Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot and that's not a lot. So I'll end this rhythm and save us all a lot time.
Summary : She was supposed to be dead, but she lived. A witch, an outsider, casted out of her world for being 'impure' with a power that the world hasn't seen in eons. And it draws her into another war, only this time there is no escaping fate.
Fandom: Final Fantasy 12, slightly crossed with Harry Potter.
(Warning, while this is lightly crossed over with Harry Potter, no main characters will be anything more than possible mentions by the OC and will not have an active roll in this story.)
Pairings: Eventual BalthierOc VaanPenelo Ashe? Fran? Basch?
Warnings: Mentions of torture, blood, gore, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sexual innuendoes and dirty comedy and foul language. And anything else I forgot to mention.
"Talking"
Thoughts
REVIEWS! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, followings and favs. I really appreciate all the support. Hope you enjoy the next chapter! :D
CHAPTER THREE
'Watery Ways and Bad Ponies'
There was an eternity of darkness, then everything came back into sharp focus with a startling abruptness. Her head was pounded, even though the cool, wet stone beneath her cheek sooth some of the irritation away. Seconds felt like eternity, lying there motionless in silence. Sky drew in a sharp, painful breath before lifting her head out of the water. Her pitch black hair, clung down to her skin as she blinked rapidly. And it all came rushing back. Chasing Vaan, the palace, the chaos-she gasped, pushing herself up and looked around. "Vaan," she croaked out. "Vaan, where are you?"
"Here," his voice came from somewhere beside her.
Her shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank goodness."
"You okay?" Vaan asked.
Her vision focused, and she saw the gently movement of a blue on stone walls and she realized it was the reflection from the water. She sat up, grimacing at being covered in water and realized they were in the Garamsythe Waterways. She saw her friend looking over her worriedly and nodded, "Yea, I'm fine. You?"
"Yea," he nodded, shakily.
"What happened?" A bemused, soft female voice inquired. Sky jolted and saw the man, and the viera Fran just a few feet away. Fran looked down where the hover bike should have been. "Our hover didn't just drop-it disappeared."
A thought crossed through her head, Stolen…gone. Something stole it's power…The very thought left her with a stomach full of knots. What could have done it? Sky looked at the place where the hover should have been, but perhaps it was a good thing it did disappear. If they had crashed with it, Sky shuddered as an image of being impaled of piece of jagged metal sprung to mind.
"Bah. Forget it. Even if we could fly…" the man waved it off, though his gaze was troubled. "The Ifrit's playing with fire, and I'd rather not get burned. We'll go the old-fashioned way." The man looked at Fran, then at Vaan, who's gaze apparently lingered on Fran far too long for his liking. "Not many Viera where you come from, thief?" He asked, harshly.
"It's Vaan." Vaan stated, glaring at the man before turning to Fran and apologized, "Sorry."
The unease faded with the sincere apology and the man waved it off, "Well, Fran is special... in that she'd deign to partner with a hume."
Fran looked at him, her emotionless gaze alit with a little bit of amusement. "Oh? Like a sky pirate that chooses to steal through the sewers?"
Sky pirates? Sky thought then groaned when Vaan nearly jumped with excitement. "Pirates? You're sky pirates? So you have an airship?" Vaan asked, quickly.
"It's Balthier." The man finally bestowed his name upon them. "Listen thief-Vaan. If you or your girl-" he was cut off when Sky snapped, "I'm not his girl."
The man's lips twitched as if entertained by her response. He continued as if not hearing her, "Ever want to see your home again, you'll do exactly as I say. Myself, Fran, you and…" He paused realizing he didn't know Sky's name and looked at her. She merely raised an eyebrow at him and he continued with a sigh, "You. We're working together now. Understood?"
Vaan nodded, his hands messing with the stone that he had somehow held onto this whole time. Balthier's gaze zoomed in on it and Vaan hid it behind his back. "Don't even think you're getting this."
"The thought never crossed my mind." Baltheir said smoothly.
"Uh-huh," Sky eyed him in disbelief before turning and following Vaan. They trailed for a few minutes, in complete silence. The water ways never looked so uninviting as they did now, Sky came to the conclusion as her magic seeped out. She felt something distinctly wrong with the place. Something that wasn't wrong before. Shaking her head, she put the thought from her mind for now.
