Standard Disclaimers apply.
===============================================================
Chaos of Seven
Chapter ten
By; Kissa-chan
Pre-chapter notes; I just wanted to explain why I don't always answer questions right after they are asked. The thing is, I only have access to the internet once or twice a week. That means that I can't see what's being reviewed until I'm putting up the story. Since it's already been saved, all I can do is upload.
So, if you need an answer or are confused, be patient, I'll do my best to answer your questions as soon as I can.
Regards,
Kissa-chan
===============================================================
Tidus, Paine, Yuna, and Cid raced through the Trials as fast as they could. Somewhere inside was Rikku - pregnant and alone fighting against someone that had beaten all of them effortlessly.
They weren't sure how much help they could be; however, none of them was willing to hesitate in the least. She was a friend to two of them, a daughter to one, and a cousin to the remaining one. There was no way that any of them was going to back down.
"Hold on, Rikku. We're coming!" Cid growled under his breath. "Even if you did make a stupid mistake."
===============================================================
They landed in a heap, seven sets of tangled legs and arms - six of them female and similar in shape and design, the remaining set male. Shuyin and Rikku ended up at the bottom.
"Get off!" Rikk's voice came from somewhere in the pile.
"You first! You're on top of me!" Rikki retorted instantly.
"Actually... that might be me," Rikku-sama answered.
"I don't care who's on top of who. Just. Get. OFF!" Rikk said forcefully.
"G-g-girls," Rikku-chan called out. "Is Shuyin all right?" She hiccuped lightly, smashed between a couple of her duplicates.
"Probably not!" Rikku called out. "He's being turned into a pancake, you know."
"Technically... that's impossible," Rikku-sama said, shifting slightly on top of the tangled mass; or rather, as close to the top as possible.
"You just touched my breasts," Rikki said with a giggle.
"You are such a pervert," Rikk said coldly in what she hoped was the right direction.
"Whatever," Rikki answered. "Just keep in mind that you're the one touching my cute butt!" She giggled as Rikk cursed and jerked her hand away. "Oooh, now you're probably touching someone else inappropriately!"
"SHUT-UP!" Rikku shouted loudly before any responses could be made. Shocked at her outburst, the others fell silent. "Rikku-chan?" she called out in a questioning tone once she was sure everyone was listening.
"H-hai?" came the hiccuped voice.
"Rikku-sama? You're here too, right?" Rikku questioned.
"Yes," Rikku-sama answered.
"Rikk? Rikki?"
"We're both here and entangled in the bonds off -"
"Rikki, if you finish that sentence, I will finish you," Rikk warned.
"Shut-up!" Rikku said forcefully again. "Ri?" she called out. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "Does anyone know if Ri is here? She was unconscious when we left."
Rikku-sama pulled out of the pile and checked everyone over quickly. "She's here, but it doesn't look like Rikku-san is."
"Too lazy to go through the portal?" Rikk asked. "Or did..." her voice trailed off. "What happened after we left?" She stood up, offering her hand to Rikki and then moving it at the last second.
Rikki got up disgruntled after falling back down. "Akira..." she murmured their enemy's name.
"Ri is with me, but she's out cold still and on top of me... so I... can't get up," Rikku-chan announced.
Rikk nodded her head slightly and picked the unconscious girl off of the crying one. "Rikku-sama, any ideas on what's wrong with her?"
"Not really, I can try a Scan," she offered. She closed her eyes, letting Ri's data flow through her mind. "There's nothing solid," she said after a moment. "The data says that she's at full life and suffering from no status aliments; that can't be right."
All five awake girls fell silent, turning the problem over in their minds.
"Rikku... could you please get off me now?" Shuyin asked into the silence that developed. He gave a weak push that alerted the Al Bhed to what she was resting on.
"Heh, heh... sorry," she said, getting to her feet sheepishly.
Rikku-chan knelt down beside him, helping him sit up. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, tears shimmering slightly.
