Standard disclaimers apply.
================================================================
Chaos of Seven
Chapter Twelve
By; Kissa-chan
================================================================
~~~**1,000 years ago in Zanarkand**~~~
"Lady Shiroi, Lord Akira is here to see you."
The tall, handsome man standing before her bowed slightly. "My Lady," he said, his voice slipping seductively around her, causing a tingling to race along her spine.
"No need for such formalities, Akira," Shiroi giggled. She sprang out of her chair, holding out a hand. "We've known each other too long for that!"
Akira smiled warmly at her. "Yes, Shiroi. I would say that we have known each other for too long."
Shiroi smiled at him. "I love you. You know that, don't you?"
Once again, Akira smiled; this time there was nothing warm about it. "Oh yes, I know." He took her extended hand, grasping her smooth, silken fingers in a gentle embrace. "I know just how much you care," he breathed, his mouth inches away from her knuckles.
"Oh Akira," she sighed. "You're making me all... fluttery. Stop teasing me. Shall we go out?"
"Of course not," Akira answered, stepping away from her. "Have you heard the news?"
"Lord Yevon announced it this afternoon. We're at war with Bevelle," Shiroi answered. She tuck a raven strand of hair behind her ear. "But that doesn't matter."
"I meant about me and Midori," Akira said, stepping away from her.
"Midori? You mean the Summoner?"
"High Summoner," Akira corrected.
"Whatever, isn't she Jecht's daughter?" Shiroi inquired. "That does make her Shuyin's sister, you know." Her tone was light, but she was starting to feel nervous. Why was Akira bringing Midori into the mix on their wedding day?
"I won't be marrying a weakling like you," Akira said, ignoring the reference to his rival's father and his rival. He turned and walked out the door. "Midori is more suited for my needs."
"Wait!" Shiroi screamed, reaching out for him. "You can't! Please... I'll get stronger. I'll learn to fight! I can be stronger!"
Akira turned towards her disdainfully. "As if you could. Lady Shiroi, you will never in a thousand years be a match for my beloved Midori. You will always be a, Delicate. Little. Lady. Worthless to me, to Zanarkand, and to all of Spira. You're wasting air."
Shiroi dropped her knees amid a swirl of silk. "Akira," she breathed, cut by his words. She had always been a strong believer of no violence. She didn't practice anything violent.
"Just a delicate blossom. I need a tempered sword, or in Midori's case, pure power and unrivaled beauty." Akira said disdainfully. "You could never be what I need; not in power or beauty."
"I'll fight Midori... I'll win!" Shiroi murmured brokenly. "I'll win you back. That I promise."
"You will fail."
"I won't."
And then, after those determined words came the fight. Her defeat. Akira's mocking laughter. Midori's regretful smile. "Better luck next time," she'd said. "If you want, I'll help you get stronger -"
Shiroi hadn't stayed any longer. Humiliation and despair swirled around her along with Akira's obvious disdain for her. She fled, and she hadn't ended up any place good.
A little over a thousand years later had changed her. She was a harder person now, silken hands and flowing dresses a mere memory. She was a seasoned warrior now... dead for many years...
She never had any aptitude for magic, so she could never beat Midori like that. But physical skill could destroy any brand of magic. Including Summons... if the fighter was determined enough.
She had become the sword that Akira had wished for... Now all that was left was to kill Midori.
================================================================
Rikku sneezed and stopped walking. "Okay, someone is thinking bad about me!" she declared.
"Sorry," Rikku-chan apologized. I was just thinking that -"
Rikku laughed. "I don't think it was anyone close," she giggled.
"Really? And who says a sneeze is an applicable means of detecting dislike?" Rikku-sama asked superiority.
"Who says it isn't?" Rikku shot back playfully. "You gotta learn to lighten up a bit! Live life for FUN! Forget about duty and restriction -"
"And sexual boundaries!" Rikki added.
"I don't want to know what that's supposed to mean," Ri announced firmly. Several seconds later, she turned to look at Shuyin and turned beat red.
"Interesting, Ri's not only shy, she's also forgetful," Rikk pointed out.
"Seems like it," Shuyin said lightly.
"Nothing wrong with forgetting!" Rikku declared instantly, rushing to the shy girl's defense.
Shuyin took a step back, hands raised in surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it," he started to explain. Then he tripped over a large tree root directly behind him and landed on his butt.
