And so my fic goes on...
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Darkness Falls
Chapter 7: We're Gonna Need A Bigger Can-Opener...
Rikku woke up the next day and immediately reached behind her. To her relief, she was still in a normal, nice, soft bed, and not propped up against a wall, as she seemed to have been sleeping lately. They had been here two days, waiting for Seymour's messenger to arrive. So far so boring. Though at least this way they got a break. Even Auron had stopped complaining, although Rikku suspected this was because he couldn't really do anything, not because no-one was listening.
She walked out of her room into the store to find everyone else already waiting for her, except Yuna. What is it with the inability of summoners to get up early? Must be instinct. If they got up, they would be forced to walk for miles by a certain red-coated guardian. Rikku walked over to Tidus. 'What'cha doing?' she asked. Tidus looked around at her, and it was fairly obvious he hadn't had much sleep last night, his eyes had black bags under them (So that actually happens? Rikku thought to herself) and he seemed less cheerful today.
'Nothing, just thinking,' he replied.
Not your strongest point. Although it wasn't really hers either. She yawned and went outside to stretch her legs, looking around the frozen lake. The glacier Auron had talked about must be… there… Rikku saw. Everything around here was either blue, white, or slippery. Damn climate, why couldn't they have set up a temple in Sanubia?
Because they would go and crush Home you silly girl, she answered her own question. She sniffed the air; there was a funny smell, hovering just on the edge of recognition. Something basic, but she couldn't place it. She looked back to see Clasko and his Chocobo standing outside, the young knight patting the Chocobo's side. She had heard Tidus and him talking last night, and agreed with him. The young man would make a great Chocobo-breeder. The door creaked open, and Rikku heard the long swish of Lulu's dress and belts as the woman walked into the open air. She too sniffed the air slightly. So she smelled it as well?
Tysh ed what is that stink?! Rikku wondered angrily. She pushed herself off from the doorframe and wandered closer to the lakeside.
'Mind your step,' Lulu said, unconcerned. Rikku waved back and continued walking. The day before, they had attenuated the boredom somewhat by killing every fiend in a hundred-yard circle centred on the Inn, so at least they didn't have to fear attack for now. She kneeled down and stared at the ice floe, trying to see beneath. She heard a shout, and looked upwards to see a solitary Guado figure walk towards the inn. Finally! You guys decided to show up huh? Lulu tapped on the window on the shop and Auron walked out, the older Guardian turning to look up at her before moving towards the Guado, followed by the others. Rikku watched from a distance as they talked for a few minutes. Tidus gestured towards Rikku and she waved back. Then Yuna started to walk off with the Guado, towards the temple. Suddenly the air turned acrid, and Rikku cringed and looked back towards the hill she had been climbing.
The smell was definitely stronger now, and Rikku walked farther up the hill to see whether she could locate the source. A little thought in her head was jumping up and down now for her attention, but somehow she just didn't seem able to think it. She heard a low humming sound over the hill, and walked closer to the top. She was about to mount the summit when she heard a much higher and continuous sound. Then she realised what she had smelt. Gasoline! And the sounds resolved themselves as well.
Revs!
Rikku ducked so fast her feet left the floor. As she hit the ground she felt a large shape pass over her head, and looked up to see a skimmer fly over where she had been standing. She immediately got up and ran down the hill towards the inn as fast as she could. Luckily the skimmer pilot had miscalculated his jump, and the front skis hit the snow instead of the ice, and buried themselves there, throwing the driver forward and winding him. Rikku shouted as loud as she could downwind, and at once all five of the group's head snapped upwards towards her, and saw the rider. Auron started running towards her, drawing his sword, Lulu following. The rest just slid down the cliff to the ice floe. Rikku began to run down when she felt a hand grab her leg. She turned to see the downed rider looking up at her. He looked at her in astonishment, then in relief.
'Rikku! Fryd dra ramm yna oui tuehk rana?' he asked. He was further surprised when Rikku kicked him in the chest, and his eyes went wide.
'So zup, kunny,' she replied, and ran down the rest of the way. She didn't turn around when she heard more motors fly over the hill, and she didn't stop until she reached the others. The six guardians formed a circle around Yuna and the Guado (Tromell! Rikku thought, noticing who it was), more for his benefit than hers. Auron whispered in her ear; 'Can you talk with them?' Rikku just looked at him. Don't be silly. Auron just looked back. 'Then can you translate for me?' Rikku looked surprised and nodded. Auron watched as two Al Bhed walked up to them and addressed them.
'We want the summoner,' they said through Rikku.
Auron looked nonplussed. 'You can't have her,' he said angrily.
Rikku translated for the pair. One of them took a small radio out of his pocket and spoke into it. Immediately Rikku heard the roar of a much larger engine start up, and the other riders backed off. A huge tracked machina lumbered over the hill, and even Auron gave a small grunt. Then a familiar figure ran up next to it.
'Rikku! Don't get in the way or you get this!' her first brother, Brother, shouted in Al Bhed.
Rikku just waved back sarcastically, and it devolved into a shouting match between the two. Then Brother shouted one last sentence and stormed off back down the hill.
Tidus looked across at her. 'Translation?' he asked.
