Breaks might be taken from this to work on my big collaboration, but fear not, the updates will continue.
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Darkness Falls
Chapter 19: A Light To Light The Way
Rikku stared at the entrance to the cave nervously. She hated caves, and this one was sure to be full of nasty, smelly, evil fiends. And there was also the fact that those same fiends seemed to be actually quite friendly now. It freaked her out.
Auron glanced across at Rikku. He walked across to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped away from him as if he was made of acid. She saw it was him and the look of relief on her face was touching.
"Auron! Don't sneak up on me like that!" she scolded him.
"I apologise. Are you alright?"
She looked back at the cave entrance. "What's in there anyway?" she asked.
"An old Fayth, that was stolen from its temple and left here," he said. "Legend has it that the Fayth itself became bored of life in the temple and one day simply got up and left." Rikku giggled. "What?" he asked.
"You sound like Maechen," she said.
Auron chuckled slightly. "Then kill me now."
Across from them, Yuna stood back up. "We're going to get it," she said, and then looked across at Lulu. "If that's alright with you?" she asked.
The Black Mage nodded. "I got over her death a long time ago," she said.
Tidus looked across at Wakka. "What?" he asked, puzzled.
"Her first summoner died here," he replied, looking at the woman, who was just staring at the cave.
Suddenly Lulu walked into the cave. Yuna looked up, hen quickly ran in after her. The other soon followed, not wanting to be left behind. Auron gestured to Rikku, and she ran in last, following him.
The first thing she thought when she walked in was; where are the lights? The whole place seemed to be illuminated with some sort of lighting system which made the place seem as bright as day.
Lulu caught her looking around and whispered to her. "The crystals reflect light from outside into all the corners of the cave."
Now that her eyesight was adjusting to the occasional glare, Rikku could e that dotted along the walls were large lumps of crystal that seemed to glow. She whistled in awe and kept walking, aware that Auron was just in front of her.
They came into a large cavern that literally glowed with radiance from the crystals, and Rikku had to squint to see in front of her. That was why she didn't see the creature until she was right on top of it.
She stumbled against something and fell forwards. She heard a quiet thump behind her as something else also fell down. She rubbed her head where she had hit her it on the ground and turned around to see the rock she had tripped over.
At first glance, it looked slightly like a rock. Then it turned around, and Rikku was that it was a fiend. Only it couldn't have been, it was far too cute. It was small and green, wearing what appeared to be a small potato sack. It was holding a lantern in the other and a small knife in the other, like a butcher's knife, only smaller. She leaped back up and away from it, anticipating a possible attack. Instead it also rubbed the back of its head, then looked at Rikku. She saw it had small all-yellow eyes. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, then the small creature shook it's fist at her.
Rikku blinked in surprise. Then she decided what the hell…
"Sorry about that," she told the small green fiend.
In answer, it shrugged and brushed the dirt from its small robe.
"You OK?" she asked. The thing nodded its head, and then began to waddle off. Rikku waved, and it waved back before disappearing into the shadows. Rikku watched it go, and then turned around to meet the gazes of the others.
"I'm not even going to ask," Wakka said, then turned and kept walking. Lulu also turned and followed, but not before giving Rikku a look that said; you and me are going to talk, real soon.
Yuna walked up to Rikku and stared at her. 'Rikku…?' she began.
"I think we should continue" Auron said, putting his hand on Rikku's shoulder. Yuna looked from Auron to Rikku, then back again. Are you sure?
Rikku nodded. Later. I promise.
Yuna also nodded, then smiled weakly and walked on Tidus falling into step next to her.
Auron looked at Rikku. "They suspect," he said simply. "You're going to have to tell them. And your father."
Rikku instantly swung her head around to look at him. "I don't want to. Why can't I just stay like I am?" she pleaded.
Auron shook his head. "Haven't you noticed? Talking fiends, speaking back to them. Rikku, something is happening to you."
