Chapter Twenty One: Kimahri Gets His Pride Back
Amanda's Ramble:
Amanda: I'm really not giving you guys any time to review, am I?
Auron: *once again disheveled and smoking a cigarette* Who cares? I've been entertained.
Amanda: *shoots Auron a dirty look* Right. Mr. One-Minute-Man.
Auron: *looks scandalized*
Amanda: Should I tell everyone about how your big sword is compensation for you extremely little-
Auron: Okay! Okay! On to the reviewers, woman!
TheBlackRaveness: Dammit, woman, Auron is mine! I own that sexy little ass. Glad you liked the chapter, though. Oh, and before I forget. Try that chocolate syrup. Drives Auron mad.
Era Yachi: And just exactly what will you do to Auron if he leaves? He'll be in the Farplane. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with him yet. I guess we'll all have to wait until I get there.
Amanda: Okay, that's about it for now.
Auron: Did you have to tell that crazy woman about the chocolate syrup? *once again looks scandalized*
Amanda: Yep.
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They had been stopped by the Ronso, and Kelk Ronso was questioning Yuna, but Ophelia paid no attention at all to what was being said. Instead, she stared up the mountain path, inwardly groaning. If there was one thing she hated more than being in water, it was heights, and this time there was no quickie way around it.
Kelk Ronso made a big fuss over whatever Yuna had said to him, and moved aside to let them pass. Ophelia moved along with the others, digging in the pack Auron had slung over his shoulder, finally locating her strategy guide. She flipped through it and found the page she was looking for, scanning it quickly before nodding to herself and putting back into the pack, much to Auron's dismay. After all, her tugging and pulling was pulling him deeper into the thick snow.
Out of nowhere, two very large Ronso jumped off a craggy ledge above and barred the path crossing their arms. Yuna stopped and gave them icy glares, the first Ophelia had ever seen her younger sister use.
"We have permission to move up the mountain!"
The larger one nodded. "Summoner may pass. Guardians may pass. Kimahri may not pass."
Ophelia felt anger flood through her and pushed her way to the front, knocking over Rikku and Tidus. "Hey, you big bully. Kimahri comes whether you like it or not. He's a guardian."
"Kimahri little Ronso, like you little woman. Kimahri must prove he is strong Ronso. Sacred Mount Gagazet devour the weak."
"Well!" Ophelia brandished her staff. "I'll show you weak, pal." She began to summon, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Kimahri must fight. Kimahri must win." With that, the large blue cat-man stepped forward, and the other two followed him to a clearing.
Ophelia watched on pins and needles as the battle began. Kimahri raised his lance and struck the larger of the two, with yellow overlaying the blue of his fur, letting out a sound of guttural rage. The smaller of the two rushed him, so that they were on either side of him and blew hot fire at the Ronso guardian. Kimahri howled in rage and pain, and quickly pole-vaulted with his staff onto the one who'd breathed fire, wounding him greatly. Blood now stained the pristine white snow.
The large laughed and threw a few derisive names at Kimahri, who gritted his teeth and rushed the larger cat, his lance cutting deeply into the flesh of his shoulder. The larger howled as Kimahri had, and the other rushed forward and bulldozed Kimahri again, almost knocking him off of his feet.
The battle raged on like this for what seemed like hours, until both of the larger Ronso lie panting and bloody on the snow. Kimahri was hunched over, nursing a deep wound to his abdomen, and Ophelia quickly threw a healing spell at him, unable to see him suffer so. He straightened and glared down at the two still panting and bleeding, as if awaiting something.
Finally, the larger stumbled to his feet, and Kimahri handed him a couple of healing potions. The larger Ronso took them, and then Yellow Fur walked to the edge of the ledge and held up his arms.
"Sacred Mount Gagazet. Know the one who defeated me this day. Let you forever honor that warrior. His name is Kimahri," he cried. Ophelia looked wide-eyed as Kimahri bowed his head a moment.
Yellow Fur turned back to them and walked forward to both Ophelia and Yuna. "You are very lucky, Summoners."
"Yes." Yuna said simply, bowing. Ophelia only nodded, and the group began moving again. Ophelia moved to Kimahri, and though he protested, gave him a thorough going over, just to make sure he was okay. Satisfied, she took her place once again next to Auron and they continued up the mountain path.
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"Summoners Yuna and Ophelia!" The voice rang from above, and everyone looked up in its direction. There, once again, were the two larger Ronso. Tidus, fed up with interruptions, swung his sword in an angry gesture, his face set in a scowl.
"What do you want now?"
Without warning, the Ronso began singing the hymn of the fayth, and though it was severely off-key, Ophelia felt her eyes tear up. It was a great gesture from a proud race. When they had finished, she wiped her eyes, embarrassed.
Yellow Fur spoke once more. "We will guard from behind. Cut down those who pursue from temple. Kimahri will guide from the front. Ronso will shine your statues the brightest."
Yuna bowed once more, a sad smile set on her lips. "Thank you, but I don't think anyone will make statues for traitors such as we are."
"Then Ronso make. With great horns on foreheads."
"I would like that…Very much."
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Ophelia felt awful. O'aka was in prison because of all of the trouble she had caused. She trudged up the path with the others, glad when it finally leveled out. She didn't think she could keep going uphill much further.
