All Rikku knew was pain. At first it had started in the pit of her stomach, but now roared all through her body. She lay on the ground near her bed curled into a fetal position. Never in her life had she felt such pain.
What did I do? she thought to herself. Countless times she had made this recipe, and never had it resulted in this. It felt as if her whole body was turning inside-out. With a struggle, Rikku rolled onto her stomach and lifted herself onto her elbows. Vomit spewed from her ever-gaping mouth. She felt her arms buckle, sending her face first into the bile.
"Wakka?" she croaked, "Wakka?"
Sudden footsteps assaulted her ears.
"Yuna!" a sharp voice rang out, "Come quickly.
"Yunie?" Rikku whispered.
"Shhh," The voice cooed, "it's ok, Rikku, we're here." she felt a cool sensation upon her forehead.
"Lulu?" Rikku said quietly.
"Yes, honey, it's ok." Lulu soothed.
"Where's Wakka?" Rikku asked.
"Yuna is tending to him now. She'll be along in a second. Just hang on, ok?"
"mm-hmm." Rikku said. New footsteps arrived.
"How is she?" Yuna asked.
"Same state as Wakka." Lulu said sadly.
"Yunie?" Rikku whispered.
"I'm here, Rikku," her cousin's soft voice said. She felt something cool touch her lips. "Drink this," Yuna said, "It'll help you feel better.
as Rikku sipped at the liquid, the fire in her stomach slowed to an ember blaze. With a sigh of relief Rikku let her gaze fall upon her two friends. Worry was etched on both their faces.
"The healer will be along momentarily," Lulu said, "right now you should rest."
Rikku took one fleeting glance at vidina, who now slept soundly in his mother's arms through the chaos. she joined him in blessed slumber.
Shelinda decided to think it good luck she had been visiting besaid when the call for a healer had come. It had been nice to see lady Yuna and her honored guardians once again. She only wished it could have been under better circumstances.
"Well?" Lulu asked her curtly, her arms crossed, "What do you think?"
Shelinda turned from her patients to face the dark guardian. "I'm afraid I don't have good news for you," she said. "They've been poisoned."
"We know that much," Lulu said with a wave of her hand.
"You do?" Shelinda asked in surprise.
"Yes," Yuna said, "and we know by whom. He left a note."
"Who would do such a thing?" Shelinda asked.
"It was Guido." Lulu spat with more than a lot of venom, "He has returned."
"Guido?!" Shelinda cried, shocked, "I thought he'd disappeared after…last time."
"He did," Yuna explained, "but he has come back. The notes states the antidote. I just don't understand why he would give it to us."
"Because he wants us to suffer." Lulu said, "He wants us to feel the pain of being helpless to save our friends."
"Is there anything you can do?" Yuna asked.
"Not much I'm afraid," Shelinda replied, "all I can do is apply the medications and herbs to help with pain, but without the proper antidote, they'll both die."
"What do we do, then?" Lulu asked.
Shelinda looked back to Lulu. "Go find the antidote."