Shivering, she wiggled her toes, the water seeping into her boots and was freezing the tiny appendages. She made a mental note to buy a new pair when she tripped over something. She caught her footing and looked down at what tripped her. Her blood went cold and she gasped backing away.
Two soldiers lying dead, their blood seeping into the water surrounding them. It looked like a butcher had its way with them and Sky gagged, throwing a hand over her mouth and nose. She closed her eyes, trying to push away the image of their lifeless eyes, but couldn't.
Dead…dead. They're all dead…Smoke and blood and bodies. So much death, too much death…Sky shuddered, the panic spiking her chest like a knife. She had to calm herself least she have a panic attack.
"Insurgents. Most like they thought to take advantage of a lax watch while the fete's on." Balthier knelt down and inspected them briefly. "...to feed the good consul a length of steel for his supper, no doubt. I should think Vayne used to such hospitality. Clever. He used himself as the bait to draw them near, and then sent in the air brigade. A fine, bloody banquet." A veil of disgust crossed his golden brown eyes before he stood up. "Hmph. I daresay I've soiled my cuffs. If a dungeon's waiting for us at the end of the night, it had best have a change of wardrobe."
"There are dead bodies," Sky's voice so harsh she barely recognized it herself, "not even a foot away from you, and you are worried about your clothes?"
Balthier raised an eyebrow, regarding her coolly. "The dead trouble me little, and neither should they you. It's living we need all fear, didn't you know?"
Sky felt bile rising in her throat at his words and she pressed her palm to her lips, glowering at him. He turned away from her and the group carried on. She wasn't sure what she thought of their new found companions and she certainly didn't trust them, especially not with her past. She viciously shoved the images of the black robe figures and blood away.
The waterways were active. Unusually so. The fiends were attacking them at every turn. And it wasn't just rats, or those bat looking things either. Ghost like fiends, large toad like fiends, the likes she had never seen before. They were skittish and agitated, and the group had to be ever more wary while walking around. Every little drip of water or unexplained noise, had Sky's hair standing on end and her heart was pounding in her chest. Sky wringed the dagger in her hand nervously, itching to go to her wand. She was way more comfortable with her wand in her hand.
"I'm stumbling through sewers and scum because of you," Sky announced, looking over at Vaan through narrowly slitted eyes. The blond gave sheepish look. "You are an absolute fool," Sky informed Vaan said, distastefully. "I can't believe you'd be so stupid as to break into the palace!"
"I got this, didn't I?" He showed off the rock.
"You were lucky," she snapped at him, narrowing her to send him a deadly glare. "How could you be so stupid?"
"I just…" Vaan sighed, deeply. "I just wanted to take something back from them. The empire…they've taken so much, they are still taking."
They took everything…the briefest flicker of her past resonated with Vaan's feelings and Sky felt her anger reluctantly slip out of her hands. "I know. I know, Vaan," she whispered out. "But you can't…just go in half cocked and hope it works out. You could have been killed, or worse."
Before Vaan could ask what was worse than death, a long drawn out moan reverberated across the stone walls coming from some unseen place in the darkness. "What was that?" Vaan froze, eyes widening in panic.
"I don't know," Sky held her breath, drawing out her wand now. The air trembled with anxiety and tension, the group of four frozen in their tracks all glancing around warily. The moan drifted off, dissipating before revealing its source. Balthier's eyebrows drew downward, and his lips thinned out as he shared a glance with his partner.
The viera's ears twitched and her ruby eyes seemed troubled. "Spirits linger here," she whispered out, her usually soft voice tight. "Twisted. Distorted. Unrest for too long. Being drawn out, brought forth by…"
"By what?" The leading man, quietly.
"By death, destruction." Fran un-characteristically hesitated before sending a glance back at Sky. "Amongst other things."
Sky felt a coldness sweep over her. There was a knowing in Fran's eyes that left her stomach in proverbial knots. Swallowing thickly, she turned her purple gaze unto to Vaan. The blond looked ashen and pale. Balthier held his gun to his side, prepared and told them. "We move forward. Can't let a few moans and groans rattle us now, can we?" He seemed calm, but there was a tension running along the lines of his shoulders.
"Right," Vaan nodded in agreement, his hand reaching out and grabbing Sky's arm tugging her forward with him. "Let's go."