Rikki giggle and flung herself on top of him, straddling his hips. "I like my men on their backs!" she breathed, mouth inches from his.
"Rikki!" Rikku-chan shrieked, face red, tears brimming.
"Sorry? I didn't realize that you called dibs on this stud," Rikki purred.
Ri didn't bother objecting to the sexual frisking this time. She just fainted, toppling out of sight.
"Now look," Rikk commented. "You made Ri pass out again. Hopefully she wakes up before we start moving again, or else you're carrying her."
"Uhmm, can you get off of me?" Shuyin asked. "I kinda feel uncomfortable..."
Rikki wiggled her hips a bit. "If you want me to move," she sighed. "I suppose I could."
"Yes! I want you to move!" Rikku-chan shouted.
"If it's not too much trouble," Shuyin said at the same time.
"Not at all. Like I said, I didn't realize you two were lovebirds -" Rikki started to say sweetly.
"Hey, there's a temple ahead!" Rikku exclaimed.
"Which one?" Rikk asked, hefting Ri and slapping her lightly to wake her up.
"Looks like... Well, how the hell should I know?" Rikku amended when she realized she didn't have an answer. "It's glowing white and has glass doors - sound familiar?"
"Vaguely," Shuyin said from the ground underneath Rikki.
"Nope!" Rikki said, bouncing slightly, still on top of Shuyin.
"Of course I haven't heard of it." Rikk answered.
"Where have you heard of it from Shuyin?" Rikku-sama asked. "I don't even vaguely recall a temple like that."
"GET OFF!" Rikku-chan shouted, obvious not paying any attention to the others. She tackled Rikki, knocking her off of Shuyin. "Stay off of him!" she snapped.
Rikki put on a pouty face. "Whatever..." she sulked.
================================================================
Rikku-san woke to exhausted faces. "S'up?" she asked.
"Don't give me that!" Yuna exclaimed. "We were worried about you!"
"Kay? What happened?" Rikku-san offered. She yawned and stretched slightly. "I feel like a melon that got split right open like an egg."
"A melon that got split open like an egg?" Paine repeated in questioning tones.
"Yep!" Rikku-san chirped.
"Well... you fell asleep on the ladder and the next thing we knew..." Yuna's voice trailed off.
"What?" Rikku-san prompted. She wasn't really paying that much attention to Yuna at the moment. It was seeming like a better idea to try and figure out where the portal had led to. She needed to find the other six girls and Shuyin... not to mention Nooj!
"You started bleeding really bad," Yuna answered. "I thought that you were going to die."
Rikku-san was silent. There was always the possibility that injuries inflicted on one girl spread to ... but no that couldn't be right. They had all been injured in combat before without any physical effects. Obviously something else had been wrong with her. Silently vowing to bring the issue up with Rikku-sama as soon as possible, she turned back to the others.
Paine was talking, but stopped when Rikku-san looked at her. "Is something wrong?" she asked dryly.
"Obviously. We'll figure it out later. What about Akira?" She bit her lip slightly. "And Nooj. He went through that portal. Shouldn't we be trying to find him?"
"Don't be stupid," Paine responded. "We already found Nooj - you were there when it happened."
"I was?" Rikku-san asked.
"Yeah," Paine said.
"Yep!" Yuna said brightly. Then she yawned. "I need sleep. I doubt the baby is going to let me sleep much tonight..."
"Get going," Rikku-san suggested. Then, after a moment she stopped and called after her, "Did you actually name that kid?"
"She did."
"Well, what's his name?" Rikku-san asked.
"
================================================================
They entered the temple cautiously. "Be careful, we don't want to get split up!" Rikku-sama said seconds after the door closed.
"Like we could," Rikk answered. "This place is made out of glass, or so it seems."
"Actually... I think that this might be part of the Forbidden Continent," Shuyin answered.
"What makes you say that?" Rikku asked.
"I think that this is the lost Temple of Light and Illusion," he answered.
"Well, what the hell is that?" Rikk demanded.
"It doesn't sound that dangerous," Ri whispered, creeping closer to Rikku.
Rikku-chan nodded. "Yeah, it doesn't sound to bad," she said. For once there were no tears in her eyes.
