"Is Jimin awake yet?" Hoseok asks, yawning as he walks down the steps. 

"No, and the boat's going to arrive soon, so we'd better wake him up," Jungkook says, stuffing a piece of Sahagin meat into his mouth. "Go and do your thing, Tae!"

Taehyung runs upstairs, mixing something in his hands. 

"Cover your ears. Jimin screams like a girl," Jungkook grins, sticking his fingers in his ears. Everyone else does the same, waiting for the scream.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK WHAT THE H*LL IS THIS KIM TAEHYUNG?!" 

***********************************************

"Well that was embarrassing," Hoseok looks around at the people in the inns giving them dirty looks. Well, Jimin woke up practically everybody, and now the people are just staring at the group of seven misfits strolling down the boardwalk to the dock. 

"You don't say," Namjoon plugs his nose as he looks over at Jimin. "I can still smell it." 

"What in the world is that, Al Bhed?" Seokjin narrows his eyes at Taehyung, trying to shoo away the stench from his nose. 

"Malboro's vines with a bomb fragment," Taehyung says. "My own invention. Use it as a stinkbomb and it packs a punch!" 

"Trust you to come up with something like that. I feel like a skunk just peed all over me," Jimin sniffs himself and nearly faints from the stench as he walks up the wooden board leading to the boat. As soon as they are on, everyone moves away from them.

A little too quickly, I might add, Seokjin looks around. 

"Where are we headed this time?" Hoseok asks, walking up to Jimin who's headed to the front of the deck (with his nose plugged too, of course). The sea breeze tousle their hair. 

"Luca," Jimin grins. "I wanted to watch blitzball since I was young, and besides, we need to get through Mi'ihen Highroad and Mushroom Rock Road before we can proceed on our journey to Djose Temple to get Ixion." 

"Yoongi's not gonna be happy, though," Jungkook joins them. "I heard the Aurochs aren't participating this year." 

"What, why?" Jimin looks confused.

"The Aurochs...they don't want to work under Yoongi anymore," Jungkook says. "They say he's a horrible coach, and well, considering what he's been through, I bet he's lashing out at s." 

"We gotta get them to come. Who knows? We might win this year!" Jimin persists. "Get me a sphere! I'm gonna mail it when I get to Luca!" 

A sphere is like a camera, where things can be recorded and played. And Jimin was probably going to send a sphere telling the Auroch players to get to the tournament.

"Wakka's already got it under control," Yoongi walks towards them. "The Aurochs are playing this year." 

"Yoongi?" Jungkook looks up, surprised. 

"We may not win, but...I want to at least beat the Luca Goers..." Yoongi stares out into the sea, but Jimin can see the raging fires in Yoongi's eyes. "And avenge her death." 

*************************************************

"Heeeeeeyy!" someone calls from another dock, as Jimin and his Guardians walk down the wooden board to their dock. He looks towards the other person and recognizes him instantly. 

"Wakka!" Jimin cries, waving hard. 

"Lord Jimin!" Wakka cries, panting as he reaches Jimin. Wakka is a child of no more than five years old, but he's been learning to play blitzball since a year ago, under Yoongi's guidance. 

"Ah, drop the Lord," Jimin grins, ruffling the little boy's hair. "Is Chappu here too?" Chappu is Wakka's younger brother by a year.

"Nuh-uh," Wakka shakes his head. "He's not really a fan of blitzball, y'know. He'd rather join the Crusaders." 

"Oh yeah," Jimin thinks back to the brothers--always bickering but they always manage to get back together after a day or two. 

"Cap'n!" Wakka yells, waving to someone behind Jimin. Jimin looks back and finds Yoongi toying with the spiked blitzball. 

"What are you doing here?" Yoongi looks down at the boy.

"I came to cheer on the Aurochs, Cap'n!" Wakka cries. 

"Where are they, then? Are they on the same boat as you?" 

"Yup! Jassu and Datto are here too!" Wakka grins his toothy grin. 

"Ah, go get settled down. The tournament will start soon," Yoongi bends down and ruffles his hair.

"Are we gonna go watch the tournament?" Jungkook watches as Wakka runs off. 

"No time," Seokjin mutters.

"Come on, it's just a tournament!" Hoseok looks at Jimin pleadingly. "Besides, Yoongi's playing and we can't go on without him either." 

"Hmm..." 

