Chapter 7
{Note: I'm speechless.}
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A young man, no older than 16, appeared before them.
"(THAT'S Lord Uzuki?!?!)" Yuna thought with extreme surprise.
"Is there something wrong Miss?" Uzuki asked her with an amused look on his face.
"Um...Are you Lord Uzuki?" she questioned.
"You can call me Sage, if you want"
"Whoa....." Yuna managed.
"You're not exactly what we expected." Paine added, a little startled herself.
"I get that a lot. I'm missing a couple of wrinkles and a beard, aren't I?" Sage replied with ease.
"Not to be rude or anything, but how old are you?" Lulu thought this was a joke.
"I'll turn fifty-seven next week" His smile almost reached the tips of his black hair.
"Rikku is he pulling our leg, or what?" the mage asked her, noticing that she wasn't really reacting to Uzuki's announcement.
"Nope believe it or not, he's telling you the truth" Rikku answered with a blank expression.
"But how?"
"He met my grandmother and my mother" She replied, her face still not showing anything.
"Rikku, are you alright?" Lulu was a little worried. Rikku wasn't acting like herself.
"Fine, fine" She faked a smile, "I guess I kinda spaced out"
"You sure?"
"Yeah"
Obviously sensing her distress, Sage interrupted, "Rikku, why don't you take the rest of the day off. I think you've done enough today" He gave her sympathetic smile.
"Sure, thanks" Rikku tried to sound happier, but was unsuccessful.
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"(What's wrong with her?)" Lulu thought, seeing the pain on her lover's face.
She had been like this the entire way back to the house. When Lulu or Yuna tried to start a conversation with her, she only answered with short, quick answers. Even Paine was concerned about this, but she kept her mouth shut.
"Rikku please, I hate to see you like this" Lulu pleaded, "Tell me what is wrong, please"
The blonde was staring at the ceiling of the bedroom for at least an hour. She glanced at the mage, then set her eyes back on the ceiling. Finally she spoke up.
"When I mentioned my relatives in that temple, it reminded me why I'm here" Rikku replied, her voice unwavering.
"What do they have to do with anything?" Lulu asked gently.
"They......They died trying to stop that...thing" She stuttered slightly.
"Jeitou...." The mage whispered.
"Yes" Rikku sat up, "Now I have to"
Lulu's head snapped up, "No! You can't!" She couldn't believe this.
"I'm sorry, but I'm the only one who can"
"Why can't someone else?!" Lulu wasn't giving up.
"I'm the only one who can get through that damned seal and kill it!" Rikku didn't want to have this conversation.
"Is it really worth it?" Lulu whispered.
"It's either my life or thousands of others, including me, so I say it is." Rikku sniffed lightly.
"Excuse me for a minute..." the mage left the room in a hurry, so she wouldn't see her tears.
That left Rikku alone to wallow in her own misery.
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"Is she alright?" Paine asked her, not wanting to admit that she was worried.
"I guess" Yuna gave her a smile, "I'm sure Lulu will take care of it"
"Hmm"
"Something on your mind, Paine?"
"I'm just wondering how Rikku beat me." Paine mumbled.
"How so?"
"Last time we fought, I was able to win blindfolded" the warrior was obviously confused.
"Impressive"
"Not really. She made a lot of noise, so that made it kind of easy"
"I still think it's amazing" Yuna said.
Paine blushed, "Uh....Yeah" She wasn't used to this kind of praise. She decided to change the subject. "You ready for bed?" {Note: Wow....that sounded so wrong}
"Not yet, I'll go change" Yuna picked up her clothes and moved to the bathroom to change.
"You can change here" Paine blurted, without thinking. She mentally smacked herself, "(What the HELL am I saying?!)"
"Uh...err...um...okay" Yuna sputtered, "(It won't be that bad, we're both girls. It's not like she'll check out my ass. I wish she would though. EEK what am I thinking?!)"
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{Note: I took one look at this chapter and said, "Man, this sucks".}
{Note: I'm speechless.}
_______________________________________________
A young man, no older than 16, appeared before them.