"Speak for yourselves, this place gives me the creeps!" Rikki snapped, pulling twigs out of her hair. "Why the hell did you tackle me anyway?"
"You were being dirty and perverted with Shuyin," Rikku-sama answered. "Or at least that would be my guess."
Rikku-chan nodded her head. "Yeah, that's right."
"So what kind of place is this anyway?" Rikku asked Shuyin, deciding to ignore the rest of the conversation.
"Just a temple. Rumor has it that there's a great treasure at the heart of the temple. Back in Zanarkand, those with little or no aptitude for blitzball mounted great expeditions to find the Lost Sword of Dreams." He sighed slightly. "It was originally called the Dream Sword -"
"Why?" Rikku-sama asked, thirsting for knowledge.
Shuyin shrugged. "In time, it became known as the Lost Nightmare... I don't know why, but that's what the few that returned from the Forbidden Continent called it."
"Okay..." Rikku murmured. "One more question - where's the Forbidden Continent?"
"Don't be stupid," Rikk answered.
"You really don't pay that much attention, do you?" Rikku-sama teased. "The Forbidden Continent is 'forbidden' -"
"By Yevon?" Ri asked. She blushed slightly. "I've never heard of it either."
"No, by everyone. This place is dangerous," Rikku-sama answered. "We should be able to raise someone on the comm... so it's not really that bad. I don't think we should investigate this place - not even in the quest for knowledge."
"Hmph," Rikk said, crossing her arms. "Like I'm backing down from a fight."
"Yeah! We're sphere-hunters!" Rikku added enthusiastically.
"There isn't any sphere to be found around here," Shuyin said sharply. "I'm with Rikku-sama on this one. "Let's leave." He opened the front door and stepped into the waning sunlight. "Now. Before the sun sets."
"We'll vote," Rikku-sama added. "Those in favor of leaving, raise your hand."
Shuyin's hand shot into the air instantly, followed mere seconds later by Rikku-chan's. "I'm not going even if I'm outvoted," Shuyin said softly.
"Neither am I," Rikku-sama added. She raised her hand.
"I vote NOT!" Rikku exclaimed in irritation. "What can be so bad that you won't even take an itsy bitsy peek!"
"Plenty," Shuyin answered.
"I want to take a look around," Rikk announced. "So I'm with Rikku on this one."
"So am I," Rikki said, still sulking about getting twigs in her hair. She glared at Rikku-chan for emphasis of the basis of her decision.
Rikk and Rikku-sama turned at the same time towards Ri. "And your decision is?" Rikk asked first. "You'll be coming with us girls, right?"
"Stop trying to influence her," Rikku-sama objected. "Just make the decision that you feel comfortable with. You don't want to get into any really dangerous fights until we figure out what's up with the phoenix, do you?"
"Now who's trying to influence her?" Rikk snapped.
"And besides that, Rikk is so brash and loud, and Rikki will be making odd sexual gestures and -" Rikku-sama was saying.
"I suppose..." Ri murmured. "Good, then it's decided. Let's get out," Shuyin exclaimed, ceasing her indecision and picking her up. He carried her out of the temple.
"But I want to go with Rikku!" Ri exclaimed softly.
"No you don't," Shuyin answered. "It's too dangerous in there..."
================================================================
"Looks like we're going in alone," Rikki announced. She took a step foreword, opening a glass door. "Hurry up you two!" The door slid shut behind her and she paused, waiting for Rikk and Rikku to follow her.
She was still in a partially grumpy mood, which was why she had neglected to opt for a position that would allow her to bathe - maybe - and at least comb her hair out. "Well, maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she breathed after several moments alone. She walked back to the door, opening it.
"Let's just go back outside with the others," she said. Then she realized that the room was empty. And what was more... it wasn't the same room that she had entered.
"Ah, fsck," she cursed lightly. "Maybe Shuyin was right. This place is dangerous." She smoothed her yellow skirt down slightly. "And I'm all alone," she pouted. "With no one around to appreciate my beauty..."
She opened the door again. A new passage way stretched out before her. Shaking her head in disbelief, she stepped through and walked down the passage.
================================================================
"That idiot didn't wait for us!" Rikk snarled, stepping through the door at the same time that Rikku did. They were in an empty room with two doors and countless mirrors. "Which fscking way do you think she went!"