Rikku and Auron began to walk while they talked to avoid falling too far behind. "Rikku, you cannot pretend this is happening," Auron told her quietly.
"But I want to. I'm scared Auron," she replied.
Lulu glanced behind her at the pair, watching them talk and straining to try and hear. No luck. She felt a tap on her arm and turned to see Yuna smiling at her.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you eavesdropping is rude?" she said.
Lulu frowned. "I know, but I'd give my place in the Farplane to know how she does that trick," she said.
Yuna giggled. Seeing Lulu when she wanted to know something was more fun than hiding secrets. She always wanted to know them. To be honest though, she wanted to know just as much.
Auron linked hands with Rikku. "I'm here. You don't have to be afraid."
Rikku gripped back, and Auron winced when his hand was nearly crushed. She wasn't that strong, was she?
The group continued walking until they reached another cavern. This time Rikku shielded her eyes. She looked at the ground to avoid hitting any more small green fiends, so instead of tripping she walked straight into Khimari. She looked up at the Ronso, but he was looking at something in front of him, and he had his halberd drawn. She drew her own weapon and squinted around at the scenery, trying to see. She gave up after about a minute, and reached into her pouch. She carefully drew a small packet of explosives she had been carrying in a padded container and mixed them into a small grenade.
"Guys! Heads up!" she shouted, and hurled the grenade into the centre of the room. Three seconds later it went off, and Rikku coughed as dust was thrown from the floor and went into her lungs. It also had the effect of covering some of the crystals, and the room went into a perpetual twilight. Rikku relaxed her eyes and stared around.
"Thank you Rikku. Now we're nice and dusty, and I never did like my eyebrows anyway," Wakka said angrily. The others all looked around to where a very put-upon and very eyebrow-less Wakka was standing glaring at the Al Bhed. They all burst out laughing. "Very funny guys! Next time why don't you… whoa!"
The other immediately stopped laughing as a ghostly figure appeared right behind Wakka and put a hand on his shoulder. He shivered and jumped forward away from its grasp. He rolled and came up facing the pale figure. "A fiend?" he asked.
"No, an Unsent," came the reply from Khimari.
Rikku shivered at the word. Unsent. Dead. Not alive. She backed off a few steps and stood so Auron was between her and the spectre. Auron noticed and did not move.
"Are you OK?" he asked.
"I'll be fine when that thing leaves," Rikku said, and then stopped when she realised she had called an Unsent a thing.
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"That was the stupidest Aeon I ever fought," Tidus said.
"It's the only Aeon you ever fought," Lulu replied.
"Yeah, but why bother getting his dog to bite our ankles when he had that huge sword?" he asked.
"Maybe he gets tired easily? That hat must weigh a ton," Wakka pitched in.
"She," Tidus corrected.
"What? What makes you say that?" Wakka enquired.
"She was wearing platforms!" Tidus argued.
"High shoes do not a woman make." Rikku said sagely. The others looked around at her. "What!? I bet plenty of woman wear normal shoes as well!" she said, pointing at her own boots. "Right Lulu?"
"Don't ask, no-one's ever seen if Lulu even wears shoes," Wakka mock whispered. In answer a rock whizzed by his head. "Sorry Lu!" he shouted. Lulu glared at him and went back to staring at the others. Tidus looked sceptical, but stayed quiet.
Suddenly the glyph on the floor glowed, and Yuna appeared. She looked very put-upon.
"Hey Yuna, what took so long?" Wakka asked, then stopped when she saw the look on her face.
"He wanted paying," Yuna said, finding a moderately clean rock and sitting on it.
"How much?" Tidus asked, taking a gulp of water. Foolish boy.
"Two hundred thousand," she said crossly.
Tidus sprayed out the water he had just swallowed and coughed. "Whoa!" Even he hadn't got paid that much when he had joined the Abes.
"How much money do we have left?" Auron asked.
"About sixty thousand," Yuna replied.
