I do not own these characters.
Italicised words are with the writers.
Chapter 11
The swamp truly was disgusting. Bubbles had formed on it's surface, and massive deformed frogs occasionally rose from the murky depths. Mateus stood staring with uncontained disgust on his face. Perhaps he should have gone with the mines... Vaan came up to him.
"Still wanna cross this?" he asked. "Don't know about you, but I'm not too fond of walking through questionable liquids."
"It's water. There's nothing questionable about that." Despite being the one to say it, Mateus didn't look that confident.
"Uhh, Your Majesty," Zidane said. "Water isn't purple. And it doesn't bubble like that for no reason."
"Nonsense. It's fine." Mateus looked back over the water. "We won't need to touch the water. I'm sure there's a way to cross this." He spotted one of the little patches of land and pointed. "Those, for instance. They could provide footing for us."
As the final word left his mouth, a giant bird came to perch on the land. It sat just a few seconds before flying up with a startled cry. The ground beneath it had sank into the boiling purple water. They could only stare as the majestic bird of prey transformed into a hideous, demonic thing. They turned their gazes back to the water.
"Yeah... not going anywhere near that," Tidus said.
"Perhaps we should just try the mines." Vaan's suggestion was seemingly ignored. Mateus stood a few moments longer before turning.
"Very well. It's better than risking that." Mateus gestured to the monstrosity.
Zidane sighed. "Then we better get moving. The mines only have a few entrances, and most of those are being guarded by soldiers. I know of one, but it's a few days away. And we'll have to return to Bevelle before we actually head for the mines. Don't give me that look, Your Majesty. It's not as though we've got a deadline. Taking a few days surely can't be worse than possible death."
"Chaos and Cosmos might decide to go to all-out war with each other though." Vaan said. "Everyone else will get caught up in their battle, forced to fight for one side or the other, and everything'll be destroyed. That could happen with or without Mateus."
"Then maybe we should just go to Palamecia. We can come up with something on the way. Hopefully, the world won't be destroyed and Mateus chooses the right god to side with."
Mateus started leaving. He wasn't sure he wanted to be part of this anymore. Not with everyone trying to abduct him and pass him off to someone else for money. As Zidane just pointed out, he'd have to choose one side or another as well. For all he knew, his plan would fail and he'd be stuck working as an agent for one of the gods.
"Mateus? You okay?" Vaan asked. He came up behind Mateus, laying a hand on his back.
"No. I'm frustrated," Mateus responded. "Everyone's trying to get their hands on me for their own gain, the gods want to use me to win their war, and I can't decide what to do. I thought I should go find those crystals, but now-"
"It's a good idea, Mateus." Vaan was holding his face, looking him in the eyes now. "You just want another choice. Everyone always wants another choice."
"But the crystals might not even be there. Or they will be but we won't be able to have them. If that happens, then..."
"Then we'll just take them." Vaan gave him a smile. "You've got two thieves and the son of a bandit on your side. Those crystals are as good as ours."
Mateus stared at Vaan. The expression of loss was prevalent in his eyes.
"What if they're not even there? We would've done all this for nothing. The man was a lunatic, after all. He could've been-"
Vaan raised his hand and brought it across Mateus's face. A light pink covered the cheek that had been hit.
"Don't talk like that," Vaan scolded. "Even if they don't exist, we'll think of something." Hands on both sides of his face, Vaan pulled Mateus closer to himself. After a light kiss on the stinging mark, Vaan pulled away. "I won't let you be used like that Mateus. The gods'll have to find someone else win their war if that's the case."
Zidane and Tidus looked at each other, but didn't say anything. That was a half-subtle admission of love if they'd ever heard one.
"Now I'm in love with him?" Vaan yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"
"I thought it was fine," Tifa said. "Now let me see..." She picked up the pencil and brought it to her lips. As she thought, she tapped the pencil.
A few days had passed since the swamp. The group had just arrived at one of the many entrances to the mines. They stood staring at the boards for a good few minutes.
"So, which entrance are we at?" Tidus asked.
All eyes on him, Zidane moved forward. Laying his hands on one of the boards, he leaned between two of them. Peering downward, Zidane tried to get a good grasp on their location. A slanted corridor led down from the boarded doorway. Obviously, none of the small lights lining the hall were on. Zidane doubted they would turn on even if they tried. Pulling back, he spoke to the others.
"It's not an entrance I'm used to," he said. "But if we follow it a little ways, I'll get my bearings."
Zidane slipped between the two boards and turned. Tidus followed with Vaan shortly behind him. Mateus looked appalled at the idea.
"There has got to be another way in there," he said. "If you think I'm bending over and squeezing myself between those boards, you are out of your minds."
"The open entrances have gates, Your Majesty," Zidane said. "It's either through here or the swamp. And since we took the last few days getting here and finding this entrance without getting caught, I suggest you use it."
Mateus fidgeted looking at the boards.
"It's not as if you're fat," Tidus said. "There's no reason why you can't fit through there."
With an exaggerated sigh, Vaan moved over to the boards. Reaching between them, he grabbed Mateus's hand. With a yank, he forced Mateus to stumble over to the entrance. The mage hit his head on one of the boards.
"Get through here, or so help me I'll-"
"All right, all right." The moment Vaan released his hand, Mateus bent down. Delicately, he slipped first one hand through, then the other. Pulling himself forward, he soon stood with everyone else.
"Wasn't so hard, was it?" Vaan grabbed his hand once again. The group started down the corridor.
Mateus wasn't certain what to make of Vaan leading him by the hand. On one side, he enjoyed having the other's hand there. On the other, he wasn't a child that needed to be led everywhere.
"I'm holding your hand so you don't manage to get yourself lost," Vaan stated. "I've come too far for you to get lost in some mine where we can't find you."
"You would be able to find me."
"Actually, these corridors turn into a maze once we get farther in," Zidane spoke up. "So, it would be easy for you to get lost. Knowing your luck, you'd end up kidnapped again. Or killed."