Rikku shrugged. "She can't have gone far either way. I'll check the left." She glanced at her watch. "If you don't find her in twenty minutes, return here. I'll be back to..."
"I'll be dragging her broken body back here!" Rikk vowed darkly. She yanked the right-hand door open and stalked through.
Rikku waited for a moment and then stepped through the left-hand door.
================================================================
Deep inside the temple, Shiroi stirred slightly in her sleep. Someone was coming. Walking to a deep purple mirror, she put her hand on it. The mirror could reflect the images from any mirror in the temple. Years prior, the warrior had mastered the use of it. She would be able to see who was invading her private sanctuary without being seen or spending countless hours racing through the mazes.
Almost instantly in focused on a young woman stalking ferociously down a hall. The woman had a scowl that seemed out of place on her face. She also had Midori's infamous emerald eyes, complete with swirled pupil.
"Midori..." she breathed darkly. "Finally, you have come to your death. Shiroi stood up, clasping Lost Nightmare firmly in her hand. "Come and dance with me. Come and die," she whispered. "Let me end your 'grand' life."
================================================================
Author's notes; Okay, about the Rikku-san feeling pain issue - I have an explanation for that; however, now is not the time to reveal why it happened. You'll learn what happened at the same time that everyone else does.
I will be calling Lenne 'Lenne', not Agent 113; however, Agent 12 will always be agent 12.
Anything else... oh, yeah! About the Forbidden Continent being part of FF 9, the answer is going to have to be no. I haven't actually played it through all the way yet, so I don't feel comfortable writing about it. Depending on how much progress I make, it may or may not be a possibility in the future.
I've gotten an idea for the Special Edition Chapter as well. It's going to be a crossover chapter with InuYasha. Is anyone interested in reading a mini-crossover between the two series? I really need an answer on this one because I don't want to write something that no one is really interested in, okay?
Right then, thank you in advance for your responses.
Next Chapter; Shiroi attacks Rikk. How will this battle play out? It's warrior versus warrior. Then, after an attempted assassination, Baralai arrives at the Celsius with news of a terrible plan to revive Sin. Not to mention Lenne's schemes to get them to the Forbidden Continent... What will happen next?
Thanks for reading,
Kissa-chan
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Chaos of Seven
Chapter Twelve
By; Kissa-chan
================================================================
~~~**1,000 years ago in Zanarkand**~~~
"Lady Shiroi, Lord Akira is here to see you."
The tall, handsome man standing before her bowed slightly. "My Lady," he said, his voice slipping seductively around her, causing a tingling to race along her spine.
"No need for such formalities, Akira," Shiroi giggled. She sprang out of her chair, holding out a hand. "We've known each other too long for that!"
Akira smiled warmly at her. "Yes, Shiroi. I would say that we have known each other for too long."
Shiroi smiled at him. "I love you. You know that, don't you?"
Once again, Akira smiled; this time there was nothing warm about it. "Oh yes, I know." He took her extended hand, grasping her smooth, silken fingers in a gentle embrace. "I know just how much you care," he breathed, his mouth inches away from her knuckles.
"Oh Akira," she sighed. "You're making me all... fluttery. Stop teasing me. Shall we go out?"
"Of course not," Akira answered, stepping away from her. "Have you heard the news?"
"Lord Yevon announced it this afternoon. We're at war with Bevelle," Shiroi answered. She tuck a raven strand of hair behind her ear. "But that doesn't matter."
"I meant about me and Midori," Akira said, stepping away from her.
"Midori? You mean the Summoner?"
"High Summoner," Akira corrected.
"Whatever, isn't she Jecht's daughter?" Shiroi inquired. "That does make her Shuyin's sister, you know." Her tone was light, but she was starting to feel nervous. Why was Akira bringing Midori into the mix on their wedding day?
"I won't be marrying a weakling like you," Akira said, ignoring the reference to his rival's father and his rival. He turned and walked out the door. "Midori is more suited for my needs."
"Wait!" Shiroi screamed, reaching out for him. "You can't! Please... I'll get stronger. I'll learn to fight! I can be stronger!"
Akira turned towards her disdainfully. "As if you could. Lady Shiroi, you will never in a thousand years be a match for my beloved Midori. You will always be a, Delicate. Little. Lady. Worthless to me, to Zanarkand, and to all of Spira. You're wasting air."
