AN: I haven't done any creative writing in ages, but I hope you enjoy this little ficlet! It just popped into my thoughts one day and hasn't left me alone since c:
No reviews, please. This is just for fun!
"Felix, I think we're lost."
Sheba's voice reverberated softly along the winding tunnels of the cave she and the rest of Felix's party were currently exploring. In their journey to restore Alchemy to the world, they found themselves on a small, uninhabited island in the north-east corner of the Great Eastern Sea. It was rather featureless, save for a mysterious cave entrance that was sparsely sheltered by a thin layer of trees and foliage surrounded by a rocky beach of obsidian-coloured sand.
It had only been a few hours since they had begun their expedition. The island wasn't in danger of being consumed by the Void like the Apojii Islands, but it was close enough to the edge of Gaia Falls where the dull, unending roar of rushing water off in the distance was enough to cause a feeling of unease. The sound echoed strangely underground; sometimes it was oddly muffled, and at other times it was as if a river was running directly beneath their feet.
Frowning slightly, Felix turned to face Sheba with a contemplative look. "Hmm… I'm afraid you may be right. We've passed this rock formation at least twice…"
"How can you even tell? This entire cave is a rock formation!"
Felix opened his mouth to respond to Sheba's remark, but Jenna interrupted him. "Well, my dear Sheba, it would appear that an experienced Venus Adept should know the difference between one rock and another, but unfortunately my brother isn't exactly the scholarly type."
Sheba snickered as Felix shot his sister an indignant look. "Excuse me?"
"I kid, I kid," she teased. "You can navigate caves better than any of us; that's why you're leading us. Somewhere."
Sighing, Felix pressed two gloved fingers to his forehead. Jenna was always poking fun at him about anything she found hilarious (to her) or embarrassing (for him).
"Let's just keep moving. Although, I think it would be a good idea to mark the walls every couple hundred strides so we'll know for sure if we passed through already. Piers, would you mind?" Felix tossed Piers a piece of charcoal from one of his pouches, who gave him a thumbs up in acknowledgement.
"You know I could singe the walls with a Fume spell instead!" Jenna exclaimed impudently. "Don't make Piers do something I could do just as easily!"
"Yes, but you tend to go a bit overboard sometimes. I'd like to get out of here without scorch marks on my clothes, thank you." Jenna puffed out her cheeks slightly in a pout, hands on her hips, while Sheba continued to giggle at the siblings' antics. Piers couldn't contain his grin, chuckling as he hastily scrawled a Lemurian letter on the rock face as they walked past. There was never a dull moment with Felix and Jenna around.
The group trudged deeper into the island's passages, carefully looking for artifacts to aid them on their quest, or even better—any signs that would lead to an exit. Soon they emerged from yet another tunnel to an area that suddenly opened up into a vast cavern, its walls shimmering with clear rivulets that ran onto the floor and formed large puddles that gently dripped over a ledge only a few strides wide. The low rumbling of multiple waterfalls could be heard from somewhere below, causing the surrounding air to hum.
"Be careful, the ground here is quite slick," Felix cautioned. "Stay close to each other." The others nodded in understanding.
Together, the Adepts slowly made their way along the ledge, clinging to the walls as they proceeded. Sheba and Jenna looked around in awe at the sheer vastness of the cavern, their footsteps making tiny splashes as Piers followed behind.
About halfway across, Felix pointed at a dark smudge off in the distance. "Guys, look there. I think that might be our way out."
Piers narrowed his eyes, squinting in the dim light, as he tried to make out what Felix was pointing at. He couldn't tell one rock face from another, but he trusted in the Venus Adept's leadership skills—even if Felix himself didn't. Piers paused to write another symbol, but he realized that the walls were too wet with moisture to make any sort of legible marking. Shrugging, he moved to store the charcoal piece in his pocket when the ground suddenly shifted in front of him.
"Eep!"
"Jenna! Sheba!"
Felix quickly twisted around. With a resounding crack, the ledge behind him where the girls were previously standing had unexpectedly split and crumbled away, replaced by a steep rift of jagged rock. Far below them, the rushing torrent of water they had heard earlier was now sharply echoing around the cave and emptying itself into a dark, endless pit that Felix could only assume was the Void. The thought sent chills down his spine, but what he saw next thrust ice-cold daggers through his heart.
In the span of a few seconds, Piers had somehow managed to grab the two Adepts and encased his lower body in ice with the help of the thin layer of water coating the ground, locking himself in place to prevent himself from slipping further. The few Mercury Djinn they had befriended were furiously casting their own small reserves of Psynergy to strengthen the ice, but despite their best efforts the weight of the three Adepts was already causing hairline cracks to form. Sweat beaded on Piers' forehead from the sheer effort of holding onto both Jenna and Sheba as they clung to him, one on each arm. Their eyes were wide with fear, darting back and forth between each other and Piers; neither daring to look down lest they accidentally lost their grip on Piers.