They kept walking through the waterways which the architect much have been vindictive for it was set up like a crazy mazz, and Skylar was utterly lost. She had never been this deep in the waterways before and made it a goal to never traipse down here again. That's when invisible chilly fingers crawl across her skin and her eyes widen a fraction as a voice moaned, "Skylar…"
Sky's spine stiffened. "Vaan, did you say something?"
"No…" His blue eyes turned to her, confused. "Why?"
Her lips parted in a reply, before they pressed together tightly. "Nothing. It's nothing," she shortly answered. Just because she was being freaked out didn't mean she should freak Vaan out. At least, not until she was certain there was something to be freaked out about, the wands twisted in her nervous fingers. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage so hard that it hurt, and a clammy sweat broke out across her forehead.
"Skylar…where are you, Skylar?" The pitiful moan sucked the air right out of her chest, and she whirled around only to see a pair of glowing eyes staring her down.
"Eeeaahhh!" The terrible scream tore through her throat as threw herself backwards away from the skeleton monster. Vaan whirled around and gasped, "What is that?"
Balthier and Fran whirled around as the thing reached out, it's bone fingers clasping around Skylar's upper arms. She was frozen, feeling completely petrified and the monster groaned, "Skylar…"
It's jaw leaned down towards her face when an arrow shattered through its skull send it stumbling back. It's cold boney grip slipped off of Sky's arms and Vaan sent a kick to its sternum sending it to the ground. Sky fumbled for her dagger, as the thing drew itself back to it's feet. "…Skylar…Bey…"
BANG! The undead things body fell to the ground and rotted into nothingness before her eyes. "A Zombie. Quite a nasty beast…and quite out of place," Balthier murmured as he eyed the creature with unveiled disdain.
"It does not belong here. The scent of death brought it for it knows nothing but death," Fran murmured, taking the arrow out of the undead thing.
"Like those spirits of yours?" Balthier asked.
"They are not spirits of mine," Fran shook her head, her red gaze looking over at the pale Sky. "They are hers."
"What? What does Sky have to do with any of this?" Vaan stated, defensively. Sky felt her stomach revolt, bile rising in the back of her throat and it took everything not to throw up in that moment.
"That I know not," Fran replied, her head tilting to the side slightly.
"Hmm," Balthier sharply craned his head left giving his neck a crack before looking down at Skylar. "I don't suppose there is anyway you can tell them to stop it?"
Skylar looked at him, reproachfully. "I didn't even know I was doing anything!" She stated, steadying herself on the wall. Dread was coursing through her as she tried to understand how she was responsible for that…thing. "How am I supposed to stop something I wasn't aware I was doing?" Her voice raised a couple of octaves in anger and panic.
"I thought not." He handled her anger with ease. "Well, all the more reason to make haste," he stated, his dark eyes assessing Skylar for a long moment before turning on his heel and walking away. Fran turned and followed.
Vaan and Skylar shared a look before trailing reluctantly behind them. "I really don't like this," Sky whispered, her skin crawling with tension and she shuddered. "Not one tiny iota."
Her mind was frantic, scrambling trying to make some sense of the situation. How could she be responsible for that thing? There were no answers to her 'whys' or 'hows', not even a magical one. As far as she had known, necromancy was a charlatan's craft with no substantial proof whatsoever. Of course seeing a corpse coming at you was a way to make a believer out of someone. Sky licked her lips, "Are you as freaked out as I am right now?"
"Probably," Vaan nodded. "Maybe more."
"I don't see how that's possible," Sky argued, with a weak smile. She looked up at the two sky pirates who were deep in an intense conversation. "What do you suppose their talking about?" She asked.
"I don't know," Vaan shrugged.
Sky rolled her eyes. "You are so not helpful."
Balthier and Fran conversation ended with Fran's soft warning, "You know not what you stir up, Balthier." She added, knowing she could not change his mind, "Be careful."
"Aren't I always?" He shot her a wide smirk before his slowed his gait until he joined Vaan and Sky who were lagging behind the pirates. "Boy," he barked at Vaan, "to the front with Fran."
"Why?" Vaan asked, bemused.