Shiroi dropped her knees amid a swirl of silk. "Akira," she breathed, cut by his words. She had always been a strong believer of no violence. She didn't practice anything violent.
"Just a delicate blossom. I need a tempered sword, or in Midori's case, pure power and unrivaled beauty." Akira said disdainfully. "You could never be what I need; not in power or beauty."
"I'll fight Midori... I'll win!" Shiroi murmured brokenly. "I'll win you back. That I promise."
"You will fail."
"I won't."
And then, after those determined words came the fight. Her defeat. Akira's mocking laughter. Midori's regretful smile. "Better luck next time," she'd said. "If you want, I'll help you get stronger -"
Shiroi hadn't stayed any longer. Humiliation and despair swirled around her along with Akira's obvious disdain for her. She fled, and she hadn't ended up any place good.
A little over a thousand years later had changed her. She was a harder person now, silken hands and flowing dresses a mere memory. She was a seasoned warrior now... dead for many years...
She never had any aptitude for magic, so she could never beat Midori like that. But physical skill could destroy any brand of magic. Including Summons... if the fighter was determined enough.
She had become the sword that Akira had wished for... Now all that was left was to kill Midori.
================================================================
Rikku sneezed and stopped walking. "Okay, someone is thinking bad about me!" she declared.
"Sorry," Rikku-chan apologized. I was just thinking that -"
Rikku laughed. "I don't think it was anyone close," she giggled.
"Really? And who says a sneeze is an applicable means of detecting dislike?" Rikku-sama asked superiority.
"Who says it isn't?" Rikku shot back playfully. "You gotta learn to lighten up a bit! Live life for FUN! Forget about duty and restriction -"
"And sexual boundaries!" Rikki added.
"I don't want to know what that's supposed to mean," Ri announced firmly. Several seconds later, she turned to look at Shuyin and turned beat red.
"Interesting, Ri's not only shy, she's also forgetful," Rikk pointed out.
"Seems like it," Shuyin said lightly.
"Nothing wrong with forgetting!" Rikku declared instantly, rushing to the shy girl's defense.
Shuyin took a step back, hands raised in surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it," he started to explain. Then he tripped over a large tree root directly behind him and landed on his butt.
Rikki giggle and flung herself on top of him, straddling his hips. "I like my men on their backs!" she breathed, mouth inches from his.
"Rikki!" Rikku-chan shrieked, face red, tears brimming.
"Sorry? I didn't realize that you called dibs on this stud," Rikki purred.
Ri didn't bother objecting to the sexual frisking this time. She just fainted, toppling out of sight.
"Now look," Rikk commented. "You made Ri pass out again. Hopefully she wakes up before we start moving again, or else you're carrying her."
"Uhmm, can you get off of me?" Shuyin asked. "I kinda feel uncomfortable..."
Rikki wiggled her hips a bit. "If you want me to move," she sighed. "I suppose I could."
"Yes! I want you to move!" Rikku-chan shouted.
"If it's not too much trouble," Shuyin said at the same time.
"Not at all. Like I said, I didn't realize you two were lovebirds -" Rikki started to say sweetly.
"Hey, there's a temple ahead!" Rikku exclaimed.
"Which one?" Rikk asked, hefting Ri and slapping her lightly to wake her up.
"Looks like... Well, how the hell should I know?" Rikku amended when she realized she didn't have an answer. "It's glowing white and has glass doors - sound familiar?"
"Vaguely," Shuyin said from the ground underneath Rikki.
"Nope!" Rikki said, bouncing slightly, still on top of Shuyin.
"Of course I haven't heard of it." Rikk answered.
"Where have you heard of it from Shuyin?" Rikku-sama asked. "I don't even vaguely recall a temple like that."
"GET OFF!" Rikku-chan shouted, obvious not paying any attention to the others. She tackled Rikki, knocking her off of Shuyin. "Stay off of him!" she snapped.
Rikki put on a pouty face. "Whatever..." she sulked.
================================================================
Rikku-san woke to exhausted faces. "S'up?" she asked.
"Don't give me that!" Yuna exclaimed. "We were worried about you!"
"Kay? What happened?" Rikku-san offered. She yawned and stretched slightly. "I feel like a melon that got split right open like an egg."
"A melon that got split open like an egg?" Paine repeated in questioning tones.