***********************************************************

The city of Luca is huge. Much bigger than Besaid or Kilika. There are spheres everywhere, and large screens where images are being displayed. Tall buildings stand together, crowded, forming a ring around a park. Further up would be the stadium where the tournament is held, and the usual teams are playing today again. Kilika Beasts, Luca Goers, Ronso Fangs, Al Bhed Psyches, Guado Glories and of course, the Besaid Aurochs.

"Right, I've got three rooms booked," Jimin says. "I'm gonna go and explore the city with Kookie and Tae." He turns to Yoongi. "You wanna meet us before the game? We can go to the changing rooms, y'know." 

"It's alright," Yoongi says. "I need to go prepare too." With that, he walks off, emotion devoid from his face, and blitzball clutched in hand.

"Ah, then just do whatever you want," Jimin grins to the other three--Hoseok, Namjoon and Seokjin.

"I'm gonna go with you too," Hoseok says, joining Jimin as the the four of them set off into the city, taking in the sights. 

Namjoon and Seokjin nod. "I heard Grand Maester Mika made it for the tournament," Seokjin says. "And...Kinoc." 

Namjoon freezes as his face turns dark. "Kinoc." He doesn't even look at Seokjin as he walks away, out into the city of Luca. Seokjin understands. He knows it all. The reason Namjoon quit the Crusaders in the first place. Being a Crusader had been the proudest moment for Namjoon, but he had relinquished his position, status, everything, and became a vagabond, eventually winding up in Bevelle after a fatal run-in with a Haiyuu from Macalania Woods and nearly having his arm torn off. Seokjin, being a newly-promoted warrior monk, had found him nearly dead at the Bevelle Gates.

With Bevelle having tight security, Namjoon had to be locked up while he was recovering, and that's where Seokjin had met him for the second time. He had personally released Namjoon by orders from his senior, and Namjoon had opted to work as a warrior monk for the Bevelle City Guards, alongside Seokjin, and that's how the two of them became best friends. 

And now, Namjoon's past has come back to haunt him. 

It's not that Seokjin didn't want to do anything. He wanted very much to murder Kinoc and bring his severed head to Namjoon, but he couldn't do that without enraging the masses. Sure, it wasn't that Kinoc's death would affect everybody to a good degree, but the Maesters would be in an uproar, seeing as Kinoc has recently been promoted to a Maester. 

And you don't mess with a Maester, unless you want death. Not to mention you were a Maester for life, the moment you were made one. 

Seokjin shakes his head and exits the hotel.

***************************************************

"Whoa!" Jungkook grabs Jimin's hand so that the latter doesn't accidentally fall into the sea, which has happened almost once or twice. The Ronso pulls him up, with Jimin laughing. 

"Jeez, you're being so protective!" Jimin ruffles Jungkook's hair.

"H-Hey!" Jungkook pouts, trying to smooth back his hair. "If I hadn't jumped in, you'd have fallen into the sea!" 

"Well, yeah," Jimin grins. "But there's a first time for everything, right?" With that, he begins running in the direction of another building with Taehyung, Jungkook and Hoseok trailing after him. 

"That kid's energy is boundless..." Hoseok stops to pant as he sees Jimin entering the building already, with Jungkook at his heels.

"Really? Well, Jungkook's a Ronso, so he's naturally fast and Jimin's a special case," Taehyung stops too, voice going hoarse from panting so much. "I usually have to use a Chocobo Feather to even catch up with the two of them!" 

"What building is that?" Hoseok squints, opting to walk now instead of running. The sun is shining brightly into his eyes, so he couldn't tell the large, block letters engraved on the building.

"The Sphere building," Taehyung says, as the two of them approach it and walk in. They're greeted by a blast of cold air--an apparent change from the strong sunlight outside. 

"Look at what I got!" Jimin and Jungkook run up to Taehyung and Hoseok. It's a blue sphere, set in gold. It must have cost a lot.

"Relax, it's not pure gold. It's plastic," Jimin laughs. "But I thought it looked pretty. I wanted to record stuff during our adventures, you know." 

"But a sphere is a one-use only. When you've finished recording something, you can't record anything anymore. You should buy a ton of them," Taehyung points out. 

"Nah, one will do." 

Jimin's smile is still there, but when he looks deeper, Jimin's eyes are filled with sorrow.