Balthier sent him a long stare, before heaving a sigh. "I've kept you alive this long, and now you are questioning me?" The sky pirate stand down his nose at Vaan, with a eyebrow cocked upward. Vaan huffed, muttering under his breath about they would have been fine but reluctantly detached from Sky's side and moved up towards Fran. Besides maybe the viera would be more forthcoming about what it was like to be a sky pirate than Balthier. Fran looked at Vaan before shooting Balthier a look that said, Why do I put up with you?
Balthier gave a smirk in return.
Skylar watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow, before looking forward once more. For a long time, they walked in silence and Skylar found to her annoyance that he matched her movements perfectly. She didn't know why it annoyed her, but he did. "You're not from Rabanastre, are you?" The pirate stated, his head tilting slightly to glance over at her.
Sky resisted the urge to fidget, her gaze flickering up at Baltheir while her lips pursed slightly. "No, I'm not," she replied. The vagueness of the answer was lost on the leading man, his lips gaining a slightly amused tilt to them. To herself she mused, No where near here.
"Where are you from then?" Balthier inquired.
"It…doesn't matter," Sky glanced up at Vaan who was chatting the silent viera's bunny ears off. Fran looked like she was torn between exasperation and shooting Vaan in the face with an arrow. "I doubt you've ever heard of it."
"I've been a great many of places," Balthier was so close now that she could feel his body heat radiate off of him, and when she drew in a breath, his scent caressed her nose leaving her slightly dizzy and flushed.
"Not where I am from."
"Your certain of that," Balthier stated.
Sky bit her lip before sighing. "Look, my past isn't something up for discussion," she tried to be polite, but she probably failed in the endeavor. Besides, she thought to herself raking a hand through her head, I barely know of my past to have a discussion about it.
Balthier wanted to press on, but at the uncomfortable look on her face bit his tongue. He'd get his answers eventually, and no one accused him of being a impatient man. Deciding to change the focus to her hair that was now jet black with streaks of red, he murmured, "You hair is quite enchanting. How do you do that, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Everyone ever tell you that you are bloody annoying," she shot back, her smile seemingly sweet, but Balthier caught the sharp edge to it.
He felt an amused chuckle rumbled beneath his breast, before he murmured, "Your accent."
"What about it?" Sky frowned.
"Where did you say you were from again?" The pirate asked, leaving Skylar slightly disoriented from trying to keep up with his train of thought.
"I didn't," she replied, rubbing her temples. She was sure that the leading man was going to ask more questions when the sounds of swords clashing together made them halt. Sky whirled around, looking upward. On a ledge there were three or four soldiers fighting something.
"Soldiers," Sky warned the group quietly, pointing to the ledge up above. Balthier held his gun to his side warily while Fran drew back an arrow ready to aim and shoot. Then a sword slammed into one of the soldier's sending him flying off the ledge revealing a girl in hot pink miniskirt, a white shirt with gold trimming and armor. Her short golden hair whipping around as she turned to the other soldiers, her dark roan eyes narrowed at them. Her heart shaped face was cold, her jaw tightened and she held out her sword threatening.
"Who would be next?" Her voice demanded, angrily.
"Close ranks! Bring her down!"
She back up, staring at all four soldier and her foot hit the ledge. Sky thought, her wand in her hand and she aimed at one of the soldiers when Vaan ran over and held out his arms.
"Jump down!" Vaan shouted.
The woman gasped, looking down at Vaan in shock. Vaan watching the soldiers close in, said, "Hurry!"
The woman quickly weighed her options and jumped down; Vaan caught her. Sky felt an unsettling feeling burrow into her stomach as she stared at the woman. A slight tug of familiarity… Her head jerked up as one of the soldiers shouted, "She's not alone!"
"Aw, hell," Sky swore.
Fran's ears twitched. "Our ranks grow by the hour."
Balthier added, slightly annoyed. "And our troubles with them."
Sky held out her dagger and wand watching as the Imperial soldiers approached them. Balthier gun went off with a loud bang, his target stumbled back with a groan. Fran stepped back from the group, putting distance between them to fire her arrows. The woman and Vaan were working together, to take one down. While Sky dodged another swipe of the blade, and tried attacking with her own, but her dagger didn't even make a mark on their armor. Nervously she tightened her grip on her wand, knowing she had little choice.
"Reducto!" She flicked her wand forward twice and the bright red light shot out from the tip of her wand, sending its victim ten feet back.
Vaan's eyes widened and he said, "Whoa! How did you do that?"
