Chaos Of Seven
Chapter Twenty
By; Kissa-chan
================================================================
Tammurin felt shock slip through the blond girl's mind as his blade dug into her back. "I'm... sorry," he heard himself say softly. He tried to pull his dagger from her back; however, when they had fallen it had been trapped underneath both of their bodies. Hot blood coated his hand as he attempted to remove the weapon; too much blood for it to be a minor injury. Tears sprang up in his eyes.
This wasn't what he wanted.
Rikki coughed blood onto him. "It's... okay," she gasped weakly. She blinked slowly, trying to focus on him. "Just... wait until I figure out how to heal you... okay?" She tried to push his bleeding form off of hers, but could find the strengh.
By that time, Rikk had crossed the arena. She tried to seize Tammurin by the should; however, he sensed her coming. Without concious thought, the assassion had moved away from her, putting a safe distance between them.
Rikk glared at him murderously. "You bastard!" she snapped.
Tammurin nodded his head. "Yes, I am." He glanced towards Rikki and then back towards Rikk. "She's... not... dead," he managed to say before coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"I can feel her dying," Rikk answered furiously. "I can feel a tightness in my side... an overwelming taste of blood in my mouth -"
"Funny. So can I," Tammurin laughed. The tinge of pain in his voice was evident to Rikki, sprawled bleeding on the ground.
"That's not funny," Rikk snarled. She raised her sword, trying futily to clear her mind.
Tammurin dropped into a crouch, bloody dagger pointing towards her. "Ready to die...?
"Tam... murrin..." Rikki murmured. "Don't hurt Rikk... she's really not that bad -"
"Who's side are you on anyway?!" Rikk snapped.
Tammurin glanced at her. "I'm dying."
"Not nearly fast enough," Rikk answered promptly.
Rikki propped herself up slightly. "Back off... Rikk. He's talk... talking to me." She smiled weakly at him. "It really would have been fun to find a room and make-out, you know."
"Maybe..." Tammurin answered. He dropped his dagger to the floor, and slipped his hand inside his tunic. "I guess holding back now would be pointless... I might as well just finish it all off..."
"Oh, no you don't!" Rikk shouted. "I won't let you kill her!"
===============================================================
He tied her up in the middle of a strange circle. "This is called a Fayth Circle. Although, it's not the usual kind. This one is actually part of the Dark Summoning Spells. Have you ever seen a Dark Summoner before?" Yu Yevon smiled as he explained things to the bedazzled Yuna.
"What's a Dark Summoner? Do you mean someone who-" Yuna started to demand.
"Silence! Infidel! You will speak only when spoken too!" Yu Yevon snarled. Then, soothing over his features, he smiled and started up conversationally. "Traditionally, the Dark Summoning Arts are forbidden. The Summonings have a tendency of going horribly wrong. Take for instance the Dark Summoner Akira; he went mad; tried something beyond his abilities. He turned his vicitm into a Fayth without hatred backing him."
"Akira?" Yuna asked softly, prompting him carefully for information. She tried to make her hands work so that she could get loose, but it wasn't working. Her entire body was numb from a strange weed that he had tied around her wrists and ankles.
"Have you ever heard of High Summoner Midori?" Yu Yevon asked. "Well, naturally not. She was the best Summoner ever. When I say 'ever' I mean she was even better than me. Regardless, she got involved with the financee of noblewoman... he went crazy and turned her into a Fayth."
He started painting strange symbols on her body. "When he tried to Summon her, the Aeon that emmerged was ultimentally powerful. She was too strong... And she killed him."
"Then what?" Yuna asked.
Yu Yevon smiled. "That's not important. The important thing is that you are about to become a Fayth." He pointed upwards, directing her gaze towards a circular opening at the top of ceiling.
From where she was lying, Yuna could just see the moon slipping into view.
"When the moon is in fully shining it's light through the opening, your soul will be sealed forever as that of a Fayth. Then I shall summon you as Sin... and destroy you to gain control of Spira!"
Yuna felt a wave of horror sprawl through her body. "You can't do that...!" she shouted.
"Oh... but I can," Yu Yevon responded.
================================================================
"We have to go back!" Rikku exclaimed.