He nodded and winced. "Yeah, barely... How is she?" He tilted his head towards Ri.
"Don't know," Rikki answered, readjusting her top a little bit.
"How about the other girl... the one left behind? Is there any news on her?" he asked.
"We call her 'Rikku-san' and I'm sure that she's just fine," Rikku said flippantly. She smiled brightly, but her stomach had started churning unpleasantly as soon as she realized that they were short a member.
"We're the same person, right?" Rikku-sama called out. "So... if one of us dies... will the rest of us die too?"
================================================================
Akira smirked at Rikku-san, confident in his victory. She was worn out - probably from battling whatever had melted the stones of Kilika Temple. Alone, there was no way that she would be able to stand against him. That coupled with the fact that he was unbeatable and she seemed to be a lazy version of his 'Midori'.
Rikku-san saw his smirk and winced mentally. He was clearly in the better position right now.
"I am curious... before I kill you, that is - who got you pregnant," Akira mused, swinging his blades toward her with reckless abandon.
Rikku-san took the hits, programming a healing course into her L-Crusher. "That again..." she murmured in disbelief. "Gippal you idiot! Look what you've done!"
"Gippal?" Akira inquired? "I'll have to pay him back... later, of course." He smirked again and vanished from her sight for the briefest of moments.
Rikku-san froze, feeling his blades actually digging into her back. "I thought you need me alive," she rasped, stalling for time. She needed to come up with some sort of plan. The others... wherever they were... were counting on her to stop Akira or at least put a nice sized chink in him. They wouldn't be very happy if she just got herself killed.
"I only need one version of you," Akira answered smoothly. "The little sweet Midori in white."
Rikku-san felt the L-Crusher's healing wash over her and programmed another healing spell for it. For herself, she selected an attack and hoped for the best. Akira seemed to be talking at the moment; which was buying her a bit of time.
"Soon... I will live again."
'Over my dead body!' Rikku-san thought silently. 'Or rather... hopefully not.'
Everything went fuzzy for a moment, killing her train of thought. A voice that she didn't recognize said, "Make him think he needs you alive." Then it was back to normal and Akira was attacking, a look of death gracing his black and gold eyes speaking only of her death.
"Spherechange!" she shouted, catching on at the last second. She rubbed the sphere, hoping everything would work as planned. Much to her surprise, it did. She assumed the White Mage outfit just as his attack was about to hit.
Shock raced through his eyes, abandoning his death glare. He let go of both weapons, his momentum carrying him towards her faster than he could stop. He slammed into her, smashing her into the wall with bruising force.
Rikku-san was ready for him - partially. She dropped as he crashed into her, twisting her body away as much as she could. In short, he didn't have her pinned to the wall and she was ready to move.
She shot passed him in a dead run, skittering through the passage and into the Trials. The stairs approached rapidly and with them she seen a group of all to familiar faces.
"TIDUS! YUNA! DAD! PAINE! RUN!!!" she screamed, charging through them like a bullet.
Shocked to see her, they froze and running stopped being an option.
================================================================
Meanwhile somewhere else, a meeting was going down. "I thought that you said you gave the Treasure Sphere to the Gullwing, Rikku!" a man wearing a guado mask snapped at another impostor.
"I did!" came the irritated response. "She nearly killed me taking it."
"Taking it?" a woman asked coldly. "Didn't you make her pay at least? Running an organization like this isn't cheep, you know."
The man in question wilted. "I'm sorry!" he shouted, dropping to his knees. "But she was so violent."
"Violent?" the woman asked. "Hardly, I heard she's the ditzy one. Are you sure you didn't give it to Paine?"
"Yes, she had blond hair," the man said quickly. "I remember, I saw it."
"That from the man who ran into a light pole because he couldn't see out of his mask," answered another woman. "Lady Alcione, please, allow me to investigate the Gullwings failure to take the bait to our trap."
"You think you can handle it?" Lady Alcione inquired mockingly. "You are a new member... failure will mean your death."
