Shadow of Darkness
Thank you so much kingleby and Jers for your reviews! I'm so glad you like the story so far. I hope you all continue to like it.
Chapter 4:
Kilika again. And this time, Rikku thought it looked emptier than ever. Now the fishermen were gone and the patrols were even fewer. This troubled her deeply. Had the village already been affected by the Plague this much just overnight?
Clenching her hands at her side in determination, Rikku stalked back to Dona's hut. She would get answers! This time, when she rang the bells, a very distraught looking Barthello answered the door.
Her brow furrowed worriedly. "Barthello, what's wrong?"
"Dona!" he could only wail as he flung his large, muscular arms around Rikku.
She gagged, nearly crumpling from the weight. 'Cripes! He weighs a ton!' She staggered and tried to push him back. "What's wrong?" she managed to ask again, though she dreaded that she already knew the problem.
"It got her! The Plague got Dona!" he howled tearfully.
Rikku gasped faintly. Oh, there were times she really hated being right! "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" He showed her a long cut on his arm. "She wounded me this morning! I managed to put her to sleep though and she's been unconscious since. I don't know what to do!"
She blinked in surprise. "She really did that? Where is she now?"
Barthello parted the doorflap and let her inside. Dona was, as he told her, unconscious, tucked tightly in bed, much like Tidus and Yuna were. She went over to the ex-summoner and touched her skin gingerly. Like Yuna's, hers was deathly cold. A dark aura filled Rikku's vision. It swirled like a storm around Dona's icy frame. She shuddered violently.
Rikku turned to Barthello. "Do you know any curative magic?"
"A little," he said with a sniffle.
"Use your strongest spell on her … about every half hour or so. It won't do much, but it should keep her temperature from dropping any further."
He nodded.
"Oh and… can you tell me where the healer, Marin, lives?"
"Yes, but she's not here. She left town a few days ago."
Rikku sighed. "I know that. Just tell me where she lives. It's very, very important."
Barthello looked puzzled, but he complied. She nodded and hopped to her feet. "Thank you. And… I hope Dona gets better soon. Call me if you need anything." She scribbled down the channel to her commsphere. She was surprised to find that she actually meant what she said about Dona. This Plague, it scared her. Now it made home in a summoner? Summoners… Those who had immense spiritual strength… A shiver ran down her spine. Would she get the Plague?
She said goodbye to the grief-stricken Barthello and walked down the piers of Kilika. Gripping her arms to her chest, she headed in the direction Barthello told her. Finally, she found it- a small hut tucked away between two larger shops. Marin's home. She glanced around cautiously before she approached. She didn't want anyone to see what she was about to do.
The doorflap was tightly knotted shut; except for the one small spot that every doorflap had- one large enough to slip a finger through. On the other side, a cord would hang- one that would release the knots. Glancing around again, Rikku slipped her finger in and gave the cord a sharp tweak and the knots unraveled easily, leaving the doorflap free to use. She frowned. This wasn't really how she thought the knowledge of opening this sort of door would come in handy. Taking a final look around, she slipped into Marin's hut. Thankfully, it was only early afternoon and the sunlight lit the room easily enough to see by.
The first stop she made was the dining table, which was cluttered with spheres, papers, and healing magic supplies. Rikku picked up a sphere and pushed play. The contents appeared to be those from just a friend/ She picked up another sphere. She didn't understand its contents, but it didn't seem to be a cry for help either. Neither was the third sphere or the first several papers. She frowned, disappointed with her fruitless search so far. If not by the spheres or papers, how was Marin summoned?
"She's not psychic, is she?" Rikku wondered. She left the mess at the table and explored the room some more.
She listened to her surroundings carefully as she prowled. Any minute, Marin could make a surprise return home! Every creaking floorboard was like a footstep. They rang like gunshots and she nearly jumped out of her skin when a sphere rolled off the table and landed with a resounding 'CRACK!' on the wood floor. She leaned against the wall, clutching her chest. Her heart nearly stopped!
"Calm down, Rikku," she muttered to herself. "You're not doing anything wrong. Just entering a stranger's empty house without permission. But with good reason! I'm not stealing anything! Just looking for clues." But she knew that if she got caught, that excuse wouldn't work at all. "I just have to be extra careful…"
Taking a few deep breaths, she crossed the room and picked up a sphere on top of a chest that was tucked in the corner between a wall and a wicker chair. Carefully, she turned it on.
"Please, milady," the man in the sphere said, in a panicked voice. "Respond to this as quickly as possible. We are in urgent need of your knowledge and powers. The Plague…"
"Yes!" Rikku whispered in delight. This was exactly what she'd been looking for! She studied the scenery behind the man a little more carefully. By the looks of the man's backdrop, it looked as though the sphere originated in Luca.