"But what about Yunie?" Rikku-sama asked.
"Tidus, Shuyin, and Baralai can go save her!" Rikku declared. She glanced at the boys for confirmation.
"I'm gone!" Tidus shouted. He took off running towards what he hoped was where Yuna was being held.
"Will you be all right?" Baralai asked.
"They should be fine," Paine answered. "Shiroi and I will be heading for Yuna though..."
"Let's go!" Rikku-chan shouted. "We can't loose anyone! We all have to rescue Ri together!"
===============================================================
Tidus stopped running, reaching yet another dead end. "This can't be happening!" he moaned.
"Don't give up, we have to keep trying," Baralai said.
"If you love her, you'll be able to find her," Shiroi advised. "Just stop for a minute and clear your head."
"I don't have a minute!" Tidus snapped.
Paine snorted. "You seem to have enough time to get short with your allies."
Shuyin shook his head. "Tidus..."
"You're not my brother," Tidus said quickly. "There's no way."
Shuyin rolled his eyes and sighed. "Forget this, I'm going to help Rikku and her Splitlings. There's a door over there..." he pointed towards it. "Take it; it might lead you where you need to go."
Tidus shouted a hasty 'thank-you' over his shoulder and crashed through the door as fast as he could. "Hurry up!" he shouted back to the others.
================================================================
Alcione was in a fine rage. She had been sent away from the front lines - from helping with the infidel 'Yuna' - to deal with the looser Al Bhed. Her anger was very potent stuff. She was shouting orders without the slightest hesitation.
"Destroy them all!" she screamed in rage. Her own long blade lashed out, stealing the life of yet another Al Bhed. "Don't let a single one of them live."
Unfortunently for her, Gippal was in a bad mood. He'd been more than a little hot-tempered before she showed up; now he had her to vent on. "Bring it on, bitch!" he cursed under his breath. He aimed at her carefully and let a barrage of shots loose.
Alcione didn't see anything coming until the attacks were slamming into her body. "DIE!" she shouted, springing back and preforming her favorite Summoning. She would show the blasted Al Bhed just how superior she was to them.
"Yeah... I'll think about that," Gippal answered. "But you can die first." He smiled grimly and even managed to let his voice drawl in spite of his anger.
"How did you...?" Alcione gasped.
"I've got a few tricks up my sleeves," Gippal answered.
Alcione snorted in disdain. "Up your pink and purple sleeves? Please, you dress like a woman."
"And you look like a man," Gippal said absently, mind drifting for a brief moment to a certain Al Bhed girl.
Alcione was beyond offended. "You... you... you... you..." she seethed, words failing her in the midst of her anger. "How DARE YOU!"
"I just do," Gippal said.
"Ixion, kill him!" she shouted to her Summon.
"Ixion... has already been defeated," Gippal announced.
"But when did you..." Alcione demanded. "You've been in front of me the whole time -"
"It's the Experiment," Gippal answered. "We just let it loost and it's been decimating your troops and just took out your Summon... Which leads to an interresting point... How can you Summon if all the Fayth have been Sent?"
"Infidel!" she gasped.
"That's an Al Bhed to you," Gippal responded. "And you can just give up right here and now."
"Never!" Alcione snarled, but she retreated away from the one eyed Al Bhed.
================================================================
Several things happened at once. Rikk shot Tammurin through the chest several times, and he threw something over Rikki's bleeding body. Then, all the others came racing down the steps, fearing the worst.
"The pain is gone!" Rikku-chan cried. "Is she dead?"
Rikku-sama took in the situation carefully, noting what was happening. "No, she's healing," she responded after a second. "Rikk must have used a potion."
Rikki sprang to her feet and sphere-changed to Alchemist. She pulled out an Elixar and threw it over Tammurin, healing the bullet wounds before he hit the ground.
"What are you doing!" Rikku shouted.
"Leave her be..." Rikku-san yawned.
"She nearly died because you said to leave her be!" Rikk snapped, glancing over at Rikku-san.
"He healed her." Rikku-san didn't even try to look smug. She sat down on the steps and closed her eyes. "Just watch. I think..." But she never finished the thought. Instead, she fell asleep.