"I understand," the woman responded, her voice soft and gentle in spite of her surroundings.
"Make her take the bait, Agent 113," the first man who had spoken ordered.
"Of course, Maester," Agent 113 answered. She bowed low and awaited any further instructions.
"Do you have any idea why they haven't struck yet?" Lady Alcione inquired.
"Of course she doesn't!" the sphere-dealer snapped. He twisted his mask, trying to get a good look at Agent 113.
"Agent 12, hold your tongue!" the nameless Maester snarled coldly.
"Yes Maester," came the response. Agent 12 bowed low to the ground - nothing like a typical bow performed to the Maesters of Yevon. There was nothing graceful about his movements, only submission and fear.
"Think about it, the so-called, 'High Summoner Yuna' has just given birth. Her cousin, the former Guardian, Rikku is pregnant. The warrior, Paine, is engaged to the so-called Praetor of New Yevon -" Agent 113 started to explain.
"Get to the point and speak not the name of the infidel who dares mock the name Yevon with his falsities!" the Maester snapped.
"They're getting soft," came the response. "Love -"
"Hah! Pointless!"
Lady Alcione snickered. "Love... causes the most fun. Agent 113, wouldn't you agree? It is, after all what brought the downfall of the Songstress Lenne and that fool of a blitzer, Shuyin."
"My Lady," Agent 113 agreed, inclining her head slightly. She hid a small, sad smile, knowing how much Alcione had tried to destroy her relationship with the blitzer named Shuyin...
"Enough idle talk," Maester announced. "Agent 113, you will bring the Gullwings into our trap. No more mistake will be made. The Fayth of the Summoner Midori will be called; and with her soul, Sin will rise."
Agent 113 didn't answer. How could she? Sin's revival wasn't going to happen if she could help it... the problem for Lenne was simple... she couldn't.
================================================================
Akira crossed his arms and began to laugh. "You're all still alive!" he chuckled. "That. I. Find. Most. Annoying." With each word, his voice became colder and colder. "Are any of you known as 'Gippal'?" he snarled darkly, readying himself to kill them all once more. Only this time he would make sure the job was finished properly.
"No!" Tidus answered with false bravado. Truthfully, he was more than a little nervous at the prospect of fighting Akira again.
For his part, Akira spotted him and sighed with exasperation. "To kill you last time, I betrayed your plans of escape with Lenne. This time I will do it personally and make sure you don't come back!"
Tidus blinked in surprise.
"He's not Shuyin!" Yuna shouted, catching his meaning nearly instantaneously.
Akira shot her a dirty look. "And that pretty Summoner standing beside you in the white isn't Midori, right? Changing your names won't make me be nicer. In fact, it pisses me off."
"It is Rikku," Rikku-san said, letting her breath out. She felt the effects of Ether and glanced at Paine gratefully. "When we get out of this, I'll explain everything."
"Good to know," Paine answered, bracing herself for an attack. "Let's just win though."
Akira closed his eyes and began laughing. Beneath their feet the stones started shaking. "Midori understands what I'm doing," he called out after a moment. "It's a form of Summoning that doesn't use a Fayth."
"Any idea what he's up to?" Yuna asked.
Rikku-san shook her head. "No idea."
"He's using a 'Summon Materia' unless I completely miss my guess," came the answer.
"What do you mean, Cid?" Paine asked. "What the hell is 'Materia'?"
"You'd have to ask him... he's the one that used it. Damn bastard. The main point is that it's like an Aeon."
"Which one?" Yuna demanded, fear tingeing her words.
Moments later, a gigantic Spirit appeared in the room, smashing through the ceiling as it rose to it's full height.
Amongst the falling stones, Paine cursed. "Bahumet."
"Looks like it!" Tidus shouted.
With a devastating Mega-Flare, Bahumet brought Kilika Temple's shaking to a peak. Moments later, Akira reappeared, having had vanished to unleash his 'Aeon'. Catching a glimmer of the thunder lit sky, he sprang straight up, vanishing from sight.