"Yep!" Rikku-san chirped.
"Well... you fell asleep on the ladder and the next thing we knew..." Yuna's voice trailed off.
"What?" Rikku-san prompted. She wasn't really paying that much attention to Yuna at the moment. It was seeming like a better idea to try and figure out where the portal had led to. She needed to find the other six girls and Shuyin... not to mention Nooj!
"You started bleeding really bad," Yuna answered. "I thought that you were going to die."
Rikku-san was silent. There was always the possibility that injuries inflicted on one girl spread to ... but no that couldn't be right. They had all been injured in combat before without any physical effects. Obviously something else had been wrong with her. Silently vowing to bring the issue up with Rikku-sama as soon as possible, she turned back to the others.
Paine was talking, but stopped when Rikku-san looked at her. "Is something wrong?" she asked dryly.
"Obviously. We'll figure it out later. What about Akira?" She bit her lip slightly. "And Nooj. He went through that portal. Shouldn't we be trying to find him?"
"Don't be stupid," Paine responded. "We already found Nooj - you were there when it happened."
"I was?" Rikku-san asked.
"Yeah," Paine said.
"Yep!" Yuna said brightly. Then she yawned. "I need sleep. I doubt the baby is going to let me sleep much tonight..."
"Get going," Rikku-san suggested. Then, after a moment she stopped and called after her, "Did you actually name that kid?"
"She did."
"Well, what's his name?" Rikku-san asked.
"
================================================================
They entered the temple cautiously. "Be careful, we don't want to get split up!" Rikku-sama said seconds after the door closed.
"Like we could," Rikk answered. "This place is made out of glass, or so it seems."
"Actually... I think that this might be part of the Forbidden Continent," Shuyin answered.
"What makes you say that?" Rikku asked.
"I think that this is the lost Temple of Light and Illusion," he answered.
"Well, what the hell is that?" Rikk demanded.
"It doesn't sound that dangerous," Ri whispered, creeping closer to Rikku.
Rikku-chan nodded. "Yeah, it doesn't sound to bad," she said. For once there were no tears in her eyes.
"Speak for yourselves, this place gives me the creeps!" Rikki snapped, pulling twigs out of her hair. "Why the hell did you tackle me anyway?"
"You were being dirty and perverted with Shuyin," Rikku-sama answered. "Or at least that would be my guess."
Rikku-chan nodded her head. "Yeah, that's right."
"So what kind of place is this anyway?" Rikku asked Shuyin, deciding to ignore the rest of the conversation.
"Just a temple. Rumor has it that there's a great treasure at the heart of the temple. Back in Zanarkand, those with little or no aptitude for blitzball mounted great expeditions to find the Lost Sword of Dreams." He sighed slightly. "It was originally called the Dream Sword -"
"Why?" Rikku-sama asked, thirsting for knowledge.
Shuyin shrugged. "In time, it became known as the Lost Nightmare... I don't know why, but that's what the few that returned from the Forbidden Continent called it."
"Okay..." Rikku murmured. "One more question - where's the Forbidden Continent?"
"Don't be stupid," Rikk answered.
"You really don't pay that much attention, do you?" Rikku-sama teased. "The Forbidden Continent is 'forbidden' -"
"By Yevon?" Ri asked. She blushed slightly. "I've never heard of it either."
"No, by everyone. This place is dangerous," Rikku-sama answered. "We should be able to raise someone on the comm... so it's not really that bad. I don't think we should investigate this place - not even in the quest for knowledge."
"Hmph," Rikk said, crossing her arms. "Like I'm backing down from a fight."
"Yeah! We're sphere-hunters!" Rikku added enthusiastically.
"There isn't any sphere to be found around here," Shuyin said sharply. "I'm with Rikku-sama on this one. "Let's leave." He opened the front door and stepped into the waning sunlight. "Now. Before the sun sets."
"We'll vote," Rikku-sama added. "Those in favor of leaving, raise your hand."
Shuyin's hand shot into the air instantly, followed mere seconds later by Rikku-chan's. "I'm not going even if I'm outvoted," Shuyin said softly.
"Neither am I," Rikku-sama added. She raised her hand.
"I vote NOT!" Rikku exclaimed in irritation. "What can be so bad that you won't even take an itsy bitsy peek!"