She didn't have time to answer, nor did he have time to heat the answer for more soldiers attack. Sky slung her wand, sending a 'reducto' at another soldier. The soldier screamed as he was slammed back into the wall. The woman sliced him down, after watching a moment perplexed. Sky was about sent a cutting curse, when iron hand grabbed her by her hair and threw her down. She rolled over onto her back, and lifted her wand only to see a sword barreling down towards her chest.
BANG!
The soldier fell to the ground and Sky looked over to see Balthier holding his gun out, with an irritated look on his face. Fran shot the last soldier down with an arrow and everything in the waterways appeared quiet. Sky sighed with relief, and grinned shakily, "Well, that was fun."
Vaan snorted slightly.
Sky blinked as Balthier appeared at her side, and held out a hand. She looked at him, for a moment surprised by the gesture before sliding her hand into his. When her fingers brushed his tingles shot up her arm, and her stomach flip flop. She bit back a gasp, at the sensation.
"Thanks," Sky said, to Balthier as he held her up off the ground. She tried to move away, but he held her forearm tightly. She looked up at him, a nasty comment on the tip of her tongue when she swallowed harshly. His gaze wasn't focused on her, but her wand that was tightly in her grasp. Studying it for more than a few moments, he then looked up Sky. His caramel eyes moving over her, intrigued and Sky ducked her head slightly with a flush on her cheeks.
"You all right?" Vaan asked the woman.
"Thank you."
"I'm Vaan. And this is Balthier and-" Vaan started to introduced, but stopped when Balthier let Sky go as if she were fire and went to walk away.
"Hey!" Vaan sent the sky pirate a glare.
Balthier stopped, a wince of aggravation crossing his features before he smoothed them out. Vaan pursed his lips before turning back to the young woman. "What's your name?"
The woman tilted her head, considering the boy in front of her. After a moment, she answered with a soft, but strong, "Amalia."
"Nice to meet you." Vaan grinned.
Amalia gave him a small smile before a thought occurred to her. Giving a troubled glance around the waterways, she stated, "There were others with me…"
Fran looked at her stoically, "I'm sorry."
Amalia's face fell and she whispered, "No…"
Sky felt for the young woman and wanted to say something comforting when the sharp, prickling sensation ran over her skin. Like being poked with a thousand needles, she shivered. Vaan gasped, "Huh?"
"Oh, now isn't that impressive." Balthier looked at the glowing stone in Vaan's hand.
"Don't get any ideas." Vaan told him, firmly. "I said it's mine."
"I'm afraid the jury's still out on that one," Balthier offered the boy a mocking smile. Sky rubbed her temples trying to clear her mind and rolled her eyes. It's just a bloody rock.
Amalia faltered for a moment before she asked, voice hardening, "You stole that?"
"Yeah!" Vaan admitted.
Sky face palmed, shaking her head. Vaan, you idiot.
Amalia's face went cold as she watched the stone stop glowing and stiffened her spine, looking at the group with no hint of kindness.
"Have you finished?" Fran questioned, her soft breaking the silence. "When the guards don't report in, they'll come looking for us."
"If they aren't already," Balthier added, warily.
"Yea, let's getting move. More guards would be not of the good," Sky shifted, uncomfortable.
"You should come with us. Better than being by yourself," Vaan told Amalia.
Amalia's frosty expression didn't unthaw in the slightest. She however knew that fighting by herself would be suicide. "Very well."
She walked away stridently, stopping at the gate ahead waiting for them to follow. Vaan blinked, "What's wrong with her?"
Balthier sighed. "You have a lot to learn before we even get started on your thievery."
"What's that mean?" Vaan asked Sky, who shook her head.
"You openly admitted to stealing something Vaan," Sky told him quietly. "You need to more careful with the information you let slip. It could get you into trouble one day." A flush ran over his cheeks as she chastised him. She added, a little softer, "Just be careful from now on. Okay?"
Vaan nodded, disheartened.
The group caught up with Amalia who stood in front of the gate eyeing them as if they were no better than the dirty water under her shoe. Sky thought, You'd think we have plague or something with the way she is looking at us.
"This situation dictates I have to accept help, even if it may be from thieves," Amalia stated, out loud, clear contempt upon her face. It was the last straw for the tired Sky.