"You think what...?" Rikku-chan whimpered, creeping closer towards Tammurin and Rikki.
"She's... sleeping," Rikk deadpanned.
"Obviously," Rikku-sama answered. She started walking foreward only to be stopped by Rikki.
"Guys..." she purred softly from the ground as she dropped down beside Tammurin. "Who's rescueing Yunie?"
"Tidus, Baralai, Shuyin -" Rikku started ticking off on her fingers.
"Actually I'm here," Shuyin announced. He hurried down the steps and came to a stop some distence from Tammurin.
"Right... I think you should go save her. Go Seal Yu Yevon," Rikki urged. "I'm going to stay here..."
Rikku-sama cast Scan on the heavily breathing assassion. "His wounds won't heal," she announced. "By now, his body has lost too much blood. He can't move; he's dying."
"So?" Rikki drawled. She wiped some of the blood and sweat off of Tammurin's face and kissed the cleaned skin. "I'm going to stay by his side until the end."
"What's the point!" Rikk demanded. "He nearly killed you!"
"But he didn't!" Rikku surprised everyone by exclaiming. "He healed her. And if he was in love with Shiroi..."
"She almost died!" Rikku-chan whispered. "Shouldn't we at least get her away from -"
"Listen to me for a second," Rikku interrupted. "We're not the same person anymore. We'll never be one 'Rikku' ever again. What we are is a team... closer than friends... closer than sisters. We've got a bond that we can't allow to be broken."
"What are you saying?" Shuyin inquired quizically.
"Yeah, I'm confused too!" Rikku-sama exclaimed. She looked slightly ruffled at the thought that she didn't understand what was going on.
Rikku-chan didn't say anything; although her teary eyes were locked on Rikku's. She was waiting for an answer to the other girls questions.
"I'm saying, 'Let's trust each other.' Rikki doesn't want to die. She wouldn't throw her life away carelessly," Rikku said.
"Fine."
"Rikk... I'm surprised you agreed so fast," Rikku-sama exclaimed in surprise.
"Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?" Rikk retorted. She started walking, not waiting for a response. "Come on."
"Are you sure that you're going to be all right?" Rikku asked Rikki.
In response, Rikki shouted out to Rikk. "Thanks... for coming back for me. You didn't have to. Thank-you for trying to save me..."
Rikk nodded her head, silently excepting the words. "How could I not help?" she murmured under her breath.
================================================================
Everything was getting quiet. Everyone was leaving... well, almost everyone. One girl was still at his side. She was stroking his face gentally and humming under her breath. Tammurin found his voice, thick with blood. "Who are you...?" he asked laborously.
Rikki smiled warmly at him and placed one dirty finger on his lips. "Sssh," she urged.
He blinked, finding tears at his eyes again. "I've never cried this much in my life," he confessed. He paused, struggling for air. "Are you... Midori?"
Rikki shook her head rapidly. "Rikki..." she murmured seductively. She started pulling his shirt off of him. "I'm going to see if I can't patch you up a little bit, okay?"
He nodded slowly. "If you want..."
"You're going to make it through this, you know," Rikki said softly. "I'm going to make you live if it's the last thing that I do."
"I can.. feel... you determination," he mumbled. And with those words, he felt conciousness ebb.
================================================================
Author's notes; Proof that things don't usually go the way you want them is Tammmurin. I intended to have Shiroi kill him. Instead I felt sympathy and now look.. a couple chapters later and he's still lingering.
But anyway, things are a wee bit serious in the plotline right now, so the humor has died down a bit. To make sure things don't get too serious, I added Gippal making Alcione's life hell. She sure didn't get what she expected when she attacked the Al Bhed, did she?
Depending on the seriousness of the injury all the girls will feel it. Rikku-san is more attuned to this aspect of their connection so she could actually die if one of the others did; however, the rest of the girls will only feel extremely sick and in pain for a while.
Next Chapter; Yu Yevon's plans are drawing closer and closer to a close. Only mere minutes away from transforming Yuna into a Fayth, he gloats. Will the fragmented Rikku-gumi and company be able to rescue her in time? Find out in the next exciting chapter of CHAOS OF SEVEN!
