Tidus looked up eager, staring at the woman with a slight confusion. The girl was smiling hopefully, grinning proudly at the boy, and eyeing the flask with a defiant glance.
"I'm an Al Bhed, Tidus, and I'm not only good in mechanics, but I'm an Alchemist too…" Rikku said almost mysteriously, keeping her voice low, as if it was a secret to be kept.
"What do you mean… an Alchemist?" Tidus could feel his throat being constricted with sadness, but a slight hope inflated his soul.
"I mean I can try and reproduce the liquid in the flask, but I need some things. Let's go back!" Rikku motioned at the ghost excitedly, urging him to follow her while she sprinted back into the water.
Rikku dived head first, back into the petrol like darkness of the lake. Shrugging, the ghost followed her.
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Rikku examined every single ingredient in the remains of the flask. She added the exact proportions, calculated carefully. Stirred, heated, boiled, cooled, froze, and did all of those procedures she even imagined. In her examination, the molecules were primary, not broken, so she really doubted the mixture ever passed through any cooking process. Still, the liquid in the flask remained transparent like water, with a slight murky glitter that seemed to bloom in its depths.
"I don't get it…!" sighed the girl desperately, taking off her protection glasses and rubbing her forehead tiredly.
Everything was correct, in her opinion, and still the liquid didn't pick that caramel red tonality. Probably the liquid in the flask was a putrid state of the previous mixture, however she highly doubted that. The liquid was enclosed into a crystal glass, with very scarce contact with the air, so even in a thousand years, the liquid was bound to suffer very unperceivable changes.
The youth pushed the crystalline liquid aside, with slight resign. Tears began to flow down her cheeks in anger and frustration. The young ghost entered the room. He was quickly welcomed by the sad and humid gaze coming from the girl.
"I'm sorry… I can't…" Rikku whimpered in strangled sobs.
"Oh Rikku…" Tidus stared at her sadly, and leaned down to hug her tightly.
"Why can't I make it work?" Rikku's voice was a desperate yell, full of anger and frustration.
"I think you are missing something…" Tidus answered gently, lifting the girl's head with a tender, ethereal hand. "Get pretty, it's your night and you are going to triumph!" the ghost said with a gentle, loving smile, and trusting, sincere eyes.
"Oh Tidus…" Rikku wanted to hug him, for being so nice, for being so caring, and for being the best friend she had ever had.
Smiling positively, Tidus wished her to have the best night of her life. Right after, the ghost floated through the wall, and away from the woman's sight.
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As soon as he was away from the girl's room, Tidus leaned against the wall and sighed profoundly. His bright blue eyes watered slightly, and a heavy weight began to fill his soul. That was it, his chance at being with the girl he loved had vanished completely. The recipe had lost in the labyrinth of time, and only Jaeth Anders knew how it functioned. As far as they knew, Jaeth herself was dead.
"Rikku…" Tidus moaned shutting his eyes tightly, and shaking his bald, transparent head.
"Perhaps I can help you!" said a voice before him.
Tidus looked up. At first he glanced at the person in question rather oddly. Then, his hopes began to rise, illuminating his face. The ghost smiled and nodded shyly.
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Rikku was sitting at the disco, watching people dance around her. She sighed deeply, boredom and sadness was stabbing her soul. The young girl was immersed in her thoughts, her soul aching with longing. Platonic love, for they could never be, not as long as she lived, or as long as he remained dead.
The sea of people kept moving. Yet this time there was some sort of disorder in their constant swaying and shaking. Rikku tilted her head curiously, now her attention on the bunch. Something, like a shark on the attack, seemed to be splitting the flood like Moises did with the oceans. A flaming head was pushing people aside, and several groans and protests were heard, only to be silenced by a sort of animalistic growl.
The source of havoc broke surface, and Rikku almost fell of her seat backwards. All her muscles froze, all her senses flew away to numbness, and she simply stared fixedly at the creators of mischief fixedly, like a statue. Her glance was of utmost shock, and her reactions were slow like a slug's.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RIKKU!" the whole group bellowed at full lungs, yelling happily.
"Oh my…!" the girl stood up rapidly, holding her heart, as a landslide of people leaned down on her to kiss her.
"We came!" Brother yelled, hugging his sister tightly.
"But, guys, I didn't think you… I thought you had forgotten!" Rikku said cheerfully, leaping happily.
"How could we, ya?" Wakka said proudly, inflating his well toned chest.
"Well, some did forget, but excuse their slow, fish memory." Lulu responded with a smile at the girl, yet shooting a nasty glare at Wakka, who simply scratched the back of his head.
"Kimahri came to Rikku's birthday. Important for Rikku, no problem to Kimahri!" Kimahri said shaking the girl's hand, and making her smile.
"Guys…" suddenly, the chirpy, outgoing Rikku collapsed on tears.
The group smiled at her, watching her cry. They knew this were not tears of pain or suffering, but tears of happiness.
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"What are we doing here?" Tidus was following Yuna, a flask in his hands filled with a crystalline liquid.
The two were walking through the murky shadows, and sinister glitters of the Temple of Besaid. Looking back and forth, the boy saw the threatening colossus of men long dead, and couldn't help but imagine the presence of their bloodthirsty ghosts living in this place.
"Rikku got the ingredients right, but chemistry isn't everything when speaking about healings and resurrections." Yuna explained, her lips curling into a smile, and her eyes glowing.
"She really was missing something then!" Tidus exclaimed.
"Yes, she was missing faith!" Yuna said, extending her hands and picking the flask from the ghost's stubby fingers.
The Summoner apprentice kneeled on the floor, before a strange wall where a creature, half dragon, half human, seemed to be trapped. The young Summoner signalled at the ghost to remain silent. Holding the flask before her, extending her hands in offering, the girl began to pray silently. After moments, a glow blazed from the depths of the wall, illuminating the flask. It was a comforting, whitish glow, like the glimmer of light against the frozen ice in winter. To the boy's surprise, the liquid in the flask became a crimson red, sort of liquid caramel with an inner light and magic brighter than he had ever seen.
"The Fayth…" Tidus whispered in awe, understanding now Yuna's intentions.
"Lets go!" the girl exclaimed excitedly, holding the flask against herself with loving care.
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Rikku had been having fun for a long time, but right now she was seated again. Her friends were dispersed around the place, coming from time to time, and pleading at her to accompany them. Rikku only declined every time. She was thinking about a certain ghost, his presence aching in her heart much more than she could have ever imagined. She missed him, and felt terrible not to have him there. The young Al Bhed was on the verge of running back to the residence and yelling at him to fight, to live, only because she loved him, yet was too selfish to give her life in exchange.
"Hey, Justin! Come, look at that impressive car which is parked outside!" said a voice next to her.
Rikku shrugged. Normally, she would have been the first one to run and see that marvellous machina. However, today not even machina could lift her drowned emotions.
"Would you care to dance?" said a gentle voice next to her, while a manly hand was extended before her.
To Be Continued…
AN: OH! What a beautiful car! Er, yeah, well, sorry, was watching at my car through the window. Anyways, there comes another chapter, and this is getting much closer now to the end, and to the outcome. Honestly, I promise the end will surprise you a lot!