"I suggest…Amalia, was it?" Sky said pleasantly, though her gritted teeth. The woman sent her a cool look. "I suggest that you be careful and don't insult the ones helping you. After all, beggars can't be chooser. So keep your remarks, or as I like to think of them insults, to yourself."
Amalia glared at Sky, but the witch didn't let it phase her. Instead, she walked on by the insurgent without giving the woman another glance. Vaan jogged to catch up to her. "What was that about?" He asked, once he reached her side.
"I will not be tolerate being treated like I'm nothing but dirt," Sky stated, strongly. It gave her a sick sense of déjà vu, the woman's attitude and Sky felt her mind on the edge of another panic attack. Swallowing back the fear thickly, she looked elsewhere. The group was mostly silent, wary of attracting guards amongst other things. In fact, it wasn't just them that silent. The waterways had settled into a deep silence and disturbing calm. It had been a good thirty minutes since they seen the last fiend. Sky was starting to get quite a bit antsy, her eyes constantly shooting around. She muttered, "I'm not liking this."
Vaan looked over at her. "What?"
"It's quiet…" She noted, licking her dry lips. "Too quiet…"
They made there way to a platform, water rushing down it like a waterfall. The roar was impossibly loud, but yet that isn't what bugged Sky the most. There a tingle, like a ringing in her ears, and she knew that something was not right. She took a deep breath, then pushed her senses outward like she did when she meditated. She could feel the coolness of the water rushing, the staleness of air, the hard walls that confined them and then something tainted. Her head shot up, her eyes locking on to the source of the uneasy feeling. Her mouth dropped open and she froze in step. "Uh…hey…I think we have a problem…"
"What?" Amalia shot her a glance.
Sky pointed upward and everyone's followed. Up on the ceiling were five gelatin looking fiends, oozing a black and green color. Everyone drew their weapons when Sky blurted out, "They look like jello snot!" Everyone looked at her weirdly and she turned beet red, grinning sheepish. "That was supposed to stay inside my head."
The flans fell from the ceilings, surrounding them. Sky warily held out her wand and dagger. "Do these guys have any weaknesses?" She asked.
"Fire," Amalia answered shortly.
Sky frowned deeply. Fire spells were the hardest ones for her to master. She bit her bottom lip as she danced around the flan slashing its back. It grew arms and spun them around, slapping her. Hard. She thought stumbling back, I didn't know jello could hit that hard. Then it was then she felt very hot and vaguely nauseated. She shook it off, raising her wand and praying it worked.
"Incendio!" She whirled her wand in a sharp circular motion. White hot, blue flames shot out from the tip of the wand and hit the flan causing it to release and ear piercing squeal. The nearby water hissed as it steamed upward. Vaan took a step away from the flan and looked at Sky with a wide eyed expression. In different circumstances and with a camera at hand, it would have been funny. Well, it still was funny, but Sky didn't have time to appreciate the hilarity as her body trembled. The fire spell was draining and she knew if she attempted another fire spell it could sap the last bit of energy she had left.
That would not be good, she told herself gripping her dagger tightly. She and Vaan, side by side, dashed to Amalia's aid. Balthier's gun went off echoing loudly, followed by the gently release of an arrow. Sky buried her dagger into the flan, and hissed, "Do the guys ever die?"
Amalia grunted, obviously agreeing. Sky got a few more hits in when suddenly her vision grew fuzzy and she took a few unsteady steps back, watching dazed as Vaan and Amalia finished the flan off.
Vaan turned towards her then his eyes widened and shouted, "Sky look out!"
Look…out…? Sky blinked then pain shot through her back and she found herself sprawled out onto the floor. Slowly, she rolled herself on the back and looked up seeing a flan coming towards her. Vaan and Amalia put themselves between it and that flan which she was forever grateful for.
Weakly, she pushed herself off the ground. Sky felt clammy sweat break out across her. Push through it. You've had worse. She held up her dagger. It shook unsteady in her grasp and she couldn't manage to keep it from shaking. Her eyes found themselves on another flan that started to approach her. Geez, am I flypaper for fiends? She dodged the flan's slap and buried her dagger in its eye. It hissed and gurgled, angrily before turning a bright purple.