**************************************************

Namjoon enters the cafe, planning to get a cup of Hypello Cocca before the game begins so that he can keep awake. It's not exactly that he hates blitzball--as a Crusader, he needed to protect the stadium from time to time--but it's that sports was never his thing. He couldn't stay awake throughout an entire blitzball game. He had Seokjin shake him awake when the game ended and they always sat at the back row. 

But this time was different. Lord Jimin hasn't seen a blitzball game--at least according to him--and as a matter of fact, Seokjin had managed to book him seats in the first row. Namjoon doesn't want to appear disrespectful, but he knows he won't be able to stay awake, so...Hypello Cocca it is.

As Namjoon downs his first cup, he hears the door opening, and the gasps of the people around him. He turns his head, wondering who it was, when his eyes narrow in at the figure at the doorway. 

"I heard you'd be here, Joon." Kinoc takes measured steps into the cafe. Some people bow down to him, and others are just standing and whispering.

"What do you want?" Namjoon looks irritated. His hand was on the hilt of the sword.

"There's no need for violence, Joonie," Kinoc says, spreading his arms wide as if wanting to give Namjoon a hug.

"Shut up!" Namjoon spits, nearly knocking over the empty cup. "You got her killed, Kinoc! Don't you dare act as if you don't know anything about it!"

"My, my, aren't you feisty today," Kinoc smirks. "I'd rather take this outside." He throws sideways glances at the people in the bar.

"I don't care!" Namjoon strides past Kinoc, making extra sure to elbow him on the way out, before injecting his voice with venom. "You'd better rid your sorry *ss from my sight before I decide to stop being kind."

Kinoc says nothing.

***************************************************

Namjoon looks up at the screen in the sky. That confrontation with Kinoc took longer than he expected. It's about another half hour before the blitzball game starts. Well, might as well go and find Seokjin.

As he walks through the area, he finds unwanted memories flooding his mind. All of a sudden, the city of Luca becomes more familiar.

"Ow!" 

Namjoon stumbles backwards, and comes face to face with Hoseok.

"Where's Lord Jimin?" Namjoon asks, straightening his clothes immediately. 

"I was about to ask you that," Hoseok says, scratching his head.

"I thought you were with him," Namjoon mutters, teeth gritted.

"Hey, what's gotten into you?" Hoseok asks, placing a hand on Namjoon's shoulder, but the latter smacks it away.

"Guys!" 

Jungkook and Taehyung are sprinting over. "We can't find Jimin! Did you see him?"

"You mean you don't know where he is either?" Hoseok looks surprised. "I thought you stuck to each other like glue." 

"When I turned around, Jimin was gone!" Taehyung looks like he's about to hyperventilate.

"Whoa, calm down...relax!" Hoseok grasps the younger's shoulders. "Panicking isn't going to get us anywhere." 

"Hoseok? Care to explain this?" 

Namjoon turns around to find Seokjin standing there, his gaze fixated on Hoseok, eyes burning with flame. In his hand is a piece of paper, yellowed and stained by tar or oil, Namjoon isn't sure.

You could literally see Hoseok shivering when he takes the paper. "What is that?"

"You tell me," Seokjin's hand is at his sword's hilt.

If you wish for your precious Summoner back, I suggest you back down and admit defeat. --Pah Guado

Hoseok's face turns white. "I-I don't know anything about this."

"Guados are a tightly-knitted community--that is known to everyone in Spira," Seokjin says, voice filled with strain and certainty. "You should know what's going on." 

"B-But I don't!" Hoseok's voice is raised. "I cut off all ties with my people long ago."

"I believe him, Jin," Namjoon says, patting Hoseok's shoulder. "Think about it--Pah Guado. So conveniently written on the letter. A man of your intellect should know that there's something off about that letter."

"If it's not the Guados, then who is it?" Seokjin demands of the group.

"It's just a guess, but I think it's the Luca Goers. Bickson, particularly," Taehyung shrugs. "And they frame it on the Guados." 

"Well, why not the Al Bhed? Why not frame it on them?" 

"All spectators, are you ready to blitz? Then come on down to the Sphere Dome to cheer on your favourite teams!" the loud voice booms through the speakers placed all around Luca.

"It's starting," Jungkook mutters. "I'm going to go find Yoongi and tell him of this. You guys go find Jimin, alright?" 

"Right." 

************************************************* 

I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to come out. But I'll try to make have a faster update. Then again, school is starting and I might not have enough time, seeing as it's my third year into secondary school, but I'll try. Thanks for staying with me!