Thanks for reading,
Kissa-chan
Chapter Twenty
By; Kissa-chan
================================================================
Tammurin felt shock slip through the blond girl's mind as his blade dug into her back. "I'm... sorry," he heard himself say softly. He tried to pull his dagger from her back; however, when they had fallen it had been trapped underneath both of their bodies. Hot blood coated his hand as he attempted to remove the weapon; too much blood for it to be a minor injury. Tears sprang up in his eyes.
This wasn't what he wanted.
Rikki coughed blood onto him. "It's... okay," she gasped weakly. She blinked slowly, trying to focus on him. "Just... wait until I figure out how to heal you... okay?" She tried to push his bleeding form off of hers, but could find the strengh.
By that time, Rikk had crossed the arena. She tried to seize Tammurin by the should; however, he sensed her coming. Without concious thought, the assassion had moved away from her, putting a safe distance between them.
Rikk glared at him murderously. "You bastard!" she snapped.
Tammurin nodded his head. "Yes, I am." He glanced towards Rikki and then back towards Rikk. "She's... not... dead," he managed to say before coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"I can feel her dying," Rikk answered furiously. "I can feel a tightness in my side... an overwelming taste of blood in my mouth -"
"Funny. So can I," Tammurin laughed. The tinge of pain in his voice was evident to Rikki, sprawled bleeding on the ground.
"That's not funny," Rikk snarled. She raised her sword, trying futily to clear her mind.
Tammurin dropped into a crouch, bloody dagger pointing towards her. "Ready to die...?
"Tam... murrin..." Rikki murmured. "Don't hurt Rikk... she's really not that bad -"
"Who's side are you on anyway?!" Rikk snapped.
Tammurin glanced at her. "I'm dying."
"Not nearly fast enough," Rikk answered promptly.
Rikki propped herself up slightly. "Back off... Rikk. He's talk... talking to me." She smiled weakly at him. "It really would have been fun to find a room and make-out, you know."
"Maybe..." Tammurin answered. He dropped his dagger to the floor, and slipped his hand inside his tunic. "I guess holding back now would be pointless... I might as well just finish it all off..."
"Oh, no you don't!" Rikk shouted. "I won't let you kill her!"
===============================================================
He tied her up in the middle of a strange circle. "This is called a Fayth Circle. Although, it's not the usual kind. This one is actually part of the Dark Summoning Spells. Have you ever seen a Dark Summoner before?" Yu Yevon smiled as he explained things to the bedazzled Yuna.
"What's a Dark Summoner? Do you mean someone who-" Yuna started to demand.
"Silence! Infidel! You will speak only when spoken too!" Yu Yevon snarled. Then, soothing over his features, he smiled and started up conversationally. "Traditionally, the Dark Summoning Arts are forbidden. The Summonings have a tendency of going horribly wrong. Take for instance the Dark Summoner Akira; he went mad; tried something beyond his abilities. He turned his vicitm into a Fayth without hatred backing him."
"Akira?" Yuna asked softly, prompting him carefully for information. She tried to make her hands work so that she could get loose, but it wasn't working. Her entire body was numb from a strange weed that he had tied around her wrists and ankles.
"Have you ever heard of High Summoner Midori?" Yu Yevon asked. "Well, naturally not. She was the best Summoner ever. When I say 'ever' I mean she was even better than me. Regardless, she got involved with the financee of noblewoman... he went crazy and turned her into a Fayth."
He started painting strange symbols on her body. "When he tried to Summon her, the Aeon that emmerged was ultimentally powerful. She was too strong... And she killed him."
"Then what?" Yuna asked.
Yu Yevon smiled. "That's not important. The important thing is that you are about to become a Fayth." He pointed upwards, directing her gaze towards a circular opening at the top of ceiling.
From where she was lying, Yuna could just see the moon slipping into view.
"When the moon is in fully shining it's light through the opening, your soul will be sealed forever as that of a Fayth. Then I shall summon you as Sin... and destroy you to gain control of Spira!"
Yuna felt a wave of horror sprawl through her body. "You can't do that...!" she shouted.
"Oh... but I can," Yu Yevon responded.
================================================================
"We have to go back!" Rikku exclaimed.