"Get back," a rough voice ordered. Someone jerked her collar back and pulled out of the way in the nick of time. The flan's blind spell missed. Her eyes widened in shock, she never knew fiends could use spells! She glanced over at Balthier who brought up his gun up and finished the flan off with a bang.
"Thanks," she slurred out.
He looked over at her with a pinched expression. His eyes narrowed taking her pale and shakiness, then cursed. "Fran," he called. The veira looked up at him. "Antidote."
"Ant…antidote?" She asked, her dry lips quivering.
Balthier sent her a dry, exasperated look. "You've been poisoned."
Poisoned? Po…that first flan! She thought glaring at the last two flans angrily. "I kn…knew…I felt funny."
Balthier raised an unimpressed eyebrow. The veira held out the bottle to Sky, who took it, "Thanks…" Fran gave a small nod before returning to battle, this time using magicks. She uncapped it unsteadily and drunk it. Relief was instantaneous, soothing away the sickness and she stood steady on her feet.
"Hey! Sky!" Vaan shouted. "Now would be a great time for you to pull out some magic!"
Sky's brows furrowed worriedly. She lifted her wand to the flan Vaan was holding his own against, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Amalia and Fran working together (Fran using fira and Amalia her sword) to finish off the other one. "Incendio!"
Her wand sputtered, shooting out sparks and hot air. Sky shuddered, "I hate fire!" She glowered at the fiend and was about to try again when Amalia lunged forward, slinging her sword right through the flan. The flan turned to a puddle of oozy, and slid down into the sewer waters below. Sky's shoulders slumped, looking down at her wand. Fire. Definitely something to work on, she thought letting out a deep breath.
Vaan took out an antidote drinking it. The paleness in his cheeks vanished and Sky felt a little bit better that she wasn't the only one to get poisoned. Vaan then glanced over at her and her wand and finally asked, "What is that?" The group, some obvious and some less then obvious, looked over as well. Sky held her wand tightly and said, "It's my wand."
"Wand?" Vaan's brow furrowed. "What is a wand?"
Had they never heard of wands? Not even in stories? Sky thought, aghast. She glanced over at the other, who stared at her and looked away, flushing. Prove you're even more a freak. Spectacular job, Sky. "Can we get going?" Sky said, tersely. "I don't fancy spending all night down here."
"I…am in agreement with the girl," Balthier commented, with a restless roll of his shoulders. His golden eyes flickering across the walls of the watery ways with a deep frown. "Some thing will come seek out the cause of that great ruckus and it will undoubtedly be the unpleasant sort of company. So let's tread lightly, shall we? I do not care for the thought of a watery grave."
The pirate's comment seemed to settle the matter and they all carried onward. They came upon several fiends, slain and left upon the waterway floor. Several scavenger fiends, like the rat ones, had came to feast on the carcasses and the group was pretty much left alone. Skylar had thankful had no more encounters with zombies, though she was sure they were going to have many nightmares where that thing would be the star feature. Shivering lightly, they came to the waterways control room. Skylar sighed in relief, "If we go through those gates, we can go up the stairs and end up in lowtown."
"Thank goodness," Vaan's shoulders slumped and he pushed the gates open when a rush of heat hit them causing them all the stumble back. Heat sizzled through the air, choking and suffocating. A large of wall steam rolled towards them ominously. A giant ball of fire swooped in lingering in the air for a split second before taking the form of wild horse, it's hooves stomping angrily against the stone floors. Its mane, flaring about wild as it gave a feral cry. It was a magnificent, but terrible sight.
"Oh, my god," Sky gasped, taking a step back in shock. "I knew My Little Pony was evil!" Again, Vaan sent her a look like she was nuts. "Look out!" Sky shouted, feeling a wave of heat rush outward.
They all scattered, dodging the flames that reigned down on them. Balthier hissed, as a flame singed his arm. His eyebrow ticked upward in annoyance before he asked his partner. "Got any ice spells in your arsenal, Fran?"
"One," she grunted, releasing another arrow.
"Now would be a good time to use it," the pirate told his partner, who darted a few steps back and concentrated on casting it. "You-girl."
Sky sent him an annoyed look.
"Ice spells, know any?" Balthier raised an eyebrow on her.
"A few." She gave a quick nod, and pointed her wand. With a whimsical sort of wave, she shouted, "Glacius!"