Those left in the underground Cloister were less fortunate. The building was crashing down around them, cutting off any chance of escape.
Yuna gathered everyone closer together, spotting Nooj's crumpled form out of the corner of her eye. "Nooj!" she exclaimed, pointing to him.
"Leave it to me," Paine responded, hauling him to his feet.
"Paine, what a surprise," he said tightly, his voice laced with pain.
"Don't talk," Paine answered.
"Hey! Rikku, look at me while I'm talking to you!" Cid barked, drawing the small group's attention even amongst the falling stones.
Rikku-san frowned. "I'm not pregnant," she said. "We need to get out of here."
"Like hell you're not pregnant!" Cid snarled.
Rikku-san sighed heavily this time. She had just about used up her supply of energy and patience for the day. She felt a lazy-sort of impatience sweeping through her body. She had a feeling that she should be anxious about something right now, but the anxiety seemed distant. She was tired.
"How are we going to get out!" Tidus shouted.
"No daughter of mine is going to have a daughter out of wedlock!"
Rikku-san, still ignoring her father, found an answer to Tidus' question. "Brother," she said softly. She switched her comm on. "This is Rikku. Kilika Temple is collapsing around our ears. Come and pick us up."
"I'll tell Brother," Buddy's voice came over the comm.
"Roger," Rikku-san said.
"Good thinking, Paine," Shinra added. "I'll bet Rikku would have never come up with an idea like that."
Rikku-san felt brief a surge of irritation. "Fancy that! I did." She switched the comm off and cast Cure on Nooj.
"Thanks, too bad the leg's shot," Nooj said, trying for a joking tone.
"It can be fixed. Look on the bright side anyway; at least you don't have to walk anywhere. You will be carried about for a while -"
"A~HA!" Brother's voice exploded over the loudspeaker. "Here I am Kiddies! Brother to say the day!" The crimson red hull of the Celsius blocked out the pouring rain and a swaying ladder dropped into the heart of the Temple.
"Yuna, you go first!" Tidus shouted.
"No! Paine and Nooj will go first!" Yuna shot right back.
"Don't be stupid. If anything happened to you -" Tidus' words were cut off as Rikku-san acted once again... oddly.
She grabbed a hold of the ladder and tugged on it after climbing up a little ways. "Pull me up!" she shouted.
"Don't you dare run away from me!" Cid snarled. He grabbed a hold of the rope ladder and started pulling himself up to where she was.
"Eep! Mad cow!" Rikku-san gasped, forgetting for a moment that she was talking to her father. She scrambled up the ladder, keeping just ahead of him.
"Forget it, you two, go now!" Paine snapped, shoving first Yuna and then Tidus. "Get on the ladder and we can get flown away before it collapses."
"Right!" Yuna said. She climbed onto the ladder, Tidus following her.
Paine climbed up and hooked Nooj's arm through a couple of rungs. "Don't let go," she called out.
"I won't," Nooj answered.
The Celsius rose into the air, leaving the ground far behind. After a couple of moments, it became apparent that no one was climbing the ladder anymore.
"Hey! What's the hold-up!" Paine shouted.
"RIKKU WAKE UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Cid's roared demand reverberated through the air; answering the question.
================================================================
Author's notes; Yay! My writers block if offically GONE! I have to have had one of the shortest cases of it ever.
Anyway, it should be obvious that I decided to put Lenne in the story. She's Agent 113, in case anyone missed that... You can reread the part where Rikk and Ri get the Sphere Map in Chapter Four...
What else..... Oh yeah, this will eventually incorperate parts of FF 7 and 8, so the reference to materia is just leading up to that. I hope no one minds...
Next Chapter; Rikku-san made it out of the frying pan; now the rest of the Rikku-gumi have to get themselves back to civilization. Only the Tonberry's that they were captured by aren't that friendly, and they probably are going to object to their escape plans... Wait? They were captured by Tonberries? What's this about? Find out in the next chapter of CHAOS OF SEVEN!