"(THAT'S Lord Uzuki?!?!)" Yuna thought with extreme surprise.
"Is there something wrong Miss?" Uzuki asked her with an amused look on his face.
"Um...Are you Lord Uzuki?" she questioned.
"You can call me Sage, if you want"
"Whoa....." Yuna managed.
"You're not exactly what we expected." Paine added, a little startled herself.
"I get that a lot. I'm missing a couple of wrinkles and a beard, aren't I?" Sage replied with ease.
"Not to be rude or anything, but how old are you?" Lulu thought this was a joke.
"I'll turn fifty-seven next week" His smile almost reached the tips of his black hair.
"Rikku is he pulling our leg, or what?" the mage asked her, noticing that she wasn't really reacting to Uzuki's announcement.
"Nope believe it or not, he's telling you the truth" Rikku answered with a blank expression.
"But how?"
"He met my grandmother and my mother" She replied, her face still not showing anything.
"Rikku, are you alright?" Lulu was a little worried. Rikku wasn't acting like herself.
"Fine, fine" She faked a smile, "I guess I kinda spaced out"
"You sure?"
"Yeah"
Obviously sensing her distress, Sage interrupted, "Rikku, why don't you take the rest of the day off. I think you've done enough today" He gave her sympathetic smile.
"Sure, thanks" Rikku tried to sound happier, but was unsuccessful.
_______________________________________________________
"(What's wrong with her?)" Lulu thought, seeing the pain on her lover's face.
She had been like this the entire way back to the house. When Lulu or Yuna tried to start a conversation with her, she only answered with short, quick answers. Even Paine was concerned about this, but she kept her mouth shut.
"Rikku please, I hate to see you like this" Lulu pleaded, "Tell me what is wrong, please"
The blonde was staring at the ceiling of the bedroom for at least an hour. She glanced at the mage, then set her eyes back on the ceiling. Finally she spoke up.
"When I mentioned my relatives in that temple, it reminded me why I'm here" Rikku replied, her voice unwavering.
"What do they have to do with anything?" Lulu asked gently.
"They......They died trying to stop that...thing" She stuttered slightly.
"Jeitou...." The mage whispered.
"Yes" Rikku sat up, "Now I have to"
Lulu's head snapped up, "No! You can't!" She couldn't believe this.
"I'm sorry, but I'm the only one who can"
"Why can't someone else?!" Lulu wasn't giving up.
"I'm the only one who can get through that damned seal and kill it!" Rikku didn't want to have this conversation.
"Is it really worth it?" Lulu whispered.
"It's either my life or thousands of others, including me, so I say it is." Rikku sniffed lightly.
"Excuse me for a minute..." the mage left the room in a hurry, so she wouldn't see her tears.
That left Rikku alone to wallow in her own misery.
________________________________________________
"Is she alright?" Paine asked her, not wanting to admit that she was worried.
"I guess" Yuna gave her a smile, "I'm sure Lulu will take care of it"
"Hmm"
"Something on your mind, Paine?"
"I'm just wondering how Rikku beat me." Paine mumbled.
"How so?"
"Last time we fought, I was able to win blindfolded" the warrior was obviously confused.
"Impressive"
"Not really. She made a lot of noise, so that made it kind of easy"
"I still think it's amazing" Yuna said.
Paine blushed, "Uh....Yeah" She wasn't used to this kind of praise. She decided to change the subject. "You ready for bed?" {Note: Wow....that sounded so wrong}
"Not yet, I'll go change" Yuna picked up her clothes and moved to the bathroom to change.
"You can change here" Paine blurted, without thinking. She mentally smacked herself, "(What the HELL am I saying?!)"
"Uh...err...um...okay" Yuna sputtered, "(It won't be that bad, we're both girls. It's not like she'll check out my ass. I wish she would though. EEK what am I thinking?!)"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{Note: I took one look at this chapter and said, "Man, this sucks".}