members. He shook his head at how… Restricting the stuff felt.

Maybe that's why they haven't won a game in twenty-three years, he thought dryly, as Wakka called a huddle.

“Allright… We're up against the Al Bhed Psyches first this year. If we can beat dem, we've got a shot at the finals, ya? So just keep in mind, they focus heavily on passin'. Keep `em tightly contained and keep the ball away from `dem.” The door opened behind them, and John turned to see a note stuck to the door. He walked over and retrieved it, opening it. Unable to make out the words, he turned back.

“Uh, Wakka?” He handed it over to the Besaidian coach, who read it over. Wakka's jaw dropped to the floor. “What's it say?”

“It says if we don't throw the game against the Al Bhed Psyches, we'll never see Yuna again!” Wakka gasped. John's eyes widened.

“What!” Tidus, Lulu, and Khimari burst into the locker room, looking out of breath.

“Have you guys seen Yuna?” Tidus asked. John grabbed him and thrust the note into his hands. Tidus gasped.

“Oh great! Now what do we do?”

“Those stinkin' Al Bhed!” Wakka snarled, punching the locker room wall hard enough to crack it. “We gotta… I gotta…!”

“Look,” John began in his `command voice', which everyone paid attention to. He was secretly glad about it. “Look, Wakka: We need to keep this quiet. If it gets out into the public, they may panic and kill her anyway. So, you guys go, and play as hard as you can.” Wakka gaped.

“But… But-!” John grabbed Wakka's shoulder, and looked him in the eyes.

“We're not going to let these guys get away with it, okay?” John stated, slowly and calmly. “Lulu, Khimari, and I will go save Yuna. Lulu will, uh… Put up some kind of magic… Signal thing, when we've got her.” He pulled Wakka closer, boring into the blitzballer's wide eyes.

“You have got to show them you are not about to be intimidated, allright? You go play, and kick their asses. Hopefully, they'll be too focused on the game if you act like nothing's wrong to worry too much about our approach.”

“WHAT! But-But they'll-!”

“They'll be confused, Wakka! They will wonder what the heck's gotten into you! Which will put them off balance. Which will make our job easier in rescuing her,” John emphasized. “We'll get her back. I promise.”

“Hey! What about me?” Tidus asked, looking incensed. “I should go too!” John raised his eyebrows at him.

“After the stunt you pulled today, for you to be absent in the first game will look mighty suspicious,” John stated flatly. Lulu nodded.

“He's right… Wakka, you need to be our distraction. All of you! You need to play like you've never played before. Yuna's counting on it… for once,” she snorted. Wakka, gritting his teeth, took a deep breath, before turning to his team.

“All right… You head `em, men. Let's get goin'! You too, Tidus!” With twin warning looks at John, Tidus and Wakka headed into the stadium, the team following. John turned to Lulu and Khimari, pulling off his blitzing gear and pulling back on his fatigues.

“Khimari, can you follow Yuna's scent?” The Ronso nodded gravely. John nodded back.

“Good. Let's get going then!”

Will John, Lulu and Khimari be able to save Yuna? Will Tidus and Wakka defeat the Al Bhed Psyches? And what is with these short chapters with exceptionally rhetorical questions at the end?

All this and more, next chapter!

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