"It is enough," Auron said, and stood up. The others groaned slightly, but followed his lead and started to head out. The thought of sunlight and air after this damn cavern was enough to get them out without convincing anyway.
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"What do you mean lost?" Lulu said testily.
Tidus looked at her and spread his arms. "We came in this way!" he said.
Lulu advanced upon him. "Well if we had we would have been out by now," she said. Tidus backed away until he was against the wall.
"Erm, sorry?" he said. The others groaned.
Rikku lay back against the opposite wall and watched as the others contemplated torturing the boy. Auron followed suit and the two watched the show.
"He was always terrible at directions, trouble was, he didn't know that," Auron said quietly.
"And you let him lead us in?" Rikku asked.
Auron shrugged. "A momentary lapse of sanity."
Rikku sighed and closed her eyes against the wall. Personally she didn't have much of a problem with darkness. It was just being alone in it that got to her.
She heard a small noise and opened her eyes. She frowned when she heard it again, like a loose sandal flopping around on the sand… She looked around for the source of the noise, and she a small flame. She frowned, then recognised it for what it was. She tapped Auron on the shoulder and pointed down at it. He stared for a few seconds, and then drew his sword.
Hold on… Without thinking, she walked past the man and approached the small green creature she had met earlier. It saw her approach and turned to face her. She bent down near it.
"Do you know how to get out of here?" she asked it.
The others all instantly stopped shouting at Tidus and looked across at her, wondering whom she was addressing. When they saw it was the Tonberry, reactions varied. Tidus just looked relieved he wasn't going to be hung there and then.
The creature nodded. "Can you show us?" Rikku asked. It nodded again, and began to walk down the corridor. Rikku turned back to the others. "Well, come on!" she shouted, and walked after it.
Wakka looked at Lulu. "And we should do so… why?" he asked. Auron suddenly got up from his place against the wall and started after her.
He glanced back at the others. "I assume you want to get out of here?" he said, and walked off after Rikku.
As if on cue, the others all sighed, shrugged, and ran after the two.
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Rikku stared up at the sun and breathed a deep breath of dust free air. She turned back to the small creature and waved. "Thanks!" she said. The fiend waved and walked back into the cave, passing the others as they ran out. They stopped and stared at her, but she refused to turn around to meet their gaze. Her mind was racing. Make something up, anything up. Say anything but the truth.
"Rikku…?' Wakka begun.
"I can talk to fiends, alright?" she said quickly. Niiice going girl, that was real smooth. She thought to herself.
To her surprise, the others took this entirely in their stride.
"Is that it?" Tidus asked.
Rikku turned around to look at them. "What did you think it was?" she asked, curious now she seemed to be out of trouble.
He shrugged "I dunno, something sinister I suppose."
Lulu seemed more serious though. "Why didn't you just say that before?" she asked.
"I was afraid of what you would think," Rikku said, which was true enough anyway.
"Well, I think it's pretty cool," Tidus chirped. "Saved us some trouble a few times."
Auron suddenly spoke up. "We should be going," he said.
The others all nodded. Rikku was silently relieved. Her improvisation was about used up, and she hated lying to them like that.
Auron fell into step next to her as she walked. "Very good, slightly obscure though, I wouldn't bring attention to it again," he said.
Rikku hit him on the arm. "Very funny. It was the best I could do on short notice," she said. Auron smiled slightly in acceptance.
"You should still tell them. It will only be harder the longer you delay," he said.
"OK OK! I'll think about it!" she said.
As they walked Rikku became aware that it was becoming colder. She shivered slightly and looked up at the cave (?) they were approaching. Then she looked above it.
"Erm, Auron?" she asked.
"Yes?" he replied.
"You wouldn't happen to have a spare coat would you?" she asked, as she stared at the snowstorm raging on Mount Gagazet.
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One day I might do a fic about Tonberries if there are any types that haven't already been done. I love those guys. So small, yet so evil.