"Plenty," Shuyin answered.
"I want to take a look around," Rikk announced. "So I'm with Rikku on this one."
"So am I," Rikki said, still sulking about getting twigs in her hair. She glared at Rikku-chan for emphasis of the basis of her decision.
Rikk and Rikku-sama turned at the same time towards Ri. "And your decision is?" Rikk asked first. "You'll be coming with us girls, right?"
"Stop trying to influence her," Rikku-sama objected. "Just make the decision that you feel comfortable with. You don't want to get into any really dangerous fights until we figure out what's up with the phoenix, do you?"
"Now who's trying to influence her?" Rikk snapped.
"And besides that, Rikk is so brash and loud, and Rikki will be making odd sexual gestures and -" Rikku-sama was saying.
"I suppose..." Ri murmured. "Good, then it's decided. Let's get out," Shuyin exclaimed, ceasing her indecision and picking her up. He carried her out of the temple.
"But I want to go with Rikku!" Ri exclaimed softly.
"No you don't," Shuyin answered. "It's too dangerous in there..."
================================================================
"Looks like we're going in alone," Rikki announced. She took a step foreword, opening a glass door. "Hurry up you two!" The door slid shut behind her and she paused, waiting for Rikk and Rikku to follow her.
She was still in a partially grumpy mood, which was why she had neglected to opt for a position that would allow her to bathe - maybe - and at least comb her hair out. "Well, maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she breathed after several moments alone. She walked back to the door, opening it.
"Let's just go back outside with the others," she said. Then she realized that the room was empty. And what was more... it wasn't the same room that she had entered.
"Ah, fsck," she cursed lightly. "Maybe Shuyin was right. This place is dangerous." She smoothed her yellow skirt down slightly. "And I'm all alone," she pouted. "With no one around to appreciate my beauty..."
She opened the door again. A new passage way stretched out before her. Shaking her head in disbelief, she stepped through and walked down the passage.
================================================================
"That idiot didn't wait for us!" Rikk snarled, stepping through the door at the same time that Rikku did. They were in an empty room with two doors and countless mirrors. "Which fscking way do you think she went!"
Rikku shrugged. "She can't have gone far either way. I'll check the left." She glanced at her watch. "If you don't find her in twenty minutes, return here. I'll be back to..."
"I'll be dragging her broken body back here!" Rikk vowed darkly. She yanked the right-hand door open and stalked through.
Rikku waited for a moment and then stepped through the left-hand door.
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Deep inside the temple, Shiroi stirred slightly in her sleep. Someone was coming. Walking to a deep purple mirror, she put her hand on it. The mirror could reflect the images from any mirror in the temple. Years prior, the warrior had mastered the use of it. She would be able to see who was invading her private sanctuary without being seen or spending countless hours racing through the mazes.
Almost instantly in focused on a young woman stalking ferociously down a hall. The woman had a scowl that seemed out of place on her face. She also had Midori's infamous emerald eyes, complete with swirled pupil.
"Midori..." she breathed darkly. "Finally, you have come to your death. Shiroi stood up, clasping Lost Nightmare firmly in her hand. "Come and dance with me. Come and die," she whispered. "Let me end your 'grand' life."
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Author's notes; Okay, about the Rikku-san feeling pain issue - I have an explanation for that; however, now is not the time to reveal why it happened. You'll learn what happened at the same time that everyone else does.
I will be calling Lenne 'Lenne', not Agent 113; however, Agent 12 will always be agent 12.
Anything else... oh, yeah! About the Forbidden Continent being part of FF 9, the answer is going to have to be no. I haven't actually played it through all the way yet, so I don't feel comfortable writing about it. Depending on how much progress I make, it may or may not be a possibility in the future.
I've gotten an idea for the Special Edition Chapter as well. It's going to be a crossover chapter with InuYasha. Is anyone interested in reading a mini-crossover between the two series? I really need an answer on this one because I don't want to write something that no one is really interested in, okay?
Right then, thank you in advance for your responses.
Next Chapter; Shiroi attacks Rikk. How will this battle play out? It's warrior versus warrior. Then, after an attempted assassination, Baralai arrives at the Celsius with news of a terrible plan to revive Sin. Not to mention Lenne's schemes to get them to the Forbidden Continent... What will happen next?
Thanks for reading,
Kissa-chan