"But what about Yunie?" Rikku-sama asked.
"Tidus, Shuyin, and Baralai can go save her!" Rikku declared. She glanced at the boys for confirmation.
"I'm gone!" Tidus shouted. He took off running towards what he hoped was where Yuna was being held.
"Will you be all right?" Baralai asked.
"They should be fine," Paine answered. "Shiroi and I will be heading for Yuna though..."
"Let's go!" Rikku-chan shouted. "We can't loose anyone! We all have to rescue Ri together!"
===============================================================
Tidus stopped running, reaching yet another dead end. "This can't be happening!" he moaned.
"Don't give up, we have to keep trying," Baralai said.
"If you love her, you'll be able to find her," Shiroi advised. "Just stop for a minute and clear your head."
"I don't have a minute!" Tidus snapped.
Paine snorted. "You seem to have enough time to get short with your allies."
Shuyin shook his head. "Tidus..."
"You're not my brother," Tidus said quickly. "There's no way."
Shuyin rolled his eyes and sighed. "Forget this, I'm going to help Rikku and her Splitlings. There's a door over there..." he pointed towards it. "Take it; it might lead you where you need to go."
Tidus shouted a hasty 'thank-you' over his shoulder and crashed through the door as fast as he could. "Hurry up!" he shouted back to the others.
================================================================
Alcione was in a fine rage. She had been sent away from the front lines - from helping with the infidel 'Yuna' - to deal with the looser Al Bhed. Her anger was very potent stuff. She was shouting orders without the slightest hesitation.
"Destroy them all!" she screamed in rage. Her own long blade lashed out, stealing the life of yet another Al Bhed. "Don't let a single one of them live."
Unfortunently for her, Gippal was in a bad mood. He'd been more than a little hot-tempered before she showed up; now he had her to vent on. "Bring it on, bitch!" he cursed under his breath. He aimed at her carefully and let a barrage of shots loose.
Alcione didn't see anything coming until the attacks were slamming into her body. "DIE!" she shouted, springing back and preforming her favorite Summoning. She would show the blasted Al Bhed just how superior she was to them.
"Yeah... I'll think about that," Gippal answered. "But you can die first." He smiled grimly and even managed to let his voice drawl in spite of his anger.
"How did you...?" Alcione gasped.
"I've got a few tricks up my sleeves," Gippal answered.
Alcione snorted in disdain. "Up your pink and purple sleeves? Please, you dress like a woman."
"And you look like a man," Gippal said absently, mind drifting for a brief moment to a certain Al Bhed girl.
Alcione was beyond offended. "You... you... you... you..." she seethed, words failing her in the midst of her anger. "How DARE YOU!"
"I just do," Gippal said.
"Ixion, kill him!" she shouted to her Summon.
"Ixion... has already been defeated," Gippal announced.
"But when did you..." Alcione demanded. "You've been in front of me the whole time -"
"It's the Experiment," Gippal answered. "We just let it loost and it's been decimating your troops and just took out your Summon... Which leads to an interresting point... How can you Summon if all the Fayth have been Sent?"
"Infidel!" she gasped.
"That's an Al Bhed to you," Gippal responded. "And you can just give up right here and now."
"Never!" Alcione snarled, but she retreated away from the one eyed Al Bhed.
================================================================
Several things happened at once. Rikk shot Tammurin through the chest several times, and he threw something over Rikki's bleeding body. Then, all the others came racing down the steps, fearing the worst.
"The pain is gone!" Rikku-chan cried. "Is she dead?"
Rikku-sama took in the situation carefully, noting what was happening. "No, she's healing," she responded after a second. "Rikk must have used a potion."
Rikki sprang to her feet and sphere-changed to Alchemist. She pulled out an Elixar and threw it over Tammurin, healing the bullet wounds before he hit the ground.
"What are you doing!" Rikku shouted.
"Leave her be..." Rikku-san yawned.
"She nearly died because you said to leave her be!" Rikk snapped, glancing over at Rikku-san.
"He healed her." Rikku-san didn't even try to look smug. She sat down on the steps and closed her eyes. "Just watch. I think..." But she never finished the thought. Instead, she fell asleep.