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Chaos of Seven
Chapter ten
By; Kissa-chan
Pre-chapter notes; I just wanted to explain why I don't always answer questions right after they are asked. The thing is, I only have access to the internet once or twice a week. That means that I can't see what's being reviewed until I'm putting up the story. Since it's already been saved, all I can do is upload.
So, if you need an answer or are confused, be patient, I'll do my best to answer your questions as soon as I can.
Regards,
Kissa-chan
===============================================================
Tidus, Paine, Yuna, and Cid raced through the Trials as fast as they could. Somewhere inside was Rikku - pregnant and alone fighting against someone that had beaten all of them effortlessly.
They weren't sure how much help they could be; however, none of them was willing to hesitate in the least. She was a friend to two of them, a daughter to one, and a cousin to the remaining one. There was no way that any of them was going to back down.
"Hold on, Rikku. We're coming!" Cid growled under his breath. "Even if you did make a stupid mistake."
===============================================================
They landed in a heap, seven sets of tangled legs and arms - six of them female and similar in shape and design, the remaining set male. Shuyin and Rikku ended up at the bottom.
"Get off!" Rikk's voice came from somewhere in the pile.
"You first! You're on top of me!" Rikki retorted instantly.
"Actually... that might be me," Rikku-sama answered.
"I don't care who's on top of who. Just. Get. OFF!" Rikk said forcefully.
"G-g-girls," Rikku-chan called out. "Is Shuyin all right?" She hiccuped lightly, smashed between a couple of her duplicates.
"Probably not!" Rikku called out. "He's being turned into a pancake, you know."
"Technically... that's impossible," Rikku-sama said, shifting slightly on top of the tangled mass; or rather, as close to the top as possible.
"You just touched my breasts," Rikki said with a giggle.
"You are such a pervert," Rikk said coldly in what she hoped was the right direction.
"Whatever," Rikki answered. "Just keep in mind that you're the one touching my cute butt!" She giggled as Rikk cursed and jerked her hand away. "Oooh, now you're probably touching someone else inappropriately!"
"SHUT-UP!" Rikku shouted loudly before any responses could be made. Shocked at her outburst, the others fell silent. "Rikku-chan?" she called out in a questioning tone once she was sure everyone was listening.
"H-hai?" came the hiccuped voice.
"Rikku-sama? You're here too, right?" Rikku questioned.
"Yes," Rikku-sama answered.
"Rikk? Rikki?"
"We're both here and entangled in the bonds off -"
"Rikki, if you finish that sentence, I will finish you," Rikk warned.
"Shut-up!" Rikku said forcefully again. "Ri?" she called out. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, "Does anyone know if Ri is here? She was unconscious when we left."
Rikku-sama pulled out of the pile and checked everyone over quickly. "She's here, but it doesn't look like Rikku-san is."
"Too lazy to go through the portal?" Rikk asked. "Or did..." her voice trailed off. "What happened after we left?" She stood up, offering her hand to Rikki and then moving it at the last second.
Rikki got up disgruntled after falling back down. "Akira..." she murmured their enemy's name.
"Ri is with me, but she's out cold still and on top of me... so I... can't get up," Rikku-chan announced.
Rikk nodded her head slightly and picked the unconscious girl off of the crying one. "Rikku-sama, any ideas on what's wrong with her?"
"Not really, I can try a Scan," she offered. She closed her eyes, letting Ri's data flow through her mind. "There's nothing solid," she said after a moment. "The data says that she's at full life and suffering from no status aliments; that can't be right."
All five awake girls fell silent, turning the problem over in their minds.
"Rikku... could you please get off me now?" Shuyin asked into the silence that developed. He gave a weak push that alerted the Al Bhed to what she was resting on.
"Heh, heh... sorry," she said, getting to her feet sheepishly.
Rikku-chan knelt down beside him, helping him sit up. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, tears shimmering slightly.
He nodded and winced. "Yeah, barely... How is she?" He tilted his head towards Ri.