'They're going to use an anti-magic field on us!' she shouted back over the noise the tank was making.
Tidus rolled his eyes in exasperation and prepared to attack.
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Rikku was exhausted. She had used practically everything in her incredibly deep pockets, save some potions and some spare emergency chaos grenades. She had considered doing the same thing with the tank she had done with the Chimera from the forest, except that she didn't really want to play scared-chocobo with a gun barrel you could climb into. Rikku watched from the side as Auron and Khimari dodged in and out of the gatling guns. She had had to explain what fields-of-fire was, but they had quickly got the hang of it, moving to positions where the guns couldn't swivel to. Wakka moved slower around the sides, throwing his ball at the hovering nullifier-thingy. Yuna and Lulu stood at the back; effectively useless as they were could not use their magic.
Rikku looked back at the battle to see the two larger guardians hammering the circuitry with their blades, the crawler unable to counterattack. Rikku heard a thin whining sound from the machina's innards, and shouted at Auron and Khimari to get out of the way. They both took the hint instantly, and ran for the nearest hill as the crew of the crawler bailed out and ran in the opposite direction. The tank exploded in a steel storm of scything parts and ammo. Rikku shielded her face with her hand and waited for the noise to die down. Then she remembered who had been piloting it. She stood up.
'Brother? Yna oui UG?' she shouted to the snow. She heard a muffled reply from a snowdrift, and Brother dislodging himself from under the small avalanche caused by the explosion of the crawler.
'Oui'ja kud hu nekrd du ycg dryd xiacdeuh cecdan!' he shouted back angrily. Then he changed back to Basic Spiran. 'What the ramm are you doing? I'll tell Father!'
Rikku turned back angrily, not noticing Wakka's glances of dawning realisation. 'Then you tell him I am Yuna's guardian now, and I'll do this thing my way!' she shouted back.
Brother waved in angry dismissal and ran off down the snowdrift. Rikku heard more engines rev up, and it was obvious that they had more skimmers there, in case of failure. Good job too. Rikku turned around to see how everyone else was doing, and was confronted by a faceful of angry Wakka. Great, just what I need...
'How do you speak Al Bhed?' he asked.
Rikku sighed. He still didn't quite get it, and she was too tired to be polite. 'Because I'm Al Bhed, alright!' she shouted back, and that seemed to shut him up for all of five seconds. Then he began ranting.
Rikku ignored him, it was predictable Yevonite drivel, and instantly disprovable by anyone with even the most basic knowledge of Al Bhed society. She turned to look at Auron, who stared back emotionlessly, he shrugged, and Rikku got the message; ignore it. She turned to look at the skimmers had left behind and saw Khimari do the same, and heard Wakka's voice behind her.
'Wait, we're not gonna use those are we?' he said.
Khimari drove off in answer, Yuna in tow. One thing about the Ronso, he didn't care what he used to get where he was going. Different peoples were a means to an end for him Wakka seemed to have a major hang-up though. Tidus got on the next speeder and gestured towards Lulu, who mounted the back, and they two sped off. Auron motioned towards one of the two remaining skimmers, and Rikku nodded and got on the back, not really feeling like driving. She looked at Wakka and raised her eyebrow, but the blitzer just stared at her balefully and began to walk towards the glacier, and the temple. Tidus shrugged, gunned the engine and rode off.
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Rikku closed her eyes as she felt the wind run across the skimmer as they sped down the glacier. She'd say this for the guy, at least he knew when to slow down. 'Do not worry about Wakka.'
She turned to look at him. 'What about Wakka?' she asked. Auron turned his head slightly, but didn't take his eyes off the path.
'His opinion comes from personal loss and prejudice only,' he replied.
'Yeah, what's his hang-up anyway?' she said.
'His brother got killed fighting Sin, fighting with an Al Bhed weapon. Wakka thinks if Chappu had fought with his own sword, he would've lived,' he said.
Rikku's eyes widened slightly at that. She hadn't known. At least it wasn't just blind hatred, like so many Yevonites bore her people. 'That's OK,' she replied, 'I'm sure he'll get over it.' He damn well owes me one for killing me! She thought. But Auron didn't need to know that. She looked over his shoulder, and saw...
'Is that a cave?' she asked. Auron didn't look round.
'Yes, The temple is within,' he said. They reached the entrance and dismounted. The others were already there waiting for them. Auron gestured to the others, Yuna having already gone ahead with the creepy Guado guy. They walked into the cavern, and Rikku gasped. So this is where they keep their temple! The thing was huge! She walked up to the edge of the walkway, being careful not to fall, and saw a solitary Al Bhed.
'What are you doing here?' she asked.
'I lost my gang. Here you go,' the woman said, and handed Rikku a potion, then ran off.
Did that make any kind of sense? No? Thought not... she thought as she watched the woman speed off on the skimmer they had abandoned at the cave entrance. She turned, and ran to catch up to the others walking up to the temple gates.
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Next, for some lovely cross-fic references!
So zup, kunny = My job, sorry.
Yna oui UG = Are you OK?
Oui'ja kud hu nekrd du ycg dryd xiacdeuh cecdan! = You've got no right to ask that sister!
ramm = hell
