Author's note:  WOOHOO! I'm writing this on my new laptop!  Now I can use MS Word instead of Works. (my old computer really sucks) Yeah! Sorry…anyhow, again, I took a long time to update. Sorry to keep you waiting, folks.  Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 8 – The Cure for Insanity

"Aha! I found it! It's right here, Jo! I found the recipe!"  Myena called to her friend.  Joatha looked up, only to find Myena buried in a cupboard, and the kitchen was more trashed than she could have imagined. Neat little piles of recipes were strewn randomly about the floor, and it seemed like every drawer and cabinet had been flung open.

"Mye, you didn't have to make such a mess of your house to find this for me! Here, let me help you clean it all up."

"Nonsense, it was no trouble at all! You have somewhere to be. And a lover to heal!" Myena said with a wink and a grin

Joatha chuckled and rolled her eyes heavenward.

"I guess you're right. I do need to go." she said. "Wait! Why don't you come? You never know, the Bevelle guards could possibly know that I was with you. They might arrest you in the street one of these days"

"You're right." Myena said. "I think I will."

"All right, let's clean up and get going." Joatha said.

            They threw the papers and cards back into the cabinets, and Myena swept the floors. Joatha dusted off the rafters of the house, not because they had soiled the looking for a little piece of paper, but just because she was in a helpful mood. After they finished, Myena peeked out the end of the alleyway just to check if there were any guards walking down the street. When she saw none, she called back to Joatha, and they both slithered quietly onto the street and mingled with the still-active pedestrian crowds, effectively concealing themselves from all but the most observant guards. The rest of their city wandering went on without a hitch. They finally reached the city gates, and passed under the arched doorway onto the Highbridge.

"Don't look back at the guards." Joatha whispered. "They might get suspicious." She didn't even turn to look at Myena, but knew that she had elicited a quick, indiscernible nod from her. They walked slowly and tried to pretend that they were on normal business, and it seemed to be working. The two guards standing at the gates never looked right at them, and never noticed anything out of the ordinary. The sky was already beginning to turn shades of rose and orange as they passed the stone arch, and their feet finally trod over the waving blades of grass of the Calm Lands. Joatha scanned over the horizon and spotted the yellowish light of the campfire. They began to walk in the direction of the camp, and were spotted my Yuna at a distance. Yuna took off running and met them halfway.

"Joatha! Did you find it?" she said, out of breath from running.

"I ran into my friend here, and she actually had it. Of course, I almost got arrested by the constables, but I got it!" Joatha declared.

            Yuna gave her a worried look, but shook it off of her face, and said, "Come. Trau needs it, and soon. He's gotten worse."

            Joatha cringed, and followed Yuna back to the camp. Trau was lying on a cot outside, covered in a blanket.

"Quick Mye, where's the recipe?" Joatha said.

            Myena rummaged through her pockets, and pulled out the card with the list of ingredients written on the front.

"Here it is, here it is!"

            Rikku ran up and snatched it out of her hand like a rabid animal rips meat from the bone of a slaughtered carcass.

"Come on, stop standing around! He needs help!" Rikku said. She sauntered back to the center of the camp and re-started the fire. She went in and out of the various belongings strewn around, looking for the ingredients. She gathered and rummaged and scraped up everything on the card at a furious speed, while everyone else just stared in amazement. All required ingredients were soon in a little heap next to the fire, and a pot suspended over it. Rikku got up and handed the card to Joatha.

"Read it off to me." Rikku told her.

            Joatha followed Rikku back to the fire, and in a slow, determined voice, she elaborated on the steps, one by one. Rikku dropped some very strange things in the now-boiling water, including two electro-marbles.

"I guess that's why it was so tangy, you know?" Rikku said with a wry smile, recalling the time when she had taken a draft of the foul substance. "Ugh…even so, I can't understand how he actually likes this. It smells nasty!" she added, wrinkling her nose at the rising purple smoke.

"Oh well, look at us now. Here we are, making it for him. But it's going to help." Joatha said.

"You're sure about that?" Auron asked.

"There's not much else we can do, Sir Auron." Yuna pointed out.

"Hmph." Auron grunted in assent.

"I think it's done." Rikku said to herself while her face was hovering over the brownish liquid.

"I guess we can give it a try anyway." Joatha said, a little uncertainly.

            Rikku dipped a mug into the pot and carried it over to Trau. She bent over him and poured some of the brown ale into his mouth. Rikku fell over with surprise when he popped up into a sitting position as quick as a rubber band rebounds and started coughing violently.

"Whoo! That's the stuff!" he said after he had nearly blown gray matter out of his mouth.

            Rikku's face shone like a new star, and she jumped up and threw her arms around him. Yuna only cringed as she watched Rikku, remembering the conversation that she had with Joatha before she had left for Bevelle.

Flashback: Yuna

"So you really do love him?" Yuna asked.

"Yes. I really couldn't help it. He just…" Joatha stuttered.

"No. Don't try to explain it." Yuna said with a warm smile.

End Flashback

            Trau laughed and wrapped his own arms around Rikku. Yuna looked at Joatha, who just closed her eyes and turned away, her face scrunched up.

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Hahahaha! How'd everyone like this chappie?! Please review!