The rushing feeling stopped, and she opened her eyes. She had fallen so far, how was she still alive and conscious? Rikku looked down where she had fallen. A fabric canopy had broken her fall. When she had fallen into it, it had closed around her like a hammock. Fidgeting out of the patterned entanglement, she fell down to the ground.
Water greeted her, so cold it numbed her face in a matter of seconds. Spluttering, she emerged and stood up, surveying the area around her. It looked like ruins of a small house. A low growl startled her and she turned to see Kimahri heave himself up. He shook his blue fur to get rid of the water, and then looked at Rikku, his mouth twisted in what looked like a smile.
"Kimahri happy to see Rikku well," She smiled.
"Good to see you too, Kimahri. Where is everyone?" They looked around. They saw Auron first, sprawled on his back on a nearby plank. She kneeled by him. "Auron!" She called, slapping his face gently.
"Lulu…" He murmured, stirring slightly.
"No, it's Rikku!" His eyes snapped open and he jumped up so fast she squeaked fell backwards.
"Where's Yuna?" He asked. Rikku looked around, and realized that Kimahri had disappeared. She called his name, and she saw him coming out of the hazy fog. He had an unconscious Yuna wrapped snugly in his arms. Auron sighed in relief and sat slumped against a piece of the stone wall. "Where are the others?"
"I'm not sure, we'll have to look around," Just then he noticed Lulu in the water a ways away. He jumped up and ran to her, and kneeled beside her. Rikku looked away tactfully. She was about to turn and walk behind her to look when she heard a loud groan. Curiously peering around the corner, she saw Wakka trying to get up off of the ground, soaking wet and shivering.
"Wakka!" She cried, and ran over to him and helped him get up. "What have I done? What have I done?" He repeated while Rikku led him over to a piece of stone for him to lean against. He sat and put his face in his hands, murmuring the same four words over and over again.
"Wakka, it's okay..." she reached up to touch his shoulder when he slapped her hand away.
"Don't touch me!" He cried and looked at her with hateful eyes. Rikku stepped back and looked at him, holding the hand where he had slapped her. Tears were fighting in her eyes. "Just…. don't," He gave her one last look and got up and walked away from her.
"This isn't my fault!" she cried after him, but he continued walking. She sighed, and turned. She sat on a piece of stone and hugged her knee to her chest. What have I gotten myself into? She blinked back the tears in her eyes. You can't cry, not now! Be strong! Be strong for Yunie! She mentally coached herself on. That's better. Don't let some hair brained islander get the better of you! He's just a guy. There are plenty of those where you come from! She smiled slightly, and got up, ready to go on.
Tidus came up to her, his blonde hair matted down by filthy water. "Hi Rikku, you okay?" He asked, leaning against the stone by her. She nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You?" He shrugged, and shook his hair, spraying water everywhere like a dog.
"I'm sure Yunie's okay, she's breathing fine and all," She motioned to Yuna's still figure. "How are Lulu and Wakka?"
"Well, Wakka's in shock, can't blame him either," She nodded and rubbed her hand, remembering the incident just a few minutes earlier. "And Lulu, well, she's just the same as always," Of course. Strong Lulu, unshakable Lulu.
"She's all together, all grown up I guess," She wished that she could have the nerves of the black mage. "Just give me five or six more years," She calculated in her head. Tidus nodded and stepped away from her.
"So Kimahri, how do we get out of here?" How dare he change the subject on me?
"Hey! Don't change the subject!" She scolded him.
"We climb," Kimahri growled.
"Kimahri, too!" She stomped her foot and gave him the stink eye.
"Only those who try will become," He growled. Rikku stopped.
"Huh?" She asked, quite confused.
"I think he means you have to work hard if you want to be like Lulu," he explained.
"Oh, I will!" She promised herself out loud.
"Kimahri think Rikku should stay Rikku,"
"Hey!" She jumped on a board, trying to match his height. "Are you saying I'll never be like Lulu?" She demanded. Tidus laughed at her. She turned and gave him the stink eye.
"How could you guys laugh at a time like this?!" Wakka asked. Yuna groaned and stirred.
"Yuna?" Tidus asked, and knelt by her. She opened her eyes and gasped, obviously surprised by the current setting. "Are you alright?" He asked her as he helped her up. She nodded.
"Where are we?" She asked wearily.
"We're under the lake ice," Lulu said, motioning to the bottom of the temple. She had the same look that Wakka had.
"What are we going to do?" She asked, pressing her face in her hands. As they talked, Rikku noticed something weird. The ground, it didn't feel like a normal lake bottom. It was tight, and slightly bouncy. And if this was the bottom of a lake, where was the rest of the water? She looked down and moved her boots around a bit. This was no lake bottom.
It groaned and moved. "Sin!" She heard a cry.
"The ground!" Auron called.
"The toxin, watch out!" Lulu warned, but it was far too late. Rikku could feel it inside of her, spreading throughout her body. Strange tingling sensations began to flow throughout her. The tingles turned to needles, thousands and thousands of needles in her skin. Make it stop! Make it stop! She screamed, but no one heard her. Please! She pleaded to no one.
The needles came out of her, and she felt herself drop a few feet and crumple to the floor. Coughing, she tried to get up. It felt as though heavy weights were attached to her body.
"Don't struggle," A voice suddenly said. Rikku opened her eyes, but the room was a black as if she had them closed.
"Let me go, please," she pleaded to the unknown voice.
"You're Tidus' friend, yeah?" She thought she had heard that voice before, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.
"Yes," She said, trying and failing to control her voice.
"Hmm," That was the last thing she heard when she felt herself falling in darkness once more.