They moved around a bend, and she stumbled. Auron caught her about the waist and kept his arm there for support, of which she was grateful. It had been a long tiring day. She noticed when Tidus and Rikku fell back, but said nothing, letting Auron guide her around the rock formations. They moved through the lengthening shadows, only turning back when Rikku's panicked voice reached them.
"It's Seymour!" she cried. "He's got Tidus cornered back there!"
Shaking off the weariness, Ophelia gripped her staff tighter, keeping up with the others as they ran like bats out of hell back to where they'd come from. Kimahri reached Tidus first, bellowing, "Save some for Kimahri." The others made noise of accention, and they all faced Seymour as one, circling Yuna and Ophelia.
"Yuna, Ophelia, send him!" Lulu's voice was firm, but held a tinge of panic, and they both held up their staffs, ready to send the bastard to hell.
"Allow me to say something to the last Ronso before I leave." Seymour got that crazy little smile again, and Ophelia felt a shiver move down her spine. "Yours was truly a gallant race." He chuckled insanely. "They threw themselves at me to bar my path. One after another."
"Kimahri," Ophelia whispered, her heart wrenching. Kimahri grunted but said nothing further.
"Allow this poor Ronso to be released from his pain. He is a dead breed now. Why allow him to suffer so?"
"You crazy bastard!" Ophelia charged from behind the others, her staff ready. "You're fucking nuts. Give Satan my regards."
"Very well. If you ask for death, I shall give it to you." Once again, Seymour mutated before their eyes, even bigger and weirder looking than the last time. Ophelia swallowed but stood her ground, and could almost hear the boss fight music from the game in her head. The next thing she knew, she was hit with a beam of light, and when she stood, the others gazed at her with expressions of horror. She cocked her head and looked down at herself, her jaw dropping as she did so. He'd hit her with a zombie attack, and now her flesh hung, rotting, with a green tinge, from her clearly visible bones, and she didn't even want to think what her face looked like. She quickly reached into her pouch and found a bottle of holy water, chugging it before Seymour could hit her with a life spell. Her flesh returned to normal, and she breathed a collective sigh of relief with the others.
"Damn you." Auron's voice was quiet, but deadly. He cast a hasting spell on them all, and Ophelia felt herself speed up, as if she were on a caffine high. She quickly cast Flare and Seymour grimaced in pain, turning his attention to her, leaving him vulnerable to attack. Auron and Tidus both rushed forward as Wakka threw a wicked-looking spiked blitzball at Seymour, both blades and spikes cutting deeply into his flesh. Seymour let out a noise of pain, and then Lulu and Kimahri stepped in, Lulu with a quick casting of a water spell, and Kimahri with his lance, which bit deeply into Seymour's quickly desimating flesh.
They hacked, slashed, and healed, until finally Seymour erupted into a flurry of pyreflies. Ophelia sunk to the ground, shaken, and gazed helplessly up at the others, at a loss for words.
"It's alright now. It's not permanent. You look like your normal self again," Yuna said soothingly. She patted Ophelia's shoulder, sending Auron a significant glance. The usually stoic guardian was shaken and pale, and he stumbled to where Ophelia sat on the ground, taking his place beside her and silently pulling her to him in a tight embrace. Ophelia, too stunned by everything to return it, let him do so, and it was a long time before he pulled away again. He stood and straighted, slinging his sword over his shoulder.
"Let's get moving. I want to be in Zanarkand before dark."
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The campfire blazed cheerily before them, but Ophelia didn't feel its warmth. God, what she must have looked like as a zombie…No wonder Auron grew a little pale every time he glanced at her. She must have been horrifying.
She rose from the log and moved away from the fire, to where all of there weapons were stuck into the hard soil, running a hand lightly down her staff. What now? They were in Zanarkand, which meant Yuna would obtain the Final Aeon, and Auron would be lost to her forever. She gazed up at the stars, tears blurring their pristine light, trying to bite back the sob that welled up from within. She couldn't cry. It wouldn't do.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, and glanced up, surprised, to find Auron standing next to her, his one eye scanning her face. "He would have killed you, you know," he said softly, almost on a whisper. Ophelia nodded and looked down at her hands, clasped in front of her. Auron's hand dropped from her shoulder, only to slide around her and pull her close.
"You could have died today," he whispered in her ear, softly. "You could have died, and there would have been nothing I could do to stop it."
"Does it matter that much?" she whispered back, resting her head on his shoulder, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek.
"Yes, it does." One hand tangled in her hair, while the other slid tighter around her waist, pulling her flush against him. "I have no desire to see you killed. I guess-" He broke off, pressing his face against her neck, "I guess this is the first time I realized that you are indeed mortal. I don't want anything to happen to you. Please, as a plea from a lover, not a command from a guardian, stay off the front lines, for my peace of mind. If I fall, it will be no great loss, but you-" His voice broke again and he fell silent, his face still pressed to her neck. She wrapped her arms around him and held him closer, brushing a kiss over his jaw and ear, her own thoughts tangled.
"I love you," she whispered. His arms tightened and then he lifted her up into them, moving out of the circle of light cast from the fire. When camp had become a small speck in the distance, he lowered her once more to her feet, unbuckling the waistband and wrist guard of his jacket. He spread it on the ground and drew her down with her onto it, their mouths finally meeting hungrily.
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Amanda: The end of chapter twenty one. Have fun.