"Don't know," Rikki answered, readjusting her top a little bit.
"How about the other girl... the one left behind? Is there any news on her?" he asked.
"We call her 'Rikku-san' and I'm sure that she's just fine," Rikku said flippantly. She smiled brightly, but her stomach had started churning unpleasantly as soon as she realized that they were short a member.
"We're the same person, right?" Rikku-sama called out. "So... if one of us dies... will the rest of us die too?"
================================================================
Akira smirked at Rikku-san, confident in his victory. She was worn out - probably from battling whatever had melted the stones of Kilika Temple. Alone, there was no way that she would be able to stand against him. That coupled with the fact that he was unbeatable and she seemed to be a lazy version of his 'Midori'.
Rikku-san saw his smirk and winced mentally. He was clearly in the better position right now.
"I am curious... before I kill you, that is - who got you pregnant," Akira mused, swinging his blades toward her with reckless abandon.
Rikku-san took the hits, programming a healing course into her L-Crusher. "That again..." she murmured in disbelief. "Gippal you idiot! Look what you've done!"
"Gippal?" Akira inquired? "I'll have to pay him back... later, of course." He smirked again and vanished from her sight for the briefest of moments.
Rikku-san froze, feeling his blades actually digging into her back. "I thought you need me alive," she rasped, stalling for time. She needed to come up with some sort of plan. The others... wherever they were... were counting on her to stop Akira or at least put a nice sized chink in him. They wouldn't be very happy if she just got herself killed.
"I only need one version of you," Akira answered smoothly. "The little sweet Midori in white."
Rikku-san felt the L-Crusher's healing wash over her and programmed another healing spell for it. For herself, she selected an attack and hoped for the best. Akira seemed to be talking at the moment; which was buying her a bit of time.
"Soon... I will live again."
'Over my dead body!' Rikku-san thought silently. 'Or rather... hopefully not.'
Everything went fuzzy for a moment, killing her train of thought. A voice that she didn't recognize said, "Make him think he needs you alive." Then it was back to normal and Akira was attacking, a look of death gracing his black and gold eyes speaking only of her death.
"Spherechange!" she shouted, catching on at the last second. She rubbed the sphere, hoping everything would work as planned. Much to her surprise, it did. She assumed the White Mage outfit just as his attack was about to hit.
Shock raced through his eyes, abandoning his death glare. He let go of both weapons, his momentum carrying him towards her faster than he could stop. He slammed into her, smashing her into the wall with bruising force.
Rikku-san was ready for him - partially. She dropped as he crashed into her, twisting her body away as much as she could. In short, he didn't have her pinned to the wall and she was ready to move.
She shot passed him in a dead run, skittering through the passage and into the Trials. The stairs approached rapidly and with them she seen a group of all to familiar faces.
"TIDUS! YUNA! DAD! PAINE! RUN!!!" she screamed, charging through them like a bullet.
Shocked to see her, they froze and running stopped being an option.
================================================================
Meanwhile somewhere else, a meeting was going down. "I thought that you said you gave the Treasure Sphere to the Gullwing, Rikku!" a man wearing a guado mask snapped at another impostor.
"I did!" came the irritated response. "She nearly killed me taking it."
"Taking it?" a woman asked coldly. "Didn't you make her pay at least? Running an organization like this isn't cheep, you know."
The man in question wilted. "I'm sorry!" he shouted, dropping to his knees. "But she was so violent."
"Violent?" the woman asked. "Hardly, I heard she's the ditzy one. Are you sure you didn't give it to Paine?"
"Yes, she had blond hair," the man said quickly. "I remember, I saw it."
"That from the man who ran into a light pole because he couldn't see out of his mask," answered another woman. "Lady Alcione, please, allow me to investigate the Gullwings failure to take the bait to our trap."
"You think you can handle it?" Lady Alcione inquired mockingly. "You are a new member... failure will mean your death."
"I understand," the woman responded, her voice soft and gentle in spite of her surroundings.