"Don't look down, Sheba! Keep your eyes on me!" Jenna called out to her friend in an attempt to keep her calm. She imagined how scared the younger girl must be. If I can keep her focused on me, we'll be ok. I'm scared too, but I'll be brave so you don't have to be.
Sheba locked eyes with Jenna's; she didn't want Jenna to notice, but she was terrified. The all-too familiar feeling of hanging over a vast abyss was overwhelming, threatening to devour her senses. She shuddered and shut her eyes tightly, trying to push her fear away.
The image of Sheba dangling from the edge of Venus Lighthouse flashed unbidden in Felix's mind. He witnessed her attempts to take his hand, her despair, the acceptance of her fate, her letting go, her falling down, over and over and over again—
"Felix," Piers gasped, "I don't know... how long... I can...!"
The Mercury Adept's strained voice snapped Felix out of his stupor. What am I doing? There's no time to think about that!
Felix knew Piers didn't have the strength to freeze the river enough to create another ledge for them to get to safety; it was flowing far too rapidly and to expect Piers to cast any sort of Psynergy while he was struggling to keep himself, Jenna, and Sheba from plunging to their deaths was too much. The Venus Adept couldn't just jump the gap - it was too far. He could form a stone bridge to cross over and help Piers lift up Jenna and Sheba, but connecting the two sides too hastily could trigger a sudden tremor, and he could end up accidentally knocking them all down into the chasm below.
Felix was running out of options, and he had to do something quickly.
"Hold on Piers, please!" Felix cried, desperation creeping into the edges of his voice. Please!
Gathering his Psynergy, Felix tried to feel for the cave's weakest points. He had never shifted the earth - let alone solid rock—with water racing through it, and its constant flow only served to hinder him. There was also the threat of causing the cave to collapse if he pushed or pulled the wrong way, without precision and careful calculation. He knew he only had one chance to save his friends with little time to think, and if this didn't work…
I can't let them fall. Not again, not like—! No!
Felix shook his head, clearing the malicious thoughts threatening to cloud his mind. He needed to concentrate!
Exhaling slowly, Felix reached out, working his Psynergy into the miniscule cracks within the rock. He tried to ignore the constant pressure of the surrounding water, pushing his way deeper. It felt as if he were drowning, but he grit his teeth and forced himself to keep going.
Out of the corner of his eye, Felix could see that the Mercury Djinn were darting around in panic; deep cracks had appeared in the ice after they used up what Psynergy they had to help Piers.
I have to hurry! Focus, focus!
Channeling more Psynergy, the Venus Adept drove down even further. He could sense some purchase in the rock, and carefully widened the cracks until felt he had something resembling a rough platform. If he could extract it past the torrents of water, and raise it beneath his friends…
The rock refused to budge.
Just a bit more… move, damn it!
"!"
The Djinn squeaked in alarm. The ice was about to completely shatter!
"ARGH!"
Felix shouted out of sheer frustration and desperation.
"I won't let you die here; not now! I'll move all of Weyard if I have to!"
With a tremendous surge of Psynergy, Felix finally felt the rock face budge one inch, two inches—and suddenly, where there was a gaping hole just moments ago were now two giant slabs of stone in its place, reminiscent of a pair of cupped hands. The three Adepts clinging to the edges of the now-sealed rift found themselves safely cradled in its center.
Felix gasped in exhaustion, letting go of the breath didn't know he was holding. He stumbled, chest heaving, and allowed himself to sink down to the cave floor.
Sheba was the first to move. Trembling, she stood up slowly, attempting to comprehend what Felix had done in slight disbelief.
"You saved me again," she breathed. "Thank you…"
Felix glanced wearily at her. "What kind of leader would I be if I had let you all fall? It's already happened once, one too many times. I would never forgive myself. I still... haven't." He looked away, dark strands of hair falling errantly as he bowed his head. I can't bear to lose you.
"Oh, Felix..." Sheba murmured. Kneeling down, she embraced him gently and pushed his hair away from his eyes, forcing him to gaze at her. "You're too hard on yourself. We're all ok. That's all that matters."
Jenna, now recovered, followed suit, gripping both Felix and Sheba in a bear hug as she praised her brother's strength. Piers simply clasped Felix's shoulder in support, too worn out from his own ordeal to say anything.
Sheba allowed her mind to reach out and touch Felix's, and like in the several attempts she had made before she was met with a force akin to a thick wall of granite. Felix's thoughts were always tightly sealed, but even his self-imposed barrier could not completely contain the flood of emotions spilling from his mind.
Fear. Despair. Determination. Angst. A spark of happiness. And… pride.
Sheba smiled. You may have veiled your mind to try and protect us and yourself, but I can still read you like an open book.