Frost and ice shot forth from her wand, such a startling contrast to the boiling heat that the air warped and crackled with energy. She aimed the twister of ice towards the evil pony, and the horse gave an angry cry stomping backwards. It shook it's body, turning its glowing red eyes on Sky. Oh, boy.
It teleported in a twist of red, orange and yellow. Sky felt a horrible burn, like being way too close to a fire rip across her back, and she heard Vaan cry her name. Then she was thrown forward, by a blasting heat. Her stomach heaved after being slammed into the ground and she gagged, rolling over onto her back. It was the worst thing she could have done as her burned back was submerged into water. She screamed, barely aware of the arm that wrapped around her, pulling her up.
Fran's hand glowed as she brought another ice spell down upon the fiend. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Vaan was down, burnt also. She gritted her teeth, gripping her wand wondering if she used an exploding spell how bad on a scale of one to ten would the fiery pony exploding be.
"Gla…" she could barely get the spell out.
The heat was choking her, and she saw Amalia cried out, darting a few steps back. Sky knew she had to do something.
"Glacius!" The spell fell off her lips like a battle cry. The ice shot out like a fierce blizzard storm and hit the horse, and the feind reared back on its hooves. Fran also threw ice spells at it. The fiend's attention was torn between the two ice users and Vaan and Ashe took the advantage and started slashing at it.
Right beside her head, she caught sight of a gun barrel second before a loud pop. She groaned, her ears ringing painfully. She felt Balthier chuckle as his arm shifted, helping her steady herself onto her feet.
"Thank you," she told him, before turning her wand on her back wound, trying to steady her shaky hand. "Sacrient!" The flesh started to mend, and there was nothing but a sore redness left behind. Turning to Balthier she pointed her wand and his arm and repeated, "Sacrient!"
Balthier jumped, feeling an unusual feeling run through his body and he looked down at the girl. Her wand pointed at his wounded arm, a look of concentration on her face and he was amazed to see his singed skin tethered itself back together. He nodded at her, "Much obliged."
She smiled lightly, but before she could say something, Balthier told her, "Down!"
The pair ducked as a wave of fire shot over them.
"Seems our insurgent is need of assistance," Balthier commented, as they saw Amalia crumble to the ground with a sharp cry of pain. "Go to her aid. I will cover for you."
"Got it," Sky nodded, then ran over to the woman struggling to push herself off the ground. Vaan and Balthier put themselves between the evil pony and them.
"Amalia, where did he get you?" Sky asked.
Amalia grimaced, her hand reaching down and pulling up her shirt. Her side was singed so badly that Sky could see her rib bones. Biting her tongue to hold back the bile threatening to spill forth, Sky raised her wand.
"Sacrient!" Amalia's wounded healed at a snail's pace. What the hell? Healing spells are my specialty! The orange stone on Vaan's hip glowed mysteriously. Sky narrowed her eyes, but turned back to Vaan's wound and snapped, shoving all her magic into it, "Sacrient!"
The wound starting healing faster. "Sacrient!" Sky called one last time, and it worked. The skin and tissues were restored and Amalia let out a sigh of relief before leaping to her feet.
"My thanks."
Sky didn't have a chance to respond for the woman threw herself back into battle. Bitchy she may be, but she's determined, I'll give her that, Sky rose and pointed her wand back at the fiend. "Glacius!" She was summoning up the last of her power, feeling each passing second tick away like the hands of eternity. All she could hope was that this flaming horse go down before she was out of power. Tendrils of pain twisted deep into the magic core inside of her, and her breathing became a sharp, labored effort. If she held on much longer, she risked burning out.
"Hyah!" With a great swing of Vaan's and Amalia's sword and a bullet from Balthier paired with Sky's and Fran's ice spells, the beast gave a great cry then fell. It's body twisted and turned before turning into a giant orb and disappearing as swiftly as it came. Sky fell to her knees, her shoulders slumping with relief.
The air slowly cooled, and the steam melted away leaving the waterways calm once more. All of them were relieved, most importantly alive. Everything was okay, until-
"Well that could have been worse," Vaan sighed.
"No!" Everyone jolted at Sky's cry. "Murphy's Law, Vaan! And you just totally just jinxed us! Things are now going to get worse!"
Vaan looked at her weirdly. "No they-"
"Stand where you are!"
It got worse.
Rrs are appreciated.