"You think what...?" Rikku-chan whimpered, creeping closer towards Tammurin and Rikki.
"She's... sleeping," Rikk deadpanned.
"Obviously," Rikku-sama answered. She started walking foreward only to be stopped by Rikki.
"Guys..." she purred softly from the ground as she dropped down beside Tammurin. "Who's rescueing Yunie?"
"Tidus, Baralai, Shuyin -" Rikku started ticking off on her fingers.
"Actually I'm here," Shuyin announced. He hurried down the steps and came to a stop some distence from Tammurin.
"Right... I think you should go save her. Go Seal Yu Yevon," Rikki urged. "I'm going to stay here..."
Rikku-sama cast Scan on the heavily breathing assassion. "His wounds won't heal," she announced. "By now, his body has lost too much blood. He can't move; he's dying."
"So?" Rikki drawled. She wiped some of the blood and sweat off of Tammurin's face and kissed the cleaned skin. "I'm going to stay by his side until the end."
"What's the point!" Rikk demanded. "He nearly killed you!"
"But he didn't!" Rikku surprised everyone by exclaiming. "He healed her. And if he was in love with Shiroi..."
"She almost died!" Rikku-chan whispered. "Shouldn't we at least get her away from -"
"Listen to me for a second," Rikku interrupted. "We're not the same person anymore. We'll never be one 'Rikku' ever again. What we are is a team... closer than friends... closer than sisters. We've got a bond that we can't allow to be broken."
"What are you saying?" Shuyin inquired quizically.
"Yeah, I'm confused too!" Rikku-sama exclaimed. She looked slightly ruffled at the thought that she didn't understand what was going on.
Rikku-chan didn't say anything; although her teary eyes were locked on Rikku's. She was waiting for an answer to the other girls questions.
"I'm saying, 'Let's trust each other.' Rikki doesn't want to die. She wouldn't throw her life away carelessly," Rikku said.
"Fine."
"Rikk... I'm surprised you agreed so fast," Rikku-sama exclaimed in surprise.
"Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?" Rikk retorted. She started walking, not waiting for a response. "Come on."
"Are you sure that you're going to be all right?" Rikku asked Rikki.
In response, Rikki shouted out to Rikk. "Thanks... for coming back for me. You didn't have to. Thank-you for trying to save me..."
Rikk nodded her head, silently excepting the words. "How could I not help?" she murmured under her breath.
================================================================
Everything was getting quiet. Everyone was leaving... well, almost everyone. One girl was still at his side. She was stroking his face gentally and humming under her breath. Tammurin found his voice, thick with blood. "Who are you...?" he asked laborously.
Rikki smiled warmly at him and placed one dirty finger on his lips. "Sssh," she urged.
He blinked, finding tears at his eyes again. "I've never cried this much in my life," he confessed. He paused, struggling for air. "Are you... Midori?"
Rikki shook her head rapidly. "Rikki..." she murmured seductively. She started pulling his shirt off of him. "I'm going to see if I can't patch you up a little bit, okay?"
He nodded slowly. "If you want..."
"You're going to make it through this, you know," Rikki said softly. "I'm going to make you live if it's the last thing that I do."
"I can.. feel... you determination," he mumbled. And with those words, he felt conciousness ebb.
================================================================
Author's notes; Proof that things don't usually go the way you want them is Tammmurin. I intended to have Shiroi kill him. Instead I felt sympathy and now look.. a couple chapters later and he's still lingering.
But anyway, things are a wee bit serious in the plotline right now, so the humor has died down a bit. To make sure things don't get too serious, I added Gippal making Alcione's life hell. She sure didn't get what she expected when she attacked the Al Bhed, did she?
Depending on the seriousness of the injury all the girls will feel it. Rikku-san is more attuned to this aspect of their connection so she could actually die if one of the others did; however, the rest of the girls will only feel extremely sick and in pain for a while.
Next Chapter; Yu Yevon's plans are drawing closer and closer to a close. Only mere minutes away from transforming Yuna into a Fayth, he gloats. Will the fragmented Rikku-gumi and company be able to rescue her in time? Find out in the next exciting chapter of CHAOS OF SEVEN!
Thanks for reading,
Kissa-chan