"Make her take the bait, Agent 113," the first man who had spoken ordered.
"Of course, Maester," Agent 113 answered. She bowed low and awaited any further instructions.
"Do you have any idea why they haven't struck yet?" Lady Alcione inquired.
"Of course she doesn't!" the sphere-dealer snapped. He twisted his mask, trying to get a good look at Agent 113.
"Agent 12, hold your tongue!" the nameless Maester snarled coldly.
"Yes Maester," came the response. Agent 12 bowed low to the ground - nothing like a typical bow performed to the Maesters of Yevon. There was nothing graceful about his movements, only submission and fear.
"Think about it, the so-called, 'High Summoner Yuna' has just given birth. Her cousin, the former Guardian, Rikku is pregnant. The warrior, Paine, is engaged to the so-called Praetor of New Yevon -" Agent 113 started to explain.
"Get to the point and speak not the name of the infidel who dares mock the name Yevon with his falsities!" the Maester snapped.
"They're getting soft," came the response. "Love -"
"Hah! Pointless!"
Lady Alcione snickered. "Love... causes the most fun. Agent 113, wouldn't you agree? It is, after all what brought the downfall of the Songstress Lenne and that fool of a blitzer, Shuyin."
"My Lady," Agent 113 agreed, inclining her head slightly. She hid a small, sad smile, knowing how much Alcione had tried to destroy her relationship with the blitzer named Shuyin...
"Enough idle talk," Maester announced. "Agent 113, you will bring the Gullwings into our trap. No more mistake will be made. The Fayth of the Summoner Midori will be called; and with her soul, Sin will rise."
Agent 113 didn't answer. How could she? Sin's revival wasn't going to happen if she could help it... the problem for Lenne was simple... she couldn't.
================================================================
Akira crossed his arms and began to laugh. "You're all still alive!" he chuckled. "That. I. Find. Most. Annoying." With each word, his voice became colder and colder. "Are any of you known as 'Gippal'?" he snarled darkly, readying himself to kill them all once more. Only this time he would make sure the job was finished properly.
"No!" Tidus answered with false bravado. Truthfully, he was more than a little nervous at the prospect of fighting Akira again.
For his part, Akira spotted him and sighed with exasperation. "To kill you last time, I betrayed your plans of escape with Lenne. This time I will do it personally and make sure you don't come back!"
Tidus blinked in surprise.
"He's not Shuyin!" Yuna shouted, catching his meaning nearly instantaneously.
Akira shot her a dirty look. "And that pretty Summoner standing beside you in the white isn't Midori, right? Changing your names won't make me be nicer. In fact, it pisses me off."
"It is Rikku," Rikku-san said, letting her breath out. She felt the effects of Ether and glanced at Paine gratefully. "When we get out of this, I'll explain everything."
"Good to know," Paine answered, bracing herself for an attack. "Let's just win though."
Akira closed his eyes and began laughing. Beneath their feet the stones started shaking. "Midori understands what I'm doing," he called out after a moment. "It's a form of Summoning that doesn't use a Fayth."
"Any idea what he's up to?" Yuna asked.
Rikku-san shook her head. "No idea."
"He's using a 'Summon Materia' unless I completely miss my guess," came the answer.
"What do you mean, Cid?" Paine asked. "What the hell is 'Materia'?"
"You'd have to ask him... he's the one that used it. Damn bastard. The main point is that it's like an Aeon."
"Which one?" Yuna demanded, fear tingeing her words.
Moments later, a gigantic Spirit appeared in the room, smashing through the ceiling as it rose to it's full height.
Amongst the falling stones, Paine cursed. "Bahumet."
"Looks like it!" Tidus shouted.
With a devastating Mega-Flare, Bahumet brought Kilika Temple's shaking to a peak. Moments later, Akira reappeared, having had vanished to unleash his 'Aeon'. Catching a glimmer of the thunder lit sky, he sprang straight up, vanishing from sight.