The message finally ended and now she was certain it was from Luca. Carefully, she returned the sphere to its rightful location and dusted her fingers off lightly. Now she had a destination! "First stop, Luca. I wonder if there are any ships heading out today…"
''''
Rikku had been in luck. Within about an hour, a ship was ready to leave and she was on her way to her first destination. Late afternoon, she disembarked at one of Luca's many docks and made her way into the city. In contrast to Kilika, Luca was the bustling metropolis it always had been. But the atmosphere was far more tense than usual. Talk was quiet and people were always in a rush, as if by rushing they could avoid the Plague. It was almost depressing to watch.
She frowned as she headed through Luca. How had she never heard of this Plague before? Was Bikanel Island really that much out of the loop? Suddenly, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. What if the desert island had been hit?!
"No. No, don't think of that now, Rikku. You could jinx it. Besides, you have to focus on finding Marin."
She wandered over to an information desk stationed in front of the famous Blitzball stadium.
"Excuse me? Do you know if the healer, Marin, came to Luca yet?" she asked the man behind the counter.
"I don't know," he replied curtly. "Do you think that I can keep track of all who come and go?"
She made a stunned noise. How rude! "Well excuse me! I was just asking."
He turned to her. His eyes glittered darkly. "What is it you really want, filthy Al Bhed?" He grabbed her arm roughly and instantly Rikku saw a fierce black aura blaze around him.
She yelped and wrenched from his grasp. He had it- the Dark Plague… The man glared at her, teeth bared in an unfriendly grin. She rubbed her sore arm.
"I… think I'll go how." And she tore off for the town's square before he could make up his mind about how he wanted to shish kabob her.
The hate in that man's voice made a chill pass over her and she rubbed her eyes self-consciously. An Al Bhed's eyes were what tipped people off, with their strange, swirling irises that they were born with. She never felt as aware of her eyes as she did just then.
She glanced warily around the town square. Everything seemed normal here. But where would she go next? That was when she discovered a pub. Bingo! If anyone would know the gossip on the streets, it would be a bartender. She only hoped that the next person she ran into didn't want her dead. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped into the pub. It was quieter than normal, even during the afternoon. She glanced around. The patrons were involved with their drinks. Most were drinking themselves into a blissful stupor. She frowned a bit at the sight. Part of her wanted that same drunken feeling.
"Can I help you, missy?" asked the bartender on her left.
"What?" She glanced over at him. "Oh… er yes. I was wondering if Marin, the healer, has been through Luca yet?"
The man nodded. "She was here a day or two ago, but she just passed through in a hurry. Apparently, all of Bevelle has been hit by this Plague that's going around."
"So… you think that's where she went then?" Rikku asked anxiously. Bevelle. Boy, she hated going to Bevelle- the center of all of Spira's lies. It was getting better under the New Yevon Praetor Baralai's control but her memories bothered her.
The bartender nodded again. "That would be my best assumption."
"Thank you so much."
He smiled. "Any time."
She turned and headed for the door. Then she paused. "Oh and, um, you may want to have someone take a look at the man at the information desk. He has the Plague." And she slipped out the door.
The bartender frowned a bit. "Can she see the black aura too?" he wondered.
''''
"Bevelle?" Rikku moaned, heading towards the entrance of the Mi'ihen Highroad. "Why does it have to be so far away? By the time I get there, Marin will be long gone!" Now more than ever, she hated Brother and Buddy for losing the airship to Gippal.
"Gippal…" she murmured. Perhaps she could borrow the ship from him? "No! No way! I don't need him for anything!" But the remaining trip to Bevelle would be mere hours by airship while on foot it would take days. And Yuna needed the help as soon as possible- right now, she was far more important than Rikku's dislike for the Machine Faction Leader. She had no choice. "That's not fair!"
There was a hover attendant at the entrance to the Highroad.
"How much does a trip in the hover cost?"
"400 gil will get you to the Rin's Travel Agency," she replied enthusiastically.
"How much will get to Mushroom Rock Road?"
"Well then, that would be 800 gil, of course."
"800 gil!?" Rikku yelped. That was ridiculous! She only had 1000 gil left. A yellow flash caught her eye and she glanced to the attendant's other side. There were a small handful of chocobos tethered beyond the hover. "How much for a chocobo then?"
"200 gil."
That was more than she was hoping for. She sighed. "I'll take a chocobo then. I need your fastest one."
The attendant released one of the birds and led it to Rikku. "This is Yuna, our speediest. She'll get you to Mushroom Rock Road in about, oh, ten minutes."
Rikku stared at the chocobo skeptically. "Yuna? You named her Yuna?"
The woman grinned. "Of course not. She already had that name when we purchased her."
"Let me guess? You got her from Clasko's Chocobo Farm?" Rikku asked.
"Yep."
