Rikku didn't know when the pain hit, all she knew was that it was there. With a groan she turned over to her side, hoping maybe that would lessen the agony. She felt a cool rag touch her face.

"Oh, honey," Shelinda's voice wavered over her, "you're burning up."

"What's going on?" Wakka's voice drifted over.

"She may be entering stage two. This is a whole lot faster than I thought it would be. It's only been about a day and a half."

"How come I'm not in stage two?" Wakka asked.

"Because it travels through people differently. You're a pretty big person so it makes sense the poison would travel slower, but Rikku, she's so small. I knew it would be faster but…not like this."

Rikku turned her sweat-drenched gaze to Shelinda's face. "I…I think I'm gonna…"

Instantly a bowl was shoved under her face. The bile burned her esophagus as it made it's exit. Rikku laid down again with a thump. Gentle hands leveled her head as a cool liquid touched her lips.

"Drink this, Rikku," shelinda said, "You'll feel better in a moment."

After a few sips, Rikku felt herself lie down again. "Wakka?" she said quietly. She felt his strong hand embrace her own.

"It's ok, Rikku, sleep now." He said calmingly. Slowly her eyelids began to close. "You'll feel better soon," Wakka's voice continued, "I promise." Finally she fell into a blessed, painless sleep.


Yuna looked out over the calm water from her perch. They had been at it for what felt like days, though really just a few hours.

"It could be anywhere!" Luzzu said exasperated, "I just wish we knew what we were looking for!"

"Luzzu is right." Lulu agreed, "This isn't working. We need to find a heading and stick to it. Let's Look at the note again and take it line by line."

"Where trees grow tall, and grass is green."

"Hmm," Yuna said, "it sounds like Kilika to me. The only other place that comes close is Besaid, and really that's more beach than tropical forest."

"Ok, then let's say it's Kilika. Next line, please." Luzzu said.

"From this spot a temple is seen,' Which also seems to point here, since there is a point where you'll see the temple steps." Lulu observed, "So that only leaves that last few lines."

"Which says?" Luzzu pushed

With one quick dagger glance, Lulu continued, "beneath the grass, laid by a stone, hear the fiends' voices drone."

"Which is no help at all!" Luzzu said.

"Regardless, the first thing we need to do is get closer to the temple." Lulu said.

With a sigh, Yuna jumped down from her perch and stretched her legs. "Which direction do we go?" She asked.

"Let's head in the dense direction, closer to the trees." Lulu said. She turned to go, leaving Yuna and Luzzu to catch up.

Yuna looked at the passing scenery as they walked, her mind lost in a different memory. It was here she had asked Tidus to be her guardian. She had liked him from the start. His smile, his arrogance in a world he did not belong to…he was amazing. She couldn't help but fall in love. I can't believe he's gone. She thought. A silent tear snaked down her face. Lulu turned around to give her a weary smile. how does she always know?

Yuna studied her best friend. She had watched over her for so long. I just wish we could have one year where she can just enjoy life. She glanced at the hairs that had grown prematurely grey. All of life's tragedies had begun to take their toll on her. Maybe after this they could finally rest. Maybe-

"Yuna!" Lulu's sharp call jerked her to reality just in time to feel a sharp prick on her arm.

"Damn!" Luzzu cursed, "It's a swarm of poisonous flying insects!"

A buzz sounded close to Yuna's ears, startling her. She watched with wide eyes as it turned a bee-line straight for her face. A bolt of lightning exploded above it, causing pyreflies to hit her face.

"Snap out of it, Yuna!" Luzzu yelled. He was diving, weaving, and hacking away with his sword, "Either make yourself useful, your get out of the way! These things may not have enough poison to kill you, but get a few many too hits and who knows?"

"He's right," Lulu said, "You've been hit. You need to do something."

"Right." Yuna replied instantly summoning a cure spell on herself. She turned her keen eyes to her comrades, looking for which needed healing, or ensuna.

"It's bad enough we have to battle these annoying things!" Luzzu vented, "do they have to be so noisy too?"

"Wait!" Yuna exclaimed, "What did you say?"

"I said, do they have to be so noisy too?"

"There must be a nest nearby." Lulu said, "we need to find and destroy it."

"Hear the fiend's voices drone." Yuna thought aloud.

"Now is not the time to be thinking of that!" Luzzu shouted.

"No, hear. Hear! I knew there was something weird, it's 'hear!' If we find the nest, we may find our answer!"

"Whatever, just find that nest!" Luzzu demanded.

Ducking to ground, Yuna shielded her eyes as she looked around. There must be one point where their all coming from. her eyes settled on a big, brown swarming mass to her left and high in a tree. "There it is!" she cried, "Lu, it's just to your right!"

Her friend spun around to look, a bunch of fiends took advantage of the opening, forcing her attention back once again. "You'll have to do it, Yuna" she called, "I'm not in a great position."

"Me?" Yuna sqeaked, "I haven't used a black spell in a situation like this before!"

"Just do it!" Luzzu yelled, "I'm to far away."

"But-"

"Just try it." Lulu said, "If you miss, you can always try again."

With a deep breath, Yuna closed her eyes and began to summon up thunder. Just one hit, she thought. The familiar yet unfamiliar tingling feeling started in her fingers. picture the mark. she coached. Small sparks began igniting upon her fingers, I won't let you down, Lu!

The spell sprang to life just as she realized her mistake. She had forgotten Lulu's number one rule: always stay focused on the mark. Helplessly she watched as her spell disappeared into her friend's body. A yelp escaped Lulu's mouth, and as fast as the lightning, Lulu turned with a spell of her own, diverting it just in time to hit the nest. A huge insect fell to the ground, dead. The queen. Quickly the insects disappeared. Yuna looked on in shock.

"Lulu, I'm so sorry," she stammered, "It, I."

Lulu grasped her bleeding shoulder, wincing. "It's ok, Yuna," She replied with gritted teeth, "It's only a flesh wound."

"Hay, over here!" Luzzu called, "look at this!"

He picked up a small envelope hiding in the grass. Yuna walked over to her hurt friend. Lulu was already curing, but took her hand away to let her look.

"Where did you find that?" Lulu asked.

"it was right under the nest. Bastard ran us right into an ambush." He picked up a small rock, "He must have used this as a paper weight."

"There are a million nests here, how did we happen to stumble on the right one?" Yuna asked.

"I don't know, maybe he placed a note at every nest! Does it really matter? We should get going."

"Yeah, Yuna agreed, Let's go back.