Those left in the underground Cloister were less fortunate. The building was crashing down around them, cutting off any chance of escape.
Yuna gathered everyone closer together, spotting Nooj's crumpled form out of the corner of her eye. "Nooj!" she exclaimed, pointing to him.
"Leave it to me," Paine responded, hauling him to his feet.
"Paine, what a surprise," he said tightly, his voice laced with pain.
"Don't talk," Paine answered.
"Hey! Rikku, look at me while I'm talking to you!" Cid barked, drawing the small group's attention even amongst the falling stones.
Rikku-san frowned. "I'm not pregnant," she said. "We need to get out of here."
"Like hell you're not pregnant!" Cid snarled.
Rikku-san sighed heavily this time. She had just about used up her supply of energy and patience for the day. She felt a lazy-sort of impatience sweeping through her body. She had a feeling that she should be anxious about something right now, but the anxiety seemed distant. She was tired.
"How are we going to get out!" Tidus shouted.
"No daughter of mine is going to have a daughter out of wedlock!"
Rikku-san, still ignoring her father, found an answer to Tidus' question. "Brother," she said softly. She switched her comm on. "This is Rikku. Kilika Temple is collapsing around our ears. Come and pick us up."
"I'll tell Brother," Buddy's voice came over the comm.
"Roger," Rikku-san said.
"Good thinking, Paine," Shinra added. "I'll bet Rikku would have never come up with an idea like that."
Rikku-san felt brief a surge of irritation. "Fancy that! I did." She switched the comm off and cast Cure on Nooj.
"Thanks, too bad the leg's shot," Nooj said, trying for a joking tone.
"It can be fixed. Look on the bright side anyway; at least you don't have to walk anywhere. You will be carried about for a while -"
"A~HA!" Brother's voice exploded over the loudspeaker. "Here I am Kiddies! Brother to say the day!" The crimson red hull of the Celsius blocked out the pouring rain and a swaying ladder dropped into the heart of the Temple.
"Yuna, you go first!" Tidus shouted.
"No! Paine and Nooj will go first!" Yuna shot right back.
"Don't be stupid. If anything happened to you -" Tidus' words were cut off as Rikku-san acted once again... oddly.
She grabbed a hold of the ladder and tugged on it after climbing up a little ways. "Pull me up!" she shouted.
"Don't you dare run away from me!" Cid snarled. He grabbed a hold of the rope ladder and started pulling himself up to where she was.
"Eep! Mad cow!" Rikku-san gasped, forgetting for a moment that she was talking to her father. She scrambled up the ladder, keeping just ahead of him.
"Forget it, you two, go now!" Paine snapped, shoving first Yuna and then Tidus. "Get on the ladder and we can get flown away before it collapses."
"Right!" Yuna said. She climbed onto the ladder, Tidus following her.
Paine climbed up and hooked Nooj's arm through a couple of rungs. "Don't let go," she called out.
"I won't," Nooj answered.
The Celsius rose into the air, leaving the ground far behind. After a couple of moments, it became apparent that no one was climbing the ladder anymore.
"Hey! What's the hold-up!" Paine shouted.
"RIKKU WAKE UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" Cid's roared demand reverberated through the air; answering the question.
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Author's notes; Yay! My writers block if offically GONE! I have to have had one of the shortest cases of it ever.
Anyway, it should be obvious that I decided to put Lenne in the story. She's Agent 113, in case anyone missed that... You can reread the part where Rikk and Ri get the Sphere Map in Chapter Four...
What else..... Oh yeah, this will eventually incorperate parts of FF 7 and 8, so the reference to materia is just leading up to that. I hope no one minds...
Next Chapter; Rikku-san made it out of the frying pan; now the rest of the Rikku-gumi have to get themselves back to civilization. Only the Tonberry's that they were captured by aren't that friendly, and they probably are going to object to their escape plans... Wait? They were captured by Tonberries? What's this about? Find out in the next chapter of CHAOS OF SEVEN!