She winced. She should've known- Clasko, chocobo aficionado, adored Yuna almost to the point of worship when she'd decided to help him realize his dream of his own a chocobo farm. Oh cripes! What if there was a chocobo named Rikku?! 'How disturbing,' she thought, handing over the money and mounting the chocobo. Ew. Who could imagine what sort of people might ride a chocobo named Rikku…
"Go birdie!" she cried, because she couldn't bring herself to call it Yuna.
The chocobo gave a mighty chocobo screech and took off, knocking Rikku off her back in the process.
The attendant giggled. "Yeah, you have to hold onto her tight and crouch low over her neck. Otherwise, the momentum will keep knocking you off."
She rubbed her hip with a grimace. "Ouch… You could've told me sooner."
"Sorry." The attendant gave a sharp whistle and Yuna the Chocobo came trotting back. She held the bird as Rikku mounted again.
As previously advised, the girl crouched low over the chocobo's neck and wrapped the reins firmly around her hands. "Let's try this again, without knocking me flat this time. Run like the wind, birdie!"
Yuna the Chocobo fluttered her wings and took off sprinting smoothly down the Mi'ihen Highroad. Rikku was stunned when they passed a hover further up the road like it was standing still. "Whoa! They weren't kidding- you are fast!"
True to the attendant's word, she reached the entrance to Mushroom Rock Road in exactly ten minutes. Carefully, she slid off the bird's back and handed her over to the hover attendant stationed nearby.
"Have a nice day!" he called out as she paused at the Road's entrance.
She smiled back at him, but it looked forced. Who could have a nice anything when the person one couldn't stand was just a walk away?? She took a deep breath and told herself that her cousin's well being came first. With this constantly replaying in her mind, she continued.
Rikku hadn't walked long before she reached another hover attendant, this one an Al Bhed, who was leaning against his small hovercraft reading a fat, well-loved book. It looked like some sort of history of machina book. She smiled. "Excuse me?"
The man started, dropping the book on his foot. He winced. "Er… what can I do for you?"
His voice was awfully familiar. She squinted at the man. "Arrik, is that you?"
"Huh?" He squinted right back at her. "Rikku? It is you! Wow, it's really been a long time since I last saw you!" Arrik grinned.
"I should've known it was you! You're always reading these things." She crouched and picked up his book.
"Of course!" He grinned, taking the book from her and stashing it in a bag on the hover. "How've you been?"
"I've been better. A lot of things aren't really going my way right now…" She made a face. "But never mind that. How are you?"
"Good, good. I'm getting married next month."
"You? And the lucky bride isn't machina?" she teased.
"Of course not." He laughed. "Though she is almost as nuts about machina as I am. Now, what can I do for you?"
"I need a ride to Djose, please."
"Ahhh… to see a certain Machine Faction Leader named Gippal?"
"Yes."
Arrik grinned impishly.
Rikku made a face, understanding the expression instantly.
. "It's not what you think, sunuh ::moron::! I'm on an important mission. And unfortunately I need his help."
"Ah, a mission of great import. Well, I suppose I can cut you some slack then. Normally, hover trips are about 100 gil, but I could let you go for fifty. That okay?"
She wrinkled her nose a bit. She was hoping for free, but she supposed this was the best he could offer her. It was better than nothing. "Yeah, that's fine. Saves me a bit of money, anyway. And I don't really want to walk down this road at night." She gestured towards the setting sun.
Arrik revved up the hover and climbed on. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get to Djose!"
Rikku climbed onto the hover and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. 'Wow… he finally lost that 'baby fat'. He has a pretty firm body!' she thought giddily as they roared down the road.
''''
Arrik pulled to a stop at the first bridge over Djose's river. "This is as far as I can take you. The hover would chew up the bridge."
"This is fine." Rikku hopped off and shook the blood back into her numb legs. "Thanks for the ride." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Good luck with the wedding! Don't forget to invite me!"
He laughed. "I won't. Caa oui mydan ::See you later::!"
She waved as he roared off. Behind her, there was the sound of slow clapping. She whirled, startled. There stood Gippal. His trademark smirk was plastered on his face, but his eyes looked faintly annoyed.
Rikku frowned. That wasn't like him. She worried, briefly, that he might have contracted the Plague as well. Oh cripes, that would make things doubly awful. "What are you doing here?"
"I can walk where I want." Gippal folded his hands behind his head lazily. "So, did you come for the job after all?" he asked as the annoyed expression slipped from his eyes. He was making fun of her again. That was just like him.
"No," Rikku said firmly, folding her arms over her chest defiantly. I told you I wouldn't work for you. But… I do need a favor."
"A favor eh?" Gippal smirked again. "After you decline my job offer? That really gets me right here." He patted his chest. "Hmm… Well, let's see what sort of agreement we can reach." He motioned for her to follow him. "Let's discuss this in my office."
Rikku eyed him suspiciously, but followed. There was no harm in it, right?