Published: September 2nd 2007
Edited: August 21st 2011. (Edits: spelling checks, typos, added in bits of dialogue and description)
Disclaimer: I do not own FFX, I wish I did :3
Are you feeling sick?
The sun was beginning to set behind Mt. Gagazet, casting a long, formidable shadow of the Calm Lands. Parents were calling their children in, wary of how the fiend numbers increased after dark.
Lady Yuna and her Guardians had been staying in the lands for almost ten days now. The group had been enjoying sunny days, gentle breezes, and the odd fiend, however they tended to travel in pairs or small groups so for the main part, they were left alone. Sir Auron's words echoing in their minds 'fiends are less attracted to smaller groups. Being in a large group will hinder your safety, rather than secure it'.
The night before they were to move on however, Rikku decided that she would take a evening stroll around the cliffs. To make memories of the Spira she'd only just begun to discover, to remember, just in case she didn't survive Mt. Gagazet, or Zanarkand, if they couldn't persuade Yunie to turn back. She sighed, her hands hanging loosely by her sides. As much as she hated to admit it (and she really did), deep in her heart she knew that Yuna wouldn't turn back. And she wouldn't return with her to the desert, and what remained of Home. Despite this, Rikku still admired her cousin for her strength and determination, and realised that all she could really do, was hope for another way.
She sat on one of the rocks, a few meters away from the cliff edge. The breeze blew her blonde bangs back gently as she rested her head upon her knees.
He didn't like the fact that she had gone out on her own. Because she would be a lot more vulnerable, even though fiends weren't as partial to small groups as they were to big groups, they weren't stupid enough to turn down a sitting duck. Regardless of how peaceful the Calm Lands seemed. The possibility of an attack still remained. But, he sensed that she had also come out to be alone, as she hadn't told anyone that she was going outside. So he leaned against the outside wall of the inn. And kept her as safe as he could.
He stayed there for what seemed like forever, watching the little Al Bhed intently. His ears picked up a call from inside, breaking his concentration, and he looked towards the Inn, and the direction of the voice. Sighing, he turned and began to make his way in. He didn't like the thought of leaving her there, but he would be as quick as he could. She was fine, she would be for another few minuets, surely?
No, he didn't think so, 'But' he thought 'She is one of Yuna's Guardians, she is more than capable of looking after herself for a while'
And with that he walked back into the Inn, to get whatever he was needed for out of the way quickly.
Rikku looked around as she heard the Inn door open, then close with a sharp bang. Had she been a little less preoccupied with her thoughts of Yuna, she may have looked into it more. Was someone watching her? Or was it just someone making their way into the Inn?
She rested her head against her knees once more, and sighed, so loudly that she didn't hear the soft rustling in the grass behind her, nor the low growl as the fiend prepared it's attack.
The Skoll leaped from the grass, Rikku turned round to see the huge gaping jaws lunging towards her and instinctively raised her arm to protect her head.
The strong jaws of the monster bit straight though her gloves and through her skin, her eyesight flashed red and pain seared through her arm, and Rikku clenched her teeth together willing herself not to scream.
Auron closed the door to the Inn and surveyed the grounds in front of him, pulse beginning to race when he couldn't see Rikku. He briskly walked round the side of the Inn praying she had just moved to another place. Reaching his starting position by the back door, his breath caught in his dead throat.
There had been no sign of blonde hair.
The wind blew his vacant sleeve aside.
He began to run, his mind thinking rationally, telling him that he needed to find her quickly, in order to stop any attack that may be happening, or to begin to treat any injuries she may have gained in a fight quickly to minimise damage.
His heart told him he needed to find her, because he needed her to be alive.
He reached the rock and looked around, trying to feel as calm as he probably looked.
There!
He moved around to the other side of the rock, and grimaced when he saw Rikku lying on the ground. Her skin held a green tinge, a sure sign of poison.
'Skoll attack' he thought. Skolls were dog-like creatures that poisoned their prey, and waited for their venom to weaken their victim before coming back to finish them off. He knelt by her, his gloved hand brushing the side of her cheek as she whimpered in pain, 'It would seem like our Al Bhed had a lucky escape, as to find her any later, she would be suffering a lot more.' His Guardian mind kicked in, and he scooped her up in his arms, her small frame completely dwarfed by his large person 'I must get her to Yuna. Judging by the fact that I had only left my position for around seven minutes, and that it takes about two minutes for Skoll poison to take effect, she can only have been in this state for a maximum of five minutes. Considering that, if I can get her to Yuna within ten minutes from the moment of attack, then a simple Cure spell should be enough to lift the poison and begin the healing process.'
Though his mind was ticking away, planning the best course of action as he carried Rikku back into the Inn, he couldn't ignore the little voice in his heart whispering, 'She's alive.'
"Yuna."
The red-clad Guardian stood in the door-way, looking over at the bed in the room.
It was a simple room. The colours were all very natural, browns, beige and greens. There was a wide, King-sized bed with the board up against the wall, and in it lay a small figure with her blonde hair splayed against the pillow. A gentle breeze flowed in through the wide windows, and the sunlight was softened by the soft curtains. Opposite the bed there was a vanity, and a comfy-looking chair next to the side of the bed. On the side closest to Auron, there was another chair which looked worn-in and not as comfortable as the other, and in it sat Summoner Yuna.
Yuna looked round at Auron with a tired smile on her face, knowing what he wanted to say just by the look on his face.
"She will be fine Sir Auron. She just needs to be given this medicine twice a day." She sighed and looked back over to her cousin. "However, in her current state she won't be able to move for a good few days. We are going to have to stay here slightly longer."
Auron smirked slightly.
"I doubt that the rest will have any problems with that"
He turned to leave, but his Summoner called to him;
"Sir Auron, what actually happened out there?"
He walked into the room, crossing the threshold for the first time. "I admit I am not entirely sure myself. However, from how I found her, I can make a more educated guess. I believe she was attacked by a Skoll, and a lone one at that. It poisoned her, then ran off while the poison ate at her organs. Whether it ran off to get something or to alert it's pack is something I don't know. However, I do know that she had a very lucky escape."
Yuna nodded.
"Indeed. It was a very good thing you found her when you did Sir Auron."
Rikku lay there, half listening to what was going on. She seemed to be floating in and out of consciousness. One minuet she could hear Yunie and Auron, the next, she could hear nothing. Unless you counted the black.
Yup, she had put a colour to noise, only 'cause she could only see black and hear only a weird buzzing.
But oh Machina!
Her limbs hurt something bad!
'What got into my panties this time?' she wondered. Not that anything ever did get into her panties, it was just hers and Keyakku's way of saying something had gotten ya, like a virus or something silly.
From what she could remember, and what she heard, she was caught off-guard by a fiend.
'Bugger' She thought, 'better start paying attention to my surroundings. How else am